The Day of Atonement

Leviticus 16

1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses after a the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the LORD, and died; 2 and the LORD said to Moses: "Tell Aaron your brother b not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for c I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat. 3 1 "Thus Aaron shall d come into the Holy Place: e with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering. 4 "He shall put the f 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 g he shall wash his body in water, and put them on. 5 "And he shall take from h the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering.

6 "Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and i make atonement for himself and for his house. 7 "He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 8 "Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 "And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD's lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. 10 "But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make j atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness.

11 "And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for k himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering which is for himself. 12 "Then he shall take l a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, with his hands full of m sweet incense beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil. 13 n "And he shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the o mercy seat that is on the Testimony, lest he p die. 14 q "He shall take some of the blood of the bull and r sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

15 s "Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood t inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. 16 "So he shall u make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17 "There shall be v no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. 18 "And he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD, and make atonement for w it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. 19 "Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and x consecrate 2 it from the 3 uncleanness of the children of Israel.

20 "And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. 21 "Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, y confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, z putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. 22 "The goat 4 shall a bear on itself all their iniquities to an 5 uninhabited land; and he shall b release the goat in the wilderness.

23 "Then Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of meeting, c shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there. 24 "And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make 6 atonement for himself and for the people. 25 d "The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar. 26 "And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes e and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. 27 f "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 outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal. 28 "Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

29 "This shall be a statute forever for you: g In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall 7 afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who 8 dwells among you. 30 "For on that day the priest shall make 9 atonement for you, to h cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 31 i "It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. 32 j "And the priest, who is anointed and k consecrated to minister as priest in his father's place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments; 33 "then he shall make 10 atonement for 11 the Holy Sanctuary, 12 and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34 l "This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, m once a year." And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.

  1. Cross References
    Leviticus 10:1
    Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them.
    Leviticus 10:2
    So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
    2 Samuel 6:6 - 8
    And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.
  2. Cross References
    Exodus 30:10
    "And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns ...
    Leviticus 16:34
    This shall be an everlasting statute for you, t...
    Leviticus 23:27
    Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall ...
    Hebrews 6:19
    This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, bot...
    Hebrews 9:7
    But into the second part the high priest went a...
    Hebrews 9:8
    The Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way i...
    Hebrews 9:12
    Not with the blood of goats and calves, but wit...
    Hebrews 10:19
    Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter t...
  3. Cross References
    Exodus 25:21
    You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.
    Exodus 25:22
    And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
    Exodus 40:34
    Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
    1 Kings 8:10 - 12
    And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD.
  4. Cross References
    Leviticus 4:1 - 12
    Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying.
    Leviticus 16:6
    Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, w...
    Hebrews 9:7
    But into the second part the high priest went a...
    Hebrews 9:12
    Not with the blood of goats and calves, but wit...
    Hebrews 9:24
    For Christ has not entered the holy places made...
    Hebrews 9:25
    Not that He should offer Himself often, as the ...
  5. Cross References
    Leviticus 4:3
    If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering.
  6. Cross References
    Exodus 28:39
    You shall skillfully weave the tunic of fine li...
    Exodus 28:42
    And you shall make for them linen trousers to c...
    Exodus 28:43
    They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when the...
    Leviticus 6:10
    And the priest shall put on his linen garment, ...
    Ezekiel 44:17
    And it shall be, whenever they enter the gates ...
    Ezekiel 44:18
    They shall have linen turbans on their heads an...
  7. Cross References
    Exodus 30:20
    When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die.
    Leviticus 8:6
    Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.
    Leviticus 8:7
    And he put the tunic on him, girded him with the sash, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him; and he girded him with the intricately woven band of the ephod, and with it tied the ephod on him.
  8. Cross References
    Leviticus 4:14
    When the sin which they have committed becomes ...
    Numbers 29:11
    Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, be...
    2 Chronicles 29:21
    And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven...
    Ezra 6:17
    And they offered sacrifices at the dedication o...
    Ezekiel 45:22
    And on that day the prince shall prepare for hi...
    Ezekiel 45:23
    On the seven days of the feast he shall prepare...
  9. Cross References
    Leviticus 9:7
    And Moses said to Aaron, "Go to the altar, offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and for the people. Offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as the LORD commanded.
    Hebrews 5:3
    Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.
    Hebrews 7:27
    Who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
    Hebrews 7:28
    For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.
    Hebrews 9:7
    But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance.
  10. Cross References
    Isaiah 53:5
    But He was wounded for our transgressions, He w...
    Isaiah 53:6
    All we like sheep have gone astray; We have tur...
    Romans 3:25
    Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blo...
    Hebrews 7:27
    Who does not need daily, as those high priests,...
    Hebrews 9:23
    Therefore it was necessary that the copies of t...
    Hebrews 9:24
    For Christ has not entered the holy places made...
    1 John 2:2
    And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins...
  11. Cross References
    Hebrews 7:27
    Who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
    Hebrews 9:7
    But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance.
  12. Cross References
    Leviticus 10:1
    Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each t...
    Numbers 16:7
    "put fire in them and put incense in them befor...
    Numbers 16:18
    So every man took his censer, put fire in it, l...
    Isaiah 6:6
    Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in ...
    Isaiah 6:7
    And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Beh...
    Revelation 8:5
    Then the angel took the censer, filled it with ...
  13. Cross References
    Exodus 30:34 - 38
    And the LORD said to Moses: "Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each.
  14. Cross References
    Exodus 30:7
    Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it.
    Exodus 30:8
    And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
    Numbers 16:7
    "put fire in them and put incense in them before the LORD tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses is the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!"
    Numbers 16:18
    So every man took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the tabernacle of meeting with Moses and Aaron.
    Numbers 16:46
    So Moses said to Aaron, "Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD. The plague has begun.
  15. Cross References
    Exodus 25:21
    You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.
  16. Cross References
    Exodus 28:43
    They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, that they do not incur iniquity and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him.
    Leviticus 22:9
    They shall therefore keep My ordinance, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby, if they profane it: I the LORD sanctify them.
    Numbers 4:15
    And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.
    Numbers 4:20
    "But they shall not go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, lest they die."
  17. Cross References
    Leviticus 4:5
    Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull's blood and bring it to the tabernacle of meeting.
    Hebrews 9:25
    Not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another -
    Hebrews 10:4
    For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
  18. Cross References
    Leviticus 4:6
    The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil of the sanctuary.
    Leviticus 4:17
    Then the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil.
  19. Cross References
    Hebrews 2:17
    Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
  20. Cross References
    Hebrews 6:19
    This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil.
    Hebrews 7:27
    Who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
    Hebrews 9:3
    And behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All.
    Hebrews 9:7
    But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance.
    Hebrews 9:12
    Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
  21. Cross References
    Exodus 29:36
    And you shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it.
    Exodus 30:10
    "And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD."
    Ezekiel 45:18
    Thus says the Lord GOD: "In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a young bull without blemish and cleanse the sanctuary.
    Hebrews 9:22 - 24
    And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
  22. Cross References
    Exodus 34:3
    "And no man shall come up with you, and let no man be seen throughout all the mountain; let neither flocks nor herds feed before that mountain."
    Luke 1:10
    And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
  23. Cross References
    Exodus 29:36
    And you shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it.
  24. Cross References
    Leviticus 16:14
    He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
    Ezekiel 43:20
    You shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim around it; thus you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it.
  25. Cross References
    Leviticus 5:5
    And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing.
    Leviticus 26:40
    But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me.
  26. Cross References
    Isaiah 53:6
    All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
  27. Cross References
    Leviticus 8:14
    And he brought the bull for the sin offering. T...
    Isaiah 53:6
    All we like sheep have gone astray; We have tur...
    Isaiah 53:11
    He shall see the labor of His soul, and be sati...
    Isaiah 53:12
    Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the ...
    John 1:29
    The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, ...
    Hebrews 9:28
    So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of ...
    1 Peter 2:24
    Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on th...
  28. Cross References
    Leviticus 14:7
    And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose in the open field.
  29. Cross References
    Leviticus 6:11
    Then he shall take off his garments, put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.
    Leviticus 16:4
    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.
    Ezekiel 42:14
    "When the priests enter them, they shall not go out of the holy chamber into the outer court; but there they shall leave their garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they may approach that which is for the people."
    Ezekiel 44:19
    When they go out to the outer court, to the outer court to the people, they shall take off their garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, and put on other garments; and in their holy garments they shall not sanctify the people.
  30. Cross References
    Leviticus 1:8
    Then the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar.
    Leviticus 4:10
    As it was taken from the bull of the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn them on the altar of the burnt offering.
  31. Cross References
    Leviticus 15:5
    And whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
  32. Cross References
    Leviticus 4:12
    The whole bull he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.
    Leviticus 4:21
    Then he shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is a sin offering for the assembly.
    Leviticus 6:30
    But no sin offering from which any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of meeting, to make atonement in the holy place, shall be eaten. It shall be burned in the fire.
    Hebrews 13:11
    For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp.
  33. Cross References
    Exodus 30:10
    "And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD."
    Leviticus 23:27 - 32
    Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.
    Numbers 29:7
    On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall afflict your souls; you shall not do any work.
  34. Cross References
    Psalms 51:2
    Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleans...
    Jeremiah 33:8
    I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by ...
    Ephesians 5:26
    That He might sanctify and cleanse her with the...
    Hebrews 9:13
    For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ash...
    Hebrews 9:14
    How much more shall the blood of Christ, who th...
    1 John 1:7
    But if we walk in the light as He is in the lig...
    1 John 1:9
    If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just...
  35. Cross References
    Leviticus 23:27
    Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall ...
    Leviticus 23:32
    "It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, a...
    Ezra 8:21
    Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of ...
    Isaiah 58:3
    Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and You have no...
    Isaiah 58:5
    Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a ma...
    Daniel 10:12
    Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for f...
  36. Cross References
    Leviticus 4:3
    If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering.
    Leviticus 4:5
    Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull's blood and bring it to the tabernacle of meeting.
    Leviticus 4:16
    The anointed priest shall bring some of the bull's blood to the tabernacle of meeting.
    Leviticus 21:10
    He who is the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes.
  37. Cross References
    Exodus 29:29
    And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons' after him, to be anointed in them and to be consecrated in them.
    Exodus 29:30
    That son who becomes priest in his place shall put them on for seven days, when he enters the tabernacle of meeting to minister in the holy place.
    Numbers 20:26
    "and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there."
    Numbers 20:28
    Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
  38. Cross References
    Leviticus 23:31
    You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
    Numbers 29:7
    On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall afflict your souls; you shall not do any work.
  39. Cross References
    Exodus 30:10
    "And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD."
    Hebrews 9:7
    But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance.
    Hebrews 9:25
    Not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another -
    Hebrews 9:28
    So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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