Offering Sacrifices

17 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the ·people [^Lsons; children] of Israel. Tell them: ‘This is what the Lord has commanded. ³ If ·an Israelite [^La person from the house of Israel] ·kills [slaughters] an ox, a lamb, or a goat either inside the camp or outside it, ⁴ when he should have brought the animal to the entrance of the Meeting Tent as a ·gift [offering] to the Lord in front of the Lord’s ·Holy Tent [sanctuary], he is guilty of ·killing [^Lshedding blood]. He has ·killed [^Lshed blood], and he must be cut off from the people. ⁵ This rule is so ·people [^Lthe sons/^Tchildren of Israel] will bring their sacrifices, which they have been sacrificing in the open fields, to the Lord. They must bring those animals to the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent; they must bring them to the priest and offer them as ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [3:1]. ⁶ Then the priest will ·sprinkle [dash] the blood from those animals on the Lord’s altar near the entrance of the Meeting Tent. And he will ·burn [^Lturn into smoke] the fat from those animals on the altar [3:17], as a smell pleasing to the Lord. ⁷ They must not offer any more sacrifices to their goat idols [^Cgoat images representing demons; 2 Chr. 11:15; Is. 13:21; 34:14], which they have chased like prostitutes [^Cspiritual infidelity is often likened to marital infidelity; Hos. 1:2]. These ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] will continue for people ·from now on [^Lthroughout their generations].’

⁸ “Tell the people this: ‘If ·any citizen [^Lanyone from the house] of Israel or ·foreigner living with you [sojourner; wanderer; resident alien] offers a burnt offering [1:1–17] or sacrifice, ⁹ that person must take his sacrifice to the entrance of the Meeting Tent to offer it to the Lord. If he does not do this, he must be cut off from the people.

¹⁰ “‘I will be against ·any citizen [^Lanyone from the house] of Israel or ·foreigner living with you [sojourner; wanderer; resident alien] who eats blood [3:17]. I will cut off that person from the people. ¹¹ This is because the life of the body is in the blood, and I have given you rules for pouring that blood on the altar ·to remove your sins so you will belong to the Lord [to make atonement]. It is the blood that ·removes the sins [makes atonement], because it is life. ¹² So I tell the ·people [^Lsons; children] of Israel this: “None of you may eat blood, and no ·foreigner living among you [resident alien] may eat blood.”

¹³ “‘If any ·citizen [^Lof the sons/^Tchildren] of Israel or ·foreigner living among you [resident alien] ·catches [hunts] a wild animal or bird that can be eaten, that person must pour the blood on the ground and cover it with dirt. ¹⁴ If blood is still in the ·meat [flesh], the animal’s life is still in it. So I give this command to the ·people [^Lsons; children] of Israel: “Don’t eat ·meat [flesh] that still has blood in it, because the animal’s life is in its blood. Anyone who eats blood must be cut off [3:17].”

¹⁵ “‘If a person, either a ·citizen [native] or a ·foreigner [resident alien], eats an animal that died by itself or was killed by another animal, he must wash his clothes and bathe in water. He will be unclean [^Cin a ritual sense] until evening; then he will be clean. ¹⁶ If he does not wash his clothes and bathe his body, he will ·be guilty of sin [carry their guilt].’”