Daily Bread

Offerings for Unintentional Sins

²² “‘Now if you as a community unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the Lord gave Moses^(A)— ²³ any of the Lord’s commands to you through him, from the day the Lord gave them and continuing through the generations to come^(B)— ²⁴ and if this is done unintentionally^(C) without the community being aware of it,^(D) then the whole community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering^(E) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord,^(F) along with its prescribed grain offering^(G) and drink offering,^(H) and a male goat for a sin offering.^{[a](I) 25} The priest is to make atonement for the whole Israelite community, and they will be forgiven,^(J) for it was not intentional^(K) and they have presented to the Lord for their wrong a food offering^(L) and a sin offering.^{(M) 26} The whole Israelite community and the foreigners residing among them will be forgiven, because all the people were involved in the unintentional wrong.^(N)

²⁷ “‘But if just one person sins unintentionally,^(O) that person must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering.^{(P) 28} The priest is to make atonement^(Q) before the Lord for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made, that person will be forgiven.^{(R) 29} One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you.^(S)

³⁰ “‘But anyone who sins defiantly,^(T) whether native-born or foreigner,^(U) blasphemes the Lord^(V) and must be cut off from the people of Israel.^{(W) 31} Because they have despised^(X) the Lord’s word and broken his commands,^(Y) they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them.^(Z)’”

The Sabbath-Breaker Put to Death

³² While the Israelites were in the wilderness,^(AA) a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day.^{(AB) 33} Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, ³⁴ and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him.^{(AC) 35} Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die.^(AD) The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.^(AE)” ³⁶ So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him^(AF) to death,^(AG) as the Lord commanded Moses.^(AH)

Tassels on Garments

³⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ³⁸ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come^(AI) you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments,^(AJ) with a blue cord on each tassel. ³⁹ You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember^(AK) all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves^(AL) by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts^(AM) and eyes. ⁴⁰ Then you will remember to obey all my commands^(AN) and will be consecrated to your God.^{(AO) 41} I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God.^(AP) I am the Lord your God.^(AQ)’”