« | Leviticus 6 | » |
1 The Lord gave this command to Moses {for the people},
2 "You might sin against the Lord by doing one of these sins: You might lie about what happened to something you were taking care of for someone else; you might lie about a deposit you received; you might steal something; you might cheat someone;
3 you might find something that was lost and then lie about it; you might promise to do something and then not do what you promised, or you might do some other bad thing like these.
4 If you do any of these things, you are guilty of doing wrong. You must give back whatever you stole, or whatever you took by cheating, or whatever you took that another person asked you to hold, or whatever you found and lied about, or
5 whatever you made a false promise about. You must pay the full price and then add one-fifth of that amount as a fine and give it all to the true owner.
6 You must also bring a ram to the Lord that has nothing wrong with it (or the same amount in silver) to the priest.
7 Then the priest will go to the Lord to make you pure, and God will forgive you for whichever of these things you did that made you guilty."
8 The Lord said to Moses,
9 "Give this command to Aaron and his sons: This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering must stay on the hearth of the altar all night until morning. The altar's fire must be kept burning.
10 The priest must change clothes and put on the special linen underwear and linen robe. Then he must gather up the ashes from the fire and burnt offerings and set them down by the altar.
11 Then he must take off the special clothes and put on the other clothes and carry the ashes outside the camp to a special place that is pure.
12 The fire that was started on the altar must never be allowed to stop burning. Every morning the priests must put wood on the altar. They must arrange the burnt offerings on the wood, and they must burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it.
13 That fire must always be kept burning on the altar. It must never be allowed to stop burning.
14 "This is the law for the grain offering: The sons of Aaron will bring it to the front of the altar as an offering to the Lord.
15 There must be some oil and frankincense on the grain offering. The priest will take a handful of fine flour from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as a sweet-smelling memorial offering to the Lord.
16 "Aaron and his sons will use the rest of that grain to make bread without yeast. This must be eaten in a holy place—in the courtyard around the Meeting Tent.
17 I have given this part of the grain offering as the priests' share of the gifts offered to me. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. It must not be baked with yeast.
18 Any male descendant of Aaron may eat from these gifts to the Lord. This is their share forever throughout your generations. Whatever touches these offerings will be made holy. "
19 The Lord said to Moses,
20 "This is the offering that Aaron and his sons must bring to the Lord when Aaron is anointed to be the high priest. They must bring 8 cups of fine flour for a grain offering. This will be offered at the times of the daily offering—half of it in the morning and half of it in the evening.
21 The fine flour must be mixed with oil and baked on a pan. After it is cooked, you must bring it in, break it into pieces, and offer it as a sweetsmelling gift to Lord.
22 "In the future, when Aaron's descendants take their place as the anointed priests, they will continue to make this grain offering to the Lord. This rule will continue forever. The grain offering must be completely burned for the Lord.
23 Every grain offering that a priest gives must be completely burned. It must not be eaten."
24 The Lord said to Moses,
25 "Tell Aaron and his sons: This is the law of the sin offering. The sin offering must be killed in the place where the burnt offering is killed before the Lord. It is most holy.
26 The priest who offers the sin offering must eat it. But he must eat it in a holy place, in the courtyard around the Meeting Tent.
27 Touching the meat of the sin offering makes a person or a thing holy. "If any of the sprinkled blood falls on a person's clothes, you must wash the clothes in a holy place.
28 If the sin offering was boiled in a clay pot, the pot must be broken. If the sin offering was boiled in a bronze pot, the pot must be washed and rinsed in water.
29 "Any male in a priest's family may eat the sin offering. It is very holy.
30 But if the blood of the sin offering was taken into the Meeting Tent and used in the Holy Place to make people pure, that sin offering must not be eaten. It must be completely burned in the fire.
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV) is a Bible translation specifically designed to be accessible and comprehensible for people with limited reading skills or those for whom English is a second language. Originally published in 1987 by the World Bible Translation Center, the ERV was initially developed to serve the deaf community, using a simplified vocabulary and straightforward sentence structures. The goal of the ERV is to make the scriptures understandable to a wide range of readers, ensuring that everyone can grasp the essential messages of the Bible without being hindered by complex language or archaic terms.
One of the defining characteristics of the ERV is its commitment to clarity and simplicity. The translators employed a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, focusing on conveying the meaning of the original texts in plain, everyday English. This approach ensures that readers can easily comprehend the Bible’s teachings and narratives, making it a valuable resource for children, new Christians, and those with limited literacy skills. The ERV avoids technical theological terms and instead uses language that is commonly spoken, making it accessible for personal study and public reading alike.
The ERV also pays careful attention to the cultural and contextual nuances of the original manuscripts. The translators sought to present the Bible’s messages in a way that is relevant and meaningful to contemporary readers while maintaining faithfulness to the original texts. This cultural sensitivity helps bridge the gap between ancient scriptures and modern readers, allowing them to connect more deeply with the biblical stories and teachings. Additionally, the ERV includes helpful footnotes and cross-references that provide further explanation and context, enhancing the reader’s understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the ERV has faced some criticism from those who prefer more traditional or literal translations. Critics argue that the simplified language and thought-for-thought approach can sometimes result in a loss of depth and richness found in the original texts. Some theologians believe that the ERV’s emphasis on accessibility may lead to oversimplification of complex theological concepts. Nonetheless, the Easy-To-Read Version remains a highly valuable translation for its target audience, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that helps people of all backgrounds engage with and understand the scriptures.