The Day of Atonement
Leviticus 16, verse 1. Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons, when they offered strange fire before the Lord and died; Leviticus 16, verse 2. and the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the holy place inside the veil, in the presence of the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony, lest he die; for I will be seen in the cloud above the mercy seat. Leviticus 16, verse 3. Thus Aaron shall come into the holy place with a young bull of the oxen as a sin offering, and a ram as a whole burnt offering. Leviticus 16, verse 4. He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water and put them on. Leviticus 16, verse 5. “Then he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a whole burnt offering. Leviticus 16, verse 6. Aaron shall offer the young bull as his sin offering, to make atonement for himself and his house. Leviticus 16, verse 7. He shall take the two kids and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of testimony. Leviticus 16, verse 8. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two kids: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. Leviticus 16, verse 9. Aaron shall bring the kid on which the Lord's lot fell and offer it as a sin offering. Leviticus 16, verse 10. But the kid on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, to let it go as the scapegoat into the desert. Leviticus 16, verse 11. “Then Aaron shall offer the young bull as his sin offering, to make atonement for himself and his house. Thus he shall kill the young bull as his sin offering. Leviticus 16, verse 12. He shall then take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, with his hands full of the incense compound, beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil. Leviticus 16, verse 13. He shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat on the testimonies, lest he die. Leviticus 16, verse 14. He shall take some of the young bull's blood with his finger and sprinkle it upon the east side of the mercy seat seven times. Leviticus 16, verse 15. “After that, he shall kill the kid of the sin offering before the Lord on behalf of the people, and bring some of its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the young bull, and sprinkle it upon the east side of the mercy seat seven times. Leviticus 16, verse 16. So he shall make atonement in the holy place because of the impurities and injustices of the children of Israel, for all their sins; and thus he shall do this in the tabernacle of testimony, built among them in the midst of their uncleanness. Leviticus 16, verse 17. There shall be no man in the tabernacle of testimony when he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, his household, and all the congregation of the children of Israel. Leviticus 16, verse 18. Then he shall go out to the altar before the Lord and make atonement upon it; and he shall take some of the blood of both the young bull and the kid and put it on the horns of the altar all around. Leviticus 16, verse 19. Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse and sanctify it because of the impurities of the children of Israel.
The Scapegoat
Leviticus 16, verse 20. “When Aaron shall finish making atonement in the holy place, the tabernacle of testimony and the altar, and shall also cleanse matters concerning the priests, then he shall bring the living kid. Leviticus 16, verse 21. Aaron shall place his hands on the head of the living kid, confess over it all the transgressions of the children of Israel, and all their lawlessness, and all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the living kid, and send it away into the desert by the hand of a suitable man. Leviticus 16, verse 22. The kid shall bear on itself all their wrongdoings to an uninhabited land. Thus he shall send away the kid into the desert. Leviticus 16, verse 23. Then Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of testimony and take off the linen garments he put on when he went into the holy place; and he shall leave them there. Leviticus 16, verse 24. He shall then wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, and come out to offer his whole burnt offering and the whole burnt offering of the people, to make atonement for himself, his house, the people, and in matters concerning the priests. Leviticus 16, verse 25. The fat of the sin offering he shall offer on the altar. Leviticus 16, verse 26. He who sent away the kid which was set apart for remission shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. Leviticus 16, verse 27. The young bull and the kid for the sin offerings whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place shall be carried outside the camp; and they shall burn them in the fire: their skin, their flesh, and their offal. Leviticus 16, verse 28. Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; and afterward, he may come into the camp.
Ordinances for the Day of Atonement
Leviticus 16, verse 29. “This shall be an ordinance forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a resident alien who dwells among you. Leviticus 16, verse 30. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you from all your sins before the Lord. Thus you shall be clean. Leviticus 16, verse 31. It is a Sabbath of Sabbaths, a rest for you, and you shall humble your souls. It is an ordinance forever. Leviticus 16, verse 32. So the priest who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father's place shall make atonement and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments. Leviticus 16, verse 33. Then he shall make atonement in the most holy place, the tabernacle of testimony and the altar; and he shall make atonement for matters concerning the priests and all the congregation. Leviticus 16, verse 34. So this shall be an ordinance forever for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins; and he shall do this once a year,” as the Lord gave orders to Moses.