Area: 41,293 sq km
Mountainous land; 25.7% agriculturally unproductive. The Swiss Alps are one of the greatest tourist attractions in the world. Population: 7,594,561 Annual Growth: 0.41% Capital: Bern (admin); Lausanne (judical) Urbanites: 73.6% HDI Rank: 9 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
The spreading public presence of the gospelis a result of creative outreach and ministry. Examples can be found in TV, radio, Internet, newspapers, seminars and conference events; praise God for the use of both new and traditional media for sharing the good news. For an additional 2 Answers to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
Challenge for Prayer
The great reformers,Calvin and Zwingli, expounded the truths of Scripture in this land, but few today have any interest or understanding of real Christianity. Wealth, comfort, indifference and a vague religiosity are the norm. The younger generation explores eastern religions and the occult as much as Christianity. Many baptized as children retain no real link with a church, and enrolled membership of Protestants and Catholics dropped from over 90% to 70% in the last 30 years. Pray that the Swiss may find the true way in Jesus Christ and that the nation might be stirred again by the Holy Spirit. For an additional 9 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Switzerland.
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, 3 and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." 4 Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
5 Moses said to the assembly, "This is what the LORD has commanded to be done." 6 Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. 7 He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him. He also tied the ephod to him by its skillfully woven waistband; so it was fastened on him. 8 He placed the breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece. 9 Then he placed the turban on Aaron's head and set the gold plate, the sacred diadem, on the front of it, as the LORD commanded Moses.
10 Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them. 11 He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them. 12 He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him. 13 Then he brought Aaron's sons forward, put tunics on them, tied sashes around them and put headbands on them, as the LORD commanded Moses.
14 He then presented the bull for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. 15 Moses slaughtered the bull and took some of the blood, and with his finger he put it on all the horns of the altar to purify the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. So he consecrated it to make atonement for it. 16 Moses also took all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, and both kidneys and their fat, and burned it on the altar. 17 But the bull with its hide and its flesh and its offal he burned up outside the camp, as the LORD commanded Moses.
18 He then presented the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. 19 Then Moses slaughtered the ram and sprinkled the blood against the altar on all sides. 20 He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces and the fat. 21 He washed the inner parts and the legs with water and burned the whole ram on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire, as the LORD commanded Moses.
22 He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. 23 Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Moses also brought Aaron's sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he sprinkled blood against the altar on all sides. 25 He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. 26 Then from the basket of bread made without yeast, which was before the LORD, he took a cake of bread, and one made with oil, and a wafer; he put these on the fat portions and on the right thigh. 27 He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the LORD as a wave offering. 28 Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering as an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire. 29 He also took the breast—Moses' share of the ordination ram—and waved it before the LORD as a wave offering, as the LORD commanded Moses.
30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments.
31 Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, "Cook the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, [a] 'Aaron and his sons are to eat it.' 32 Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. 33 Do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days. 34 What has been done today was commanded by the LORD to make atonement for you. 35 You must stay at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and do what the LORD requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded." 36 So Aaron and his sons did everything the LORD commanded through Moses.
Area: 449,964 sq km
The largest of the Scandinavian countries, a land of mountains and forests. Only 10% of the land is cultivated. Population: 9,293,026 Annual Growth: 0.49% Capital: Stockholm Urbanites: 84.7% HDI Rank: 7 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
A secular, postmodern worldviewdominates society. It is difficult to express a biblical faith in public or in the academic sphere without deprecation and opposition. Good apologetics and sharp Christian thinking are required to win back this lost ground; helpfully, a number of scientists and academics have recently “come out” as believers. Pray for God to raise up outstanding Christian speakers and thinkers who can establish the legitimacy and indeed the superiority of a classical biblical worldview in the marketplace of ideas. There are positive signs among evangelicals.Pray for these to grow: a)The continued presence of evangelicalsin Lutheranism (for example, the Swedish Evangelical Mission), in low/Free churches and in the charismatic/Pentecostal movement as well as numerous evangelicals outside of church structures altogether. The diversity of expression and very real unity within evangelical circles demonstrate that evangelicalism is still a living and dynamic presence in Sweden. b)Increasing social engagementby most denominations. There is growing unity among churches and denominations increasingly have strategic church planting projects. Churches are increasingly involved in diaconal ministry to help people with problems such as alcoholism, sexual abuse and unemployment. The Swedish Evangelical Alliance is a growing movement with a public voice and clear standpoint for biblical faith. c)CREDO, theIFES-linked student ministry,has grown through some innovative outreaches; there are groups on 80 university campuses and in 50 secondary schools. Over 1,000 participate in camps and conferences annually. New Generation began in 2002 and has grown through innovative ministry to number around 500 groups in secondary schools. d)The Alpha Course movementcontinues to grow, with over 500 courses run annually. Other similar courses appropriate to a more secularized, younger generation are also effective. For an additional 6 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Sweden.
7 “‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy:2 The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be splashed against the sides of the altar.3 All its fat shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the internal organs,4 both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys.5 The priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering presented to the Lord. It is a guilt offering.6 Any male in a priest’s family may eat it, but it must be eaten in the sanctuary area; it is most holy.
7 “‘The same law applies to both the sin offering[a] and the guilt offering: They belong to the priest who makes atonement with them.8 The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone may keep its hide for himself.9 Every grain offering baked in an oven or cooked in a pan or on a griddle belongs to the priest who offers it,10 and every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron.
The Fellowship Offering
11 “‘These are the regulations for the fellowship offering anyone may present to the Lord:
12 “‘If they offer it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering they are to offer thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, thin loaves made without yeast and brushed with oil, and thick loaves of the finest flour well-kneaded and with oil mixed in.13 Along with their fellowship offering of thanksgiving they are to present an offering with thick loaves of bread made with yeast.14 They are to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the fellowship offering against the altar.15 The meat of their fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; they must leave none of it till morning.
16 “‘If, however, their offering is the result of a vow or is a freewill offering, the sacrifice shall be eaten on the day they offer it, but anything left over may be eaten on the next day.17 Any meat of the sacrifice left over till the third day must be burned up.18 If any meat of the fellowship offering is eaten on the third day, the one who offered it will not be accepted. It will not be reckoned to their credit, for it has become impure; the person who eats any of it will be held responsible.
19 “‘Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten; it must be burned up. As for other meat, anyone ceremonially clean may eat it.20 But if anyone who is unclean eats any meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord, they must be cut off from their people.21 Anyone who touches something unclean—whether human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any unclean creature that moves along the ground[b]—and then eats any of the meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord must be cut off from their people.’”
Eating Fat and Blood Forbidden
22 The Lord said to Moses,23 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats.24 The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it.25 Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which a food offering may be[c] presented to the Lord must be cut off from their people.26 And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal.27 Anyone who eats blood must be cut off from their people.’”
The Priests’ Share
28 The Lord said to Moses,29 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who brings a fellowship offering to the Lord is to bring part of it as their sacrifice to the Lord.30 With their own hands they are to present the food offering to the Lord; they are to bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast before the Lord as a wave offering.31 The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons.32 You are to give the right thigh of your fellowship offerings to the priest as a contribution.33 The son of Aaron who offers the blood and the fat of the fellowship offering shall have the right thigh as his share.34 From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh that is presented and have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons as their perpetual share from the Israelites.’”
35 This is the portion of the food offerings presented to the Lord that were allotted to Aaron and his sons on the day they were presented to serve the Lord as priests.36 On the day they were anointed, the Lord commanded that the Israelites give this to them as their perpetual share for the generations to come.
37 These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering and the fellowship offering,38 which the Lord gave Moses at Mount Sinai in the Desert of Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the Lord.
Footnotes:
Leviticus 7:7Or purification offering; also in verse 37
Leviticus 7:21A few Hebrew manuscripts, Samaritan Pentateuch, Syriac and Targum (see 5:2); most Hebrew manuscripts any unclean, detestable thing
1 These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
3 As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
4 Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for [a] the silversmith;
5 remove the wicked from the king's presence, and his throne will be established through righteousness.
6 Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence, and do not claim a place among great men;
7 it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here," than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman. What you have seen with your eyes
8 do not bring [b] hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 If you argue your case with a neighbor, do not betray another man's confidence,
10 or he who hears it may shame you and you will never lose your bad reputation.
11 A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear.
13 Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters.
14 Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.
15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
16 If you find honey, eat just enough— too much of it, and you will vomit.
17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house— too much of you, and he will hate you.
18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor.
19 Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble.
20 Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.
23 As a north wind brings rain, so a sly tongue brings angry looks.
24 Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
25 Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.
26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.
28 Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
1 Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company;
2 for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.
3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
5 A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength;
6 for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.
8 He who plots evil will be known as a schemer.
9 The schemes of folly are sin, and men detest a mocker.
10 If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!
11 Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
12 If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?
13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
14 Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
15 Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man's house, do not raid his dwelling place;
16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
18 or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him.
19 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of the wicked,
20 for the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
21 Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious,
22 for those two will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring? Further Sayings of the Wise
23 These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good:
24 Whoever says to the guilty, "You are innocent"— peoples will curse him and nations denounce him.
25 But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
27 Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.
28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, or use your lips to deceive.
29 Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did."
30 I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;
31 thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-
34 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
1 The LORD said to Moses: 2 "If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, 3 or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do- 4 when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, 5 or whatever it was he swore falsely about. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day he presents his guilt offering. 6 And as a penalty he must bring to the priest, that is, to the LORD, his guilt offering, a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. 7 In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any of these things he did that made him guilty."
The Burnt Offering
8 The LORD said to Moses: 9 "Give Aaron and his sons this command: 'These are the regulations for the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar. 10 The priest shall then put on his linen clothes, with linen undergarments next to his body, and shall remove the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar. 11 Then he is to take off these clothes and put on others, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean. 12 The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings [a] on it. 13 The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.
The Grain Offering
14 " 'These are the regulations for the grain offering: Aaron's sons are to bring it before the LORD, in front of the altar. 15 The priest is to take a handful of fine flour and oil, together with all the incense on the grain offering, and burn the memorial portion on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 16 Aaron and his sons shall eat the rest of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. 17 It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share of the offerings made to me by fire. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. 18 Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it. It is his regular share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire for the generations to come. Whatever touches them will become holy. [b] ' "
19 The LORD also said to Moses, 20 "This is the offering Aaron and his sons are to bring to the LORD on the day he [c] is anointed: a tenth of an ephah [d] of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. 21 Prepare it with oil on a griddle; bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken [e] in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 22 The son who is to succeed him as anointed priest shall prepare it. It is the LORD's regular share and is to be burned completely. 23 Every grain offering of a priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten."
The Sin Offering
24 The LORD said to Moses, 25 "Say to Aaron and his sons: 'These are the regulations for the sin offering: The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the LORD in the place the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy. 26 The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. 27 Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in a holy place. 28 The clay pot the meat is cooked in must be broken; but if it is cooked in a bronze pot, the pot is to be scoured and rinsed with water. 29 Any male in a priest's family may eat it; it is most holy. 30 But any sin offering whose blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place must not be eaten; it must be burned.
Area: 2,503,890 sq km
Africa’s largest country. Desert in the north, merging into grasslands and mountains in the centre and tropical bush in the south. Straddling the Nile Rivers. Nuba Mountains in the centre. Population: 43,192,438 Annual Growth: 2.22% Capital: Khartoum Urbanites: 45.2% HDI Rank: 150 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Less-evangelized peoplesare many in the west, east and north of Sudan. Also, some peoples in the Nuba Mountains and in the south are still largely unreached. Pray especially for these: a)Darfur Provincewas Christian a millennium ago. Though one of the least-evangelized areas in the world, there are now handfuls of believers in many of the peoples of this region. The Daju, Fur, Masalit, Midob, Tama/Kimr and Zaghawa all number among the least-reached peoples in Africa. Pray for outreach to them in this most difficult of areas. Tearfund, Operation Blessing and the major denominations in Sudan minister through relief and aid; pray that the love of Christ might also be shared. b)The Bejaon the Red Sea Coast were famed as the “Fuzzie Wuzzies”. They were once Christian, but now practice folk Islam. There is limited ministry among them. Only a few Christians are known. c)The Nubiansof the Nile valley – an ancient people with great kingdoms – were Christian for 1,000 years. Relentless Muslim pressure led to their Islamization 600 years ago. There are only a handful of believers today. Several Christian agencies have ministry to them. d)The nomadic and semi-nomadic Baggaratribes in the central belt of the country are numerous, but few have had much exposure to the gospel, and little is done to reach them. They speak three to four major Arabic dialects, but many are of non-Arab origin. Missionary activityis seeing a dichotomy in its fortunes. Pray for these: a)Ministry in the north.The government expelled 13 NGOs in 2009, drastically reducing not only the number of those working but also the capacity to deliver aid. Agencies are allowed to operate in the north but find working under the government’s thumb very difficult. Many indigenous ministries, especially connected to the churches, work in and around Khartoum, but they focus mostly on Christians. Outreach to unevangelized peoples is quite limited. b)Burgeoning activity in the south,especially since the CPA in 2005. Many ministries work in south Sudan but retain offices in Kenya. Besides notable expat-originated missions – such asCMS,SIM,AIM,Pioneers, Tearfund, Open Doors, Frontline Fellowship and others – there are also cross-organizational groups such as ACROSS and Sudan Partners, which collaborate to develop the indigenous church’s capacity to do mission and ministry. c)African missionaries to Sudan,increasing in number and stature. Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya and other nations send workers and entire teams to work with both Christians and the unreached. d)The calling and preparationof indigenous and expatriate workers to evangelize the many peoples of the north who have never heard the gospel. Presbyterians and Baptists have recently seen a burst of missions vision and desire for collaborative ministry.
For an additional 11 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Sudan.
1 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
2 Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.
3 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
4 Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.
5 In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them.
6 Train [a] a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
8 He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.
9 A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
10 Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended.
11 He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend.
12 The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.
13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside!" or, "I will be murdered in the streets!"
14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; he who is under the LORD's wrath will fall into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.
16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.
Sayings of the Wise
17 Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach,
18 for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips.
19 So that your trust may be in the LORD, I teach you today, even you.
20 Have I not written thirty [b] sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge,
21 teaching you true and reliable words, so that you can give sound answers to him who sent you?
22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court,
23 for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them.
24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered,
25 or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.
26 Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts;
27 if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.
28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers.
29 Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.
1 " 'If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible.
2 " 'Or if a person touches anything ceremonially unclean—whether the carcasses of unclean wild animals or of unclean livestock or of unclean creatures that move along the ground—even though he is unaware of it, he has become unclean and is guilty.
3 " 'Or if he touches human uncleanness—anything that would make him unclean—even though he is unaware of it, when he learns of it he will be guilty.
4 " 'Or if a person thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil—in any matter one might carelessly swear about—even though he is unaware of it, in any case when he learns of it he will be guilty.
5 " 'When anyone is guilty in any of these ways, he must confess in what way he has sinned 6 and, as a penalty for the sin he has committed, he must bring to the LORD a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.
7 " 'If he cannot afford a lamb, he is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the LORD as a penalty for his sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8 He is to bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one for the sin offering. He is to wring its head from its neck, not severing it completely, 9 and is to sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar; the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10 The priest shall then offer the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way and make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.
11 " 'If, however, he cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, he is to bring as an offering for his sin a tenth of an ephah [a] of fine flour for a sin offering. He must not put oil or incense on it, because it is a sin offering. 12 He is to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar on top of the offerings made to the LORD by fire. It is a sin offering. 13 In this way the priest will make atonement for him for any of these sins he has committed, and he will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest, as in the case of the grain offering.' "
The Guilt Offering
14 The LORD said to Moses: 15 "When a person commits a violation and sins unintentionally in regard to any of the LORD's holy things, he is to bring to the LORD as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. [b] It is a guilt offering. 16 He must make restitution for what he has failed to do in regard to the holy things, add a fifth of the value to that and give it all to the priest, who will make atonement for him with the ram as a guilt offering, and he will be forgiven.
17 "If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible. 18 He is to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the wrong he has committed unintentionally, and he will be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering; he has been guilty of [c] wrongdoing against the LORD."
4 The Lord said to Moses,2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands—
3 “‘If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the Lord a young bull without defect as a sin offering[a] for the sin he has committed.4 He is to present the bull at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it there before the Lord.5 Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and carry it into the tent of meeting.6 He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary.7 The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. The rest of the bull’s blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting.8 He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—all the fat that is connected to the internal organs,9 both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys—10 just as the fat is removed from the ox[b] sacrificed as a fellowship offering. Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering.11 But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the internal organs and the intestines—12 that is, all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp to a place ceremonially clean, where the ashes are thrown, and burn it there in a wood fire on the ash heap.
13 “‘If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, when they realize their guilt14 and the sin they committed becomes known, the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the tent of meeting.15 The elders of the community are to lay their hands on the bull’s head before the Lord, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord.16 Then the anointed priest is to take some of the bull’s blood into the tent of meeting.17 He shall dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it before the Lord seven times in front of the curtain.18 He is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting.19 He shall remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar,20 and do with this bull just as he did with the bull for the sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for the community, and they will be forgiven.21 Then he shall take the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull. This is the sin offering for the community.
22 “‘When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the Lord his God, when he realizes his guilt23 and the sin he has committed becomes known, he must bring as his offering a male goat without defect.24 He is to lay his hand on the goat’s head and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the Lord. It is a sin offering.25 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.26 He shall burn all the fat on the altar as he burned the fat of the fellowship offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for the leader’s sin, and he will be forgiven.
27 “‘If any member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, when they realize their guilt28 and the sin they have committed becomes known, they must bring as their offering for the sin they committed a female goat without defect.29 They are to lay their hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering.30 Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.31 They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven.
32 “‘If someone brings a lamb as their sin offering, they are to bring a female without defect.33 They are to lay their hand on its head and slaughter it for a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered.34 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.35 They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the lamb of the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.
Footnotes:
Leviticus 4:3Or purification offering; here and throughout this chapter
Leviticus 4:10The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female
