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Leviticus Chapter 1 (ASV)

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Leviticus 1 - Instructions for the Burnt Offering
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1 And Jehovah called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tent of meeting, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man of you offereth an oblation unto Jehovah, ye shall offer your oblation of the cattle, `even' of the herd and of the flock.

3 If his oblation be a burnt-offering of the herd, he shall offer it a male without blemish: he shall offer it at the door of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before Jehovah.

4 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

5 And he shall kill the bullock before Jehovah: and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall present the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is at the door of the tent of meeting.

6 And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and cut it into its pieces.

7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay wood in order upon the fire;

8 and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:

9 but its inwards and its legs shall he wash with water: and the priest shall burn the whole on the altar, for a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.

10 And if his oblation be of the flock, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt-offering; he shall offer it a male without blemish.

11 And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before Jehovah: and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood upon the altar round about.

12 And he shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat; and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:

13 but the inwards and the legs shall he wash with water; and the priest shall offer the whole, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.

14 And if his oblation to Jehovah be a burnt-offering of birds, then he shall offer his oblation of turtle-doves, or of young pigeons.

15 And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be drained out on the side of the altar;

16 and he shall take away its crop with the filth thereof, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes:

17 and he shall rend it by the wings thereof, `but' shall not divide it asunder; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Leviticus chapter 1 about?
Leviticus 1 lays out instructions for the burnt offering, covering how an Israelite could offer an animal from the herd, the flock, or (per verses 14-17) birds, depending on what they could afford. The whole animal was burned on the altar as 'a sweet savor unto the LORD.' See Leviticus 2 for the offering that follows it.
What does it mean that the offering had to be 'without blemish'?
Verses 3 and 10 require the burnt offering to be a male without blemish, meaning the animal had to be flawless rather than something the offerer could not otherwise use, a standard reflected in Deuteronomy 15:21.
Could someone offer birds instead of a larger animal?
Yes; verses 14-17 allow turtledoves or young pigeons as a burnt offering, giving those unable to afford cattle or sheep a way to still bring a sacrifice unto the LORD.

Today's Verse

For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.

Deuteronomy 31:29 | ASV

Verse Of The Day

Whether from the herd, the flock, or the birds, the entire animal is washed and burned on the altar as "a sweet savour unto the LORD," with only the mode of slaughter changing by species. The grain-based meat offering follows in Leviticus 2.