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Leviticus 9

1On the eighth day Moses called Aaron, his sons, and the elders of Israel. 2He said to Aaron, “Take a young calf as a purification offering and a ram as a burnt offering, both without defect, and present them before Yahweh. 3Tell the sons of Israel: ‘Take a male goat as a purification offering, a calf and a lamb, both a year old and without defect, as a burnt offering, 4and an ox and a ram as peace offerings, to sacrifice before Yahweh, together with a grain offering mixed with oil, because today Yahweh will appear to you.’”

5They brought what Moses commanded to the front of the tent of meeting. The whole congregation came forward and stood before Yahweh. 6Moses said, “This is what Yahweh has commanded you to do, so that Yahweh's glory may appear to you.” 7Moses said to Aaron, “Approach the altar and prepare your purification offering and your burnt offering, making atonement for yourself and for the people. Then prepare the people's offering and make atonement for them, as Yahweh commanded.”

8Aaron approached the altar and slaughtered the calf of the purification offering for himself. 9Aaron's sons presented the blood to him. He dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the altar's horns, and he poured the blood at the base of the altar. 10He burned the fat, the kidneys, and the appendage of the liver from the purification offering as an offering on the altar, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 11He burned the flesh and the hide in the fire outside the camp. 12He slaughtered the burnt offering, and Aaron's sons handed him the blood. He splashed it against all sides of the altar. 13They handed him the burnt offering, piece by piece, with the head, and he burned it as an offering on the altar. 14He washed the inner parts and the legs and burned them as an offering on the altar, on the burnt offering.

15He brought forward the people's offering. He took the goat of the purification offering for the people, slaughtered it, and offered it as a purification offering like the first one. 16He brought forward the burnt offering and prepared it according to the prescribed procedure. 17He brought forward the grain offering, took a full handful from it, and burned it as an offering on the altar, in addition to the morning burnt offering. 18He slaughtered the ox and the ram, the peace sacrifice for the people. Aaron's sons handed him the blood, and he splashed it against all sides of the altar. 19They brought the fat portions from the ox and from the ram—the fat tail, the covering fat, the kidneys, and the appendage of the liver. 20They placed the fat portions on the breasts, and he burned the fat portions as an offering on the altar. 21Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before Yahweh, as Moses commanded.

22Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. He came down after preparing the purification offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings. 23Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. They came out and blessed the people, and Yahweh's glory appeared to all the people. 24Fire came out from before Yahweh and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. All the people saw it, cried out, and fell on their faces.

Translation notes 6

9:1 — Eighth day. This follows the seven-day ordination period in chapter 8. The text distinguishes the priestly installation from the inaugural service described here.

9:7 — For the people. The Hebrew base names the people in both parts of this verse. An ancient Greek alternative in the first part has “for your household.” The draft preserves the Hebrew repetition rather than harmonizing the clauses or replacing the first group with Aaron's family.

9:9–14 — Blood and parts. Aaron's sons bring or hand him the blood and pieces, while Aaron performs the altar actions. The purification offering's blood is put on the horns; the burnt offering's blood is splashed around the altar. These are distinct procedures.

9:19–21 — Fat portions; breast; thigh. “Covering fat” makes explicit the object of Hebrew's abbreviated “the covering.” The breasts and the right thigh remain separate from the fat burned on the altar. Hebrew has plural breasts but singular thigh; the draft preserves that difference.

9:22 — Hands. The written Hebrew form can be read as “his hand,” while the Masoretic reading instruction gives “his hands.” The draft follows the instructed reading and records the distinction rather than treating the extraction's written form as an automatic decision.

9:24 — Cried out. The verb describes a loud cry. “Shouted for joy” is a familiar interpretation, but the wording itself does not supply “for joy.” Falling on their faces remains explicit; the draft does not prescribe a single emotional response.