Priesthood and sacrifice
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses; he said:
2 “Give these regulations to Aaron and his sons. This is the regulation for burnt offerings: the burnt offering shall stay on the altar all night until morning and the fire is to be kept burning.
3 The priest is to put on his linen shirt and his linen drawers. Then he must remove the greasy ashes of the sacrifice consumed by the altar fire and place them at the side of the altar.
4 Then he is to change his clothes and carry the ashes to some place that is clean, outside the camp.
5 The fire that consumes the burnt offering on the altar must not be allowed to go out. Every morning the priest must put firewood on it, arrange the burnt offering on it and burn the fat from the peace offerings.
6 An undying fire is always to burn on the altar; it must not go out.
7 This is the regulation for the grain offering: One of the priests, a son of Aaron, is to bring it into the presence of Yahweh in front of the altar;
8 he is to take a handful of the fine flour (with the oil and incense which have been added to it) and burn it on the altar as a memorial, to recall to Yahweh the person making the offering so that it becomes a sweet-smelling odor pleasing to Yahweh.
9 After that, the remainder is to be given to Aaron and his sons; they shall eat it in the form of unleavened loaves. They are to eat it in a sacred place within the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.
10 The share I give them of my burnt offering must not be baked with yeast. It is most holy, like the sacrifice for sin and the sacrifice of re payment.
11 All the males of Aaron’s family may eat this part of Yahweh’s burnt offering—this is a law forever for all your descendants. Everything that touches the offering becomes consecrated as well.”
12 Yahweh spoke to Moses; he said:
13 “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons are to make to Yahweh on the day of their anointing as priests: two pounds of flour as a daily offering, half in the morning and half in the evening.
14 It must be fried on the griddle and mixed with oil; you must bring the paste as a grain offering in several pieces, offering them as a sweet-smelling odor pleasing to Yahweh.
15 Every descendant of Aaron who succeeds him as high priest shall do the same. This is a law forever. This grain offering shall be completely burned as a sacrifice for Yahweh.
16 Every grain offering made by a priest must be a total sacrifice; none of it is to be eaten.”
17 Yahweh spoke to Moses; he said,
18 “Say to Aaron and his sons: This is the regulation for the sacrifice for sin:
The victim for the sacrifice is to be killed before Yahweh in the place where the animals for the burnt offerings are killed. It is a most holy offering.
19 The priest who offers this sacrifice is to eat it. It must be eaten in a holy place within the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.
20 Every thing that touches the flesh of this animal will become consecrated; if any of the blood splashes on clothing, the stain must be cleaned in some holy place.
21 The clay pot in which the meat is cooked must be broken; if a bronze pot has been used for the cooking, it must be scrubbed and thoroughly rinsed with water.
22 Any male who is a priest may eat the meat. It is a most holy thing.
23 But no one may eat any part of the animals offered for sin, when ever any of the blood is brought into the Tent and used in the sacrifice to take away sin. The meat must be thrown on the fire.
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Comments Leviticus, Chapter 6
• 6.1 Among so many laws dealing with cooking, note the following details:
6:5. The fire is never to be put out. A lamb is offered as a holocaust daily in the morning and in the afternoon.
6:20. What is offered to God belongs to him and becomes as if totally permeated by the Holiness of God.
6:22-23. In order for the sacrifice to be effective, the meat—which through the sacrifice is made holy—must be eaten. Part of it belongs to the priest: in this way he is assured of a livelihood.