Bible
Leviticus
27 chapters · Old Testament
Leviticus is the priest's manual for holiness. After the tabernacle is built, this book explains the sacrificial system, the role of priests, and the standards of cleanness required to approach a holy God. The famous command to 'love your neighbor as yourself' appears here, alongside laws about food, festivals, and social justice. Leviticus reveals the seriousness of sin and the gracious provision God makes for atonement and forgiveness.
Leviticus is part of the Old Testament, one of the sixty-six books that together form the Christian Bible. It has been carefully preserved through centuries of translation and remains essential reading for understanding God's relationship with humanity. Below you can begin reading Leviticus in the World English Bible translation. Switch between WEB, KJV, ASV, and BSB on any chapter page to compare renderings of the original Hebrew text.
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Leviticus 1
1 Yahweh“Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. called to Moses, and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying,
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When anyone of you offers an offering to Yahweh, you shall offer your offering of the livestock, from the herd and from the flock.
3 “‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without defect. He shall offer it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, that he may be accepted before Yahweh.
4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
5 He shall kill the bull before Yahweh. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
6 He shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into pieces.
7 The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay wood in order on the fire;
8 and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar;
9 but its innards and its legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall burn all of it on the altar, for a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
10 “‘If his offering is from the flock, from the sheep, or from the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer a male without defect.
11 He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before Yahweh. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.
12 He shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat. The priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar,
13 but the innards and the legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall offer the whole, and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
14 “‘If his offering to Yahweh is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall offer his offering of turtledoves or of young pigeons.
15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; and its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar;
16 and he shall take away its crop with its filth, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes.
17 He shall tear it by its wings, but shall not divide it apart. The priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
Leviticus 2
1 “‘When anyone offers an offering of a meal offering to Yahweh, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it.
2 He shall bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests; and he shall take his handful of its fine flour, and of its oil, with all its frankincense; and the priest shall burn its memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
3 That which is left of the meal offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is a most holy thing of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire.
4 “‘When you offer an offering of a meal offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
5 If your offering is a meal offering made on a griddle, it shall be of unleavened fine flour, mixed with oil.
6 You shall cut it in pieces, and pour oil on it. It is a meal offering.
7 If your offering is a meal offering of the pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
8 You shall bring the meal offering that is made of these things to Yahweh: and it shall be presented to the priest, and he shall bring it to the altar.
9 The priest shall take from the meal offering its memorial, and shall burn it on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
10 That which is left of the meal offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is a thing most holy of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire.
11 “‘No meal offering, which you shall offer to Yahweh, shall be made with yeast; for you shall burn no yeast, nor any honey, as an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
12 As an offering of first fruits you shall offer them to Yahweh: but they shall not rise up for a pleasant aroma on the altar.
13 Every offering of your meal offering you shall season with salt. You shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your GodThe Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim). to be lacking from your meal offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.
14 “‘If you offer a meal offering of first fruits to Yahweh, you shall offer for the meal offering of your first fruits grain in the ear parched with fire, bruised grain of the fresh ear.
15 You shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it: it is a meal offering.
16 The priest shall burn as its memorial, part of its bruised grain, and part of its oil, along with all its frankincense: it is an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
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