After the Death of Aaron's Sons
16 1 Our Father spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they came before our Father and died.
How Aaron Draws Near
2 Our Father said to Moses: "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, or he will die — for I appear in the cloud over the mercy seat."
3 This is how Aaron is to enter the Holy Place: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He is to put on the holy linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body, tie a linen sash around himself, and put on a linen turban. These are holy garments; he is to bathe his body in water before he puts them on. 5 From the assembly of the people of Israel he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.
6 Aaron is to present the bull for his own sin offering and make atonement for himself and for his household. 7 Then he is to take the two goats and set them before me at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 8 Aaron is to cast lots for the two goats — one lot for me and the other for Azazel. 1 1 v8 Azazel is the name of the goat "sent away" — the scapegoat that carried the people's sins out into the wilderness, away from the camp. 9 Aaron is to bring the goat on which the lot for me fell, and offer it as a sin offering. 10 But the goat on which the lot for Azazel fell is to be presented alive before me to make atonement over it, by sending it away into the wilderness to Azazel.
11 Aaron is to present the bull for his own sin offering, to make atonement for himself and his household, and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. 12 He is to take an incense burner full of burning coals from the altar before me, and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense, and bring them inside the veil. 13 He is to put the incense on the fire before me, and the cloud of incense will cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he will not die. 2 2 v13 The testimony: the stone tablets of the covenant law housed inside the ark. 14 He is to take some of the bull's blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat, on the east side; and in front of the mercy seat he is to sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
15 Then he is to slaughter the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, and do with its blood as he did with the bull's blood: he is to sprinkle it over the mercy seat and in front of it. 16 In this way he is to make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the people of Israel and their transgressions — all their sins. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17 No one is to be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out — until he has made atonement for himself, for his household, and for the whole assembly of Israel.
18 Then he is to go out to the altar that is before me and make atonement for it. He is to take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it on the horns of the altar all around. 19 He is to sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleansing it and consecrating it from the uncleanness of the people of Israel.
20 When he has finished making atonement for the Holy Place, the tent of meeting, and the altar, he is to present the live goat. 21 Aaron is to lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel and all their transgressions — all their sins — putting them on the goat's head. Then he is to send it away into the wilderness through a man appointed for the task. 22 The goat will carry on itself all their iniquities to a desolate land; and the man is to release the goat in the wilderness.
23 Then Aaron is to come into the tent of meeting, take off the linen garments he put on when he entered the Holy Place, and leave them there. 24 He is to bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his own garments. Then he is to come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, making atonement for himself and for the people. 25 He is to burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.
26 The man who released the goat to Azazel is to wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; afterward he may come into the camp. 27 The bull and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, are to be carried outside the camp; their hides, their flesh, and their dung are to be burned in the fire. 28 The one who burns them is to wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; afterward he may come into the camp.
29 This is to be a lasting statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you are to humble yourselves and do no work — neither the native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you. 30 For on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you; you will be clean before me from all your sins. 31 It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you are to humble yourselves; it is a lasting statute. 32 The priest who is anointed and ordained to serve in place of his father is to make atonement. He is to put on the linen garments, the holy garments, 33 and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the tent of meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the assembly. 34 This is to be a lasting statute for you: to make atonement once a year for the people of Israel, because of all their sins." And it was done, just as our Father had commanded Moses.