1. יהוה spoke to Moses , after the death of the two sons of Aaron , when they drew near before יהוה , and died;
2. And יהוה said to Moses , "Tell Aaron your brother, not to come at all times into the Most Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark; lest he die: for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.
3. "Herewith shall Aaron come into the sanctuary: with a young bull for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
4. He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches on his body, and shall put on the linen sash, and he shall be dressed with the linen turban. They are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water, and put them on.
5. He shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
6. " Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house.
7. He shall take the two goats, and set them before יהוה at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
8. Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats; one lot for יהוה , and the other lot for the scapegoat.
9. Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for יהוה , and offer him for a sin offering.
10. But the goat, on which the lot fell for the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before יהוה , to make atonement for him, to send him away for the scapegoat into the wilderness.
11. " Aaron shall present the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull of the sin offering which is for himself.
12. He shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar before יהוה , and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil:
13. And he shall put the incense on the fire before יהוה , that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the testimony, so that he will not die.
14. He shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
15. "Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
16. And he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, even all their sins; and so he shall do for the Tent of Meeting, that dwells with them in the midst of their uncleanness.
17. There shall be no one in the Tent of Meeting when he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, and has made atonement for himself and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.
18. "He shall go out to the altar that is before יהוה and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the bull's blood, and some of the goat's blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar.
19. He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and make it holy from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
20. "When he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat.
21. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.
22. The goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land, and he shall let the goat go in the wilderness.
23. " Aaron shall come into the Tent of Meeting, and shall take off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there.
24. Then he shall bathe himself in water in a holy place, and put on his garments, and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.
25. The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar.
26. "He who lets the goat go for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
27. The bull for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried forth outside the camp; and they shall burn their skins, their flesh, and their dung with fire.
28. He who burns them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
29. "It shall be a statute to you forever: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and shall do no manner of work, the native-born, or the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you:
30. For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before יהוה .
31. It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls; it is a statute forever.
32. The priest, who is anointed and who is consecrated to be priest in his father's place, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen garments, even the holy garments.
33. Then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary; and he shall make atonement for the Tent of Meeting and for the altar; and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.
34. "This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel once in the year because of all their sins." It was done as יהוה commanded Moses .
Chapter 17
1. יהוה spoke to Moses , saying,
2. "Speak to Aaron , and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them: 'This is the thing which יהוה has commanded,
3. Whatever man there is of the house of Israel, who kills a bull, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp,
4. And hasn't brought it to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to offer it as an offering to יהוה before the tabernacle of יהוה : blood shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people.
5. This is to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to יהוה , to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to the priest, and sacrifice them for sacrifices of peace offerings to יהוה .
6. The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of יהוה at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and burn the fat for a pleasant aroma to יהוה .
7. They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat idols, after which they play the prostitute. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.'
8. "You shall say to them, 'Any man there is of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,
9. And doesn't bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to sacrifice it to יהוה ; that man shall be cut off from his people.
10. "'Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
11. For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.
12. Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, "No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who lives as a foreigner among you eat blood."
13. "'Whatever man there is of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who takes in hunting any animal or bird that may be eaten; he shall pour out its blood, and cover it with dust.
14. For as to the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life: therefore I said to the children of Israel, "You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off."
15. "'Every person that eats what dies of itself, or that which is torn by animals, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening: then he shall be clean.
16. But if he doesn't wash them, or bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity.'"
Chapter 18
1. יהוה said to Moses ,
2. "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'I am יהוה your God.
3. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived: and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you; neither shall you walk in their statutes.
4. You shall do my ordinances, and you shall keep my statutes, and walk in them: I am יהוה your God.
5. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them: I am יהוה .
6. "'None of you shall approach anyone who are his close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am יהוה .
7. "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
8. "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife: it is your father's nakedness.
9. "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home, or born abroad.
10. "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter, or of your daughter's daughter, even their nakedness: for theirs is your own nakedness.
11. "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, conceived by your father, since she is your sister.
12. "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister: she is your father's near kinswoman.
13. "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister: for she is your mother's near kinswoman.
14. "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, you shall not approach his wife: she is your aunt.
15. "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law: she is your son's wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
16. "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife: it is your brother's nakedness.
17. "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they are near kinswomen: it is wickedness.
18. "'You shall not take a wife to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is yet alive.
19. "'You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.
20. "'You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, and defile yourself with her.
21. "'You shall not give any of your children to sacrifice to Molech; neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am יהוה .
22. "'You shall not lie with a man, as with a woman. That is detestable.
23. "'You shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it; neither shall any woman give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion.
24. "'Don't defile yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled.
25. The land was defiled: therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants.
26. You therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you;
27. (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, that were before you, and the land became defiled);
28. That the land not vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
29. "'For whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people.
30. Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs, which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them: I am יהוה your God.'"
1. Moreover יהוה ’s word came to me, saying,
2. You, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? then cause her to know all her abominations.
3. You shall say, Thus says the Lord יהוה : A city that sheds blood within herself, that her time may come, and that makes idols against herself to defile her!
4. You have become guilty in your blood that you have shed, and are defiled in your idols which you have made; and you have caused your days to draw near, and have come even to your years: therefore have I made you a reproach to the nations, and a mocking to all the countries.
5. Those who are near, and those who are far from you, shall mock you, you infamous one, full of tumult.
6. Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone according to his power, have been in you to shed blood.
7. In you have they set light by father and mother; among you they have dealt by oppression with the foreigner; in you they have wronged the fatherless and the widow.
8. You have despised my holy things, and have profaned my Sabbaths.
9. Slanderous men have been in you to shed blood; and in you they have eaten on the mountains: they have committed lewdness among you.
10. In you have they uncovered their fathers’ nakedness; in you have they humbled her who was unclean in her impurity.
11. One has committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife; and another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law; and another in you has humbled his sister, his father’s daughter.
12. In you have they taken bribes to shed blood; you have taken interest and increase, and you have greedily gained of your neighbors by oppression, and have forgotten me, says the Lord יהוה .
13. Behold, therefore, I have struck my hand at your dishonest gain which you have made, and at your blood which has been within you.
14. Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I, יהוה , have spoken it, and will do it.
15. I will scatter you among the nations, and disperse you through the countries; and I will consume your filthiness out of you.
16. You shall be profaned in yourself, in the sight of the nations; and you shall know that I am יהוה .
Sephardic stops here!
17. יהוה ’s word came to me, saying,
18. Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me: all of them are brass and tin and iron and lead, in the middle of the furnace; they are the dross of silver.
19. Therefore thus says the Lord יהוה : Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the middle of Jerusalem.
Etz Chaim
It is a tree of life for those who cling to it,
and those who uphold it are happy.
Its ways are pleasant and all of its paths peaceful.
Return us to You, Lord, so that we shall return,
Renew our days, as of old.