05 July 2014

EJ&T: Leviticus 5 - Witnessing, promising, and touching unclean things

In the Every Jot and Tittle project, I am listing all of the Bible's commandments from Genesis to Revelation, in accordance with Jesus's words in Matthew 5:18-19. I have no idea how many commandments I'll find, but Jewish tradition claims there are 613. See here for a list of those that I've found so far.

  1. If you refuse to testify about something you have seen or heard, you will be punished.
  2. And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity. Leviticus 5:1

    If you refuse to testify in court about something you saw or know has happened, you have sinned and can be punished. Leviticus 5:1, Contemporary English Version

  3. If you accidentally touch an unclean thing, like a dead beast, cow, or creeping thing, then you are unclean and guilty.
  4. Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty. Leviticus 5:2

  5. If you accidentally touch the uncleanness of man, then you are guilty.
  6. Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty. Leviticus 5:3

  7. If you unknowingly promise to do something evil or good and then find out about your promise, you are guilty.
  8. Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these. Leviticus 5:4

  9. If you break one of the previous four commandments, then you must confess that you have sinned and kill a female lamb or young goat as a sin offering.
  10. And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing: And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin. Leviticus 5:5-6

  11. If you can't afford a lamb, kill two doves or pigeons instead; one as a sin offering and one as a burnt offering.
  12. Here are the detailed in instructions: Bring one of the birds to the priest as a sin offering. The priest will wring off its head from its neck without cutting it into pieces. He will then sprinkle blood on the side of the altar and wring out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. The second bird will be a burnt offering. After these birds are killed in this way, God will forgive you for your sin.

    And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder: And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering. And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the manner: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him. Leviticus 5:7-10

  13. If you can't afford birds, burn one kilogram of your finest flour.
  14. Since this is a sin offering, don't put any oil or frankincense on it. Take your flour to the priest who will take a handful of it and burn it on the altar. God will forgive you for your sin, and the priest gets whatever flour is leftover as a meat offering.

    But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering. Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it is a sin offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and the remnant shall be the priest's, as a meat offering. Leviticus 5:11-13

  15. If you unknowingly defile some holy things, kill an unblemished ram or pay the priests whatever such a ram is worth. In addition you must pay the priests a 20% fine.
  16. If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering. And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him. Leviticus 5:15-16

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