Of offerings for sins of ignorance.
4:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
4:2. Say to the children of Israel: The soul that sinneth through
ignorance, and doth any thing concerning any of the commandments of the
Lord, which he commanded not to be done:
Ignorance.... To be ignorant of what we are bound to know is sinful;
and for such culpable ignorance, these sacrifices, prescribed in this
and the following chapter, were appointed.
4:3. If the priest that is anointed shall sin, making the people to
offend, he shall offer to the Lord for his sin a calf without blemish.
4:4. And he shall bring it to the door of the testimony before the
Lord: and shall put his hand upon the head thereof, and shall sacrifice
it to the Lord.
4:5. He shall take also of the blood of the calf: and carry it into the
tabernacle of the testimony.
The blood.... As the figure of the blood of Christ shed for the
remission of our sins, and carried by him into the sanctuary of heaven.
4:6. And having dipped his finger in the blood, he shall sprinkle with
it seven times before the Lord, before the veil of the sanctuary.
4:7. And he shall put some of the same blood upon the horns of the
altar of the sweet incense most acceptable to the Lord, which is in the
tabernacle of the testimony. And he shall pour all the rest of the
blood at the foot of the altar of holocaust in the entry of the
tabernacle.
4:8. And he shall take off the fat of the calf for the sin offering, as
well that which covereth the entrails, as all the inwards:
4:9. The two little kidneys, and the caul that is upon them, which is
by the flanks, and the fat of the liver with the little kidneys:
4:10. As it is taken off from the calf of the sacrifice of peace
offerings. And he shall burn them upon the altar of holocaust.
4:11. But the skin and all the flesh with the head and the feet and the
bowels and the dung:
4:12. And the rest of the body, he shall carry forth without the camp
into a clean place where the ashes are wont to be poured out: and he
shall burn them upon a pile of wood. They shall be burnt in the place
where the ashes are poured out.
4:13. And if all the multitude of Israel shall be ignorant, and through
ignorance shall do that which is against the commandment of the Lord,
4:14. And afterwards shall understand their sin: they shall offer for
their sin a calf, and shall bring it to the door of the tabernacle.
4:15. And the ancients of the people shall put their hands upon the
head thereof before the Lord. And the calf being immolated in the sight
of the Lord:
4:16. The priest that is anointed shall carry of the blood into the
tabernacle of the testimony.
4:17. And shall dip his finger in it and sprinkle it seven times before
the veil.
4:18. And he shall put of the same blood on the horns of the altar that
is before the Lord, in the tabernacle of the testimony. And the rest of
the blood he shall pour at the foot of the altar of holocaust, which is
at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.
4:19. And all the fat thereof he shall take off, and shall burn it upon
the altar:
4:20. Doing so with this calf, as he did also with that before. And the
priest praying for them, the Lord will be merciful unto them.
4:21. But the calf itself he shall carry forth without the camp, and
shall burn it as he did the former calf: because it is for the sin of
the multitude.
4:22. If a prince shall sin, and through ignorance do any one of the
things that the law of the Lord forbiddeth,
4:23. And afterwards shall come to know his sin: he shall offer a buck
goat without blemish, a sacrifice to the Lord.
4:24. And he shall put his hand upon the head thereof: and when he hath
immolated it in the place where the holocaust is wont to be slain
before the Lord, because it is for sin,
4:25. The priest shall dip his finger in the blood of the victim for
sin, touching therewith the horns of the altar of holocaust, and
pouring out the rest at the foot thereof.
4:26. But the fat he shall burn upon it, as is wont to be done with the
victims of peace offerings. And the priest shall pray for him, and for
his sin: and it shall be forgiven him.
4:27. And if any one of the people of the land shall sin through
ignorance, doing any of those things that by the law of the Lord are
forbidden, and offending,
4:28. And shall come to know his sin: he shall offer a she goat without
blemish.
4:29. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the victim that is for
sin: and shall immolate it in the place of the holocaust.
4:30. And the priest shall take of the blood with his finger, and shall
touch the horns of the altar of holocaust: and shall pour out the rest
at the foot thereof.
4:31. But taking off all the fat, as is wont to be taken away of the
victims of peace offerings, he shall burn it upon the altar, for a
sweet savour to the Lord: and he shall pray for him, and it shall be
forgiven him.
4:32. But if he offer of the flock a victim for his sin, to wit, an ewe
without blemish:
4:33. He shall put his hand upon the head thereof, and shall immolate
it in the place where the victims of holocausts are wont to be slain.
4:34. And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger,
and shall touch the horns of the altar of holocaust: and the rest he
shall pour out at the foot thereof.
4:35. All the fat also he shall take off, as the fat of the ram that is
offered for peace offerings is wont to be taken away: and shall burn it
upon the altar, for a burnt sacrifice of the Lord. And he shall pray
for him and his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.