Leviticus - Chapter 5
In Chapter 5 of the Book of Leviticus, you can study further laws regarding Trespass and Guilt Offerings. This chapter provides specific situations where individuals become guilty and need to present an offering. These situations include unintentional failure to testify, touching something unclean, or rashly making an oath. Different offerings are specified depending on the individual's financial capacity, demonstrating God's mercy and inclusiveness. This chapter highlights that every transgression, even if done in ignorance or by mistake, has a spiritual consequence and needs to be atoned for, accentuating the sacredness of God’s laws and the need for personal responsibility.
Special Offenses
1 'If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath, and [is] a witness, whether he has seen or known [of the matter -- if] he does not tell [it,] he bears guilt.
2 'Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether [it is] the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and he is unaware of it, he also shall be unclean and guilty.
3 'Or if he touches human uncleanness -- whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it -- when he realizes [it,] then he shall be guilty.
4 'Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly with [his] lips to do evil or to do good, whatever [it is] that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it -- when he realizes [it,] then he shall be guilty in any of these [matters.]
5 'And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these [matters,] that he shall confess that he has sinned in that [thing;]
6 'and he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.
Sacrifice For Sin From Doves And From Torment
7 ' If he is not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD, for his trespass which he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons: one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering.
8 'And he shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer [that] which [is] for the sin offering first, and wring off its head from its neck, but shall not divide [it] completely.
9 'Then he shall sprinkle [some] of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar. It [is] a sin offering.
10 'And he shall offer the second [as] a burnt offering according to the prescribed manner. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.
11 ' But if he is not able to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he who sinned shall bring for his offering one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, nor shall he put frankincense on it, for it [is] a sin offering.
12 'Then he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as a memorial portion, and burn [it] on the altar according to the offerings made by fire to the LORD. It [is] a sin offering.
13 'The priest shall make atonement for him, for his sin that he has committed in any of these matters; and it shall be forgiven him. [The rest] shall be the priest's as a grain offering.' "
Sacrilege
14 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
15 "If a person commits a trespass, and sins unintentionally in regard to the holy things of the LORD, then he shall bring to the LORD as his trespass offering a ram without blemish from the flocks, with your valuation in shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, as a trespass offering.
16 "And he shall make restitution for the harm that he has done in regard to the holy thing, and shall add one-fifth to it and give it to the priest. So the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.
Careless Offenses Law
17 " If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, though he does not know [it,] yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.
18 "And he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him regarding his ignorance in which he erred and did not know [it,] and it shall be forgiven him.
19 "It is a trespass offering; he has certainly trespassed against the LORD."