Daily Mass Readings for February 23, 2026: Gospel — Mt 25, 31-46

¹ The Lord spoke to Moses: ² “Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites and tell them, ‘You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. 1 1 :¹ The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, ² “Tell the Israelites: ‘This is the kind of creature you may eat from among all the animals that are on the land. ³ You may eat any among the animals that has a divided hoof (the hooves are completely split in two) and that also chews the cud. ⁴ However, you must not eat these from among those that chew the cud and have divided hooves: The camel is unclean to you because it chews the cud even though its hoof is not divided. ⁵ The rock badger is unclean to you because it chews the cud even though its hoof is not divided. ⁶ The hare is unclean to you because it chews the cud even though its hoof is not divided. ⁷ The pig is unclean to you because its hoof is divided (the hoof is completely split in two) , even though it does not chew the cud. ⁸ You must not eat from their meat, and you must not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you. 9 “‘These you can eat from all creatures that are in the water: Any creatures in the water that have both fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat. 1 ⁰ But any creatures that do not have both fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the streams, from all the swarming things of the water and from all the living creatures that are in the water, are detestable to you. 1 ¹ Since they are detestable to you, you must not eat their meat, and their carcass you must detest. 1 ² Any creature in the water that does not have both fins and scales is detestable to you. 1 3 “‘These you are to detest from among the birds—they must not be eaten, because they are detestable: the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, 1 ⁴ the kite, the buzzard of any kind, 1 ⁵ every kind of crow, 1 ⁶ the eagle owl, the short-eared owl, the long-eared owl, the hawk of any kind, 1 ⁷ the little owl, the cormorant, the screech owl, 1 ⁸ the white owl, the scops owl, the osprey, 1 ⁹ the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat. 2 0 “‘Every winged swarming thing that walks on all fours is detestable to you. 2 ¹ However, this you may eat from all the winged swarming things that walk on all fours, which have jointed legs to hop with on the land. 2 ² These you may eat from them: the locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind, the grasshopper of any kind. 2 ³ But any other winged swarming thing that has four legs is detestable to you. 2 4 “‘By these you defile yourselves—anyone who touches their carcass will be unclean until the evening, 2 ⁵ and anyone who carries their carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until the evening. 2 6 “‘All animals that divide the hoof, but it is not completely split in two, and do not chew the cud are unclean to you; anyone who touches them becomes unclean. 2 ⁷ All that walk on their paws among all the creatures that walk on all fours are unclean to you. Anyone who touches their carcass will be unclean until the evening, 2 ⁸ and the one who carries their carcass must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you. 2 9 “‘Now this is what is unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm on the land: the rat, the mouse, the large lizard of any kind, 3 ⁰ the Mediterranean gecko, the spotted lizard, the wall gecko, the skink, and the chameleon. 3 ¹ These are the ones that are unclean to you among all the swarming things. Anyone who touches these creatures when they die will be unclean until evening. 3 ² Also, anything they fall on when they die will become unclean—any wood vessel or garment or article of leather or sackcloth. Any such vessel with which work is done must be immersed in water and will be unclean until the evening. Then it will become clean. 3 ³ As for any clay vessel they fall into, everything in it will become unclean, and you must break it. 3 ⁴ Any food that may be eaten which becomes soaked with water will become unclean. Anything drinkable in any such vessel will become unclean. 3 ⁵ Anything their carcass may fall on will become unclean. An oven or small stove must be smashed to pieces; they are unclean, and they will stay unclean to you. 3 ⁶ However, a spring or a cistern which collects water will be clean, but one who touches the creature’s carcass will be unclean. 3 ⁷ Now, if such a carcass falls on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean, 3 ⁸ but if water is put on the seed and such a carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you. 3 9 “‘Now if an animal that you may eat dies, whoever touches its carcass will be unclean until the evening. 4 ⁰ One who eats from its carcass must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening, and whoever carries its carcass must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. 4 ¹ Every swarming thing that swarms on the land is detestable; it must not be eaten. 4 ² You must not eat anything that crawls on its belly or anything that walks on all fours or on any number of legs of all the swarming things that swarm on the land, because they are detestable. 4 ³ Do not make yourselves detestable by any of the swarming things. You must not defile yourselves by them and become unclean by them, 4 ⁴ for I am the Lord your God, and you are to sanctify yourselves and be holy because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any of the swarming things that creep on the ground, 4 ⁵ for I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God, and you are to be holy because I am holy. 4 ⁶ This is the law of the land animals, the birds, all the living creatures that move in the water, and all the creatures that swarm on the land, 4 ⁷ to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between the living creatures that may be eaten and the living creatures that must not be eaten.’” 1 2 :¹ The Lord spoke to Moses: ² “Tell the Israelites, ‘When a woman produces offspring and bears a male child, she will be unclean seven days, as she is unclean during the days of her menstruation. ³ On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin must be circumcised. ⁴ Then she will remain thirty-three days in blood purity. She must not touch anything holy, and she must not enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled. ⁵ If she bears a female child, she will be impure fourteen days as during her menstrual flow, and she will remain sixty-six days in blood purity. 6 “‘When the days of her purification are completed for a son or for a daughter, she must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering to the entrance of the Meeting Tent, to the priest. ⁷ The priest is to present it before the Lord and make atonement on her behalf, and she will be clean from her flow of blood. This is the law of the one who bears a child, for the male or the female child. ⁸ If she cannot afford a sheep, then she must take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and one for a sin offering, and the priest is to make atonement on her behalf, and she will be clean.’” 1 3 :¹ The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: ² “When someone has a swelling or a scab or a bright spot on the skin of his body that may become a diseased infection, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or one of his sons, the priests. ³ The priest must then examine the infection on the skin of the body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of the body, then it is a diseased infection, so when the priest examines it, he must pronounce the person unclean. ⁴ “If it is a white bright spot on the skin of his body, but it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair has not turned white, then the priest is to quarantine the person with the infection for seven days. ⁵ The priest must then examine it on the seventh day, and if, as far as he can see, the infection has stayed the same and has not spread on the skin, then the priest is to quarantine the person for another seven days. ⁶ The priest must then examine it again on the seventh day, and if the infection has faded and has not spread on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce the person clean. It is a scab, so he must wash his clothes and be clean. ⁷ If, however, the scab is spreading further on the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his purification, then he must show himself to the priest a second time. ⁸ The priest must then examine it, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce the person unclean. It is a disease. ⁹ “When someone has a diseased infection, he must be brought to the priest. 1 ⁰ The priest will then examine it, and if a white swelling is on the skin, it has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling, 1 ¹ it is a chronic disease on the skin of his body, so the priest is to pronounce him unclean. The priest must not merely quarantine him, for he is unclean. 1 ² If, however, the disease breaks out on the skin so that the disease covers all the skin of the person with the infection from his head to his feet, as far as the priest can see, 1 ³ the priest must then examine it, and if the disease covers his whole body, he is to pronounce the person with the infection clean. He has turned all white, so he is clean. 1 ⁴ But whenever raw flesh appears in it, he will be unclean, 1 ⁵ so the priest is to examine the raw flesh and pronounce him unclean—it is diseased. 1 ⁶ If, however, the raw flesh once again turns white, then he must come to the priest. 1 ⁷ The priest will then examine it, and if the infection has turned white, the priest is to pronounce the person with the infection clean—he is clean. 1 ⁸ “When someone’s body has a boil on its skin and it heals, 1 ⁹ and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a reddish white bright spot, he must show himself to the priest. 2 ⁰ The priest will then examine it, and if it appears to be deeper than the skin and its hair has turned white, then the priest is to pronounce the person unclean. It is a diseased infection that has broken out in the boil. 2 ¹ If, however, the priest examines it, and there is no white hair in it, it is not deeper than the skin, and it has faded, then the priest is to quarantine him for seven days. 2 ² If it is spreading farther on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him unclean. It is an infection. 2 ³ But if the bright spot stays in its place and has not spread, it is the scar of the boil, so the priest is to pronounce him clean. 2 ⁴ “When a body has a burn on its skin and the raw area of the burn becomes a reddish white or white bright spot, 2 ⁵ the priest must examine it, and if the hair has turned white in the bright spot and it appears to be deeper than the skin, it is a disease that has broken out in the burn. The priest is to pronounce the person unclean. It is a diseased infection. 2 ⁶ If, however, the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the bright spot, it is not deeper than the skin, and it has faded, then the priest is to quarantine him for seven days. 2 ⁷ The priest must then examine it on the seventh day, and if it is spreading further on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him unclean. It is a diseased infection. 2 ⁸ But if the bright spot stays in its place, has not spread on the skin, and it has faded, then it is the swelling of the burn, so the priest is to pronounce him clean, because it is the scar of the burn. 2 ⁹ “When a man or a woman has an infection on the head or in the beard, 3 ⁰ the priest is to examine the infection, and if it appears to be deeper than the skin and the hair in it is reddish yellow and thin, then the priest is to pronounce the person unclean. It is scall, a disease of the head or the beard. 3 ¹ But if the priest examines the scall infection and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest is to quarantine the person with the scall infection for seven days. 3 ² The priest must then examine the infection on the seventh day, and if the scall has not spread, there is no reddish yellow hair in it, and the scall does not appear to be deeper than the skin, 3 ³ then the individual is to shave himself, but he must not shave the area affected by the scall, and the priest is to quarantine the person with the scall for another seven days. 3 ⁴ The priest must then examine the scall on the seventh day, and if the scall has not spread on the skin and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him clean. So he is to wash his clothes and be clean. 3 ⁵ If, however, the scall spreads further on the skin after his purification, 3 ⁶ then the priest is to examine it, and if the scall has spread on the skin, the priest is not to search further for reddish yellow hair. The person is unclean. 3 ⁷ If, as far as the priest can see, the scall has stayed the same and black hair has sprouted in it, the scall has been healed; the person is clean. So the priest is to pronounce him clean. 3 ⁸ “When a man or a woman has bright spots—white bright spots—on the skin of their body, 3 ⁹ the priest is to examine them, and if the bright spots on the skin of their body are faded white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin. The person is clean. 4 ⁰ “When a man’s head is bare so that he is balding in back, he is clean. 4 ¹ If his head is bare on the forehead so that he is balding in front, he is clean. 4 ² But if there is a reddish white infection in the back or front bald area, it is a disease breaking out in his back or front bald area. 4 ³ The priest is to examine it, and if the swelling of the infection is reddish white in the back or the front bald area like the appearance of a disease on the skin of the body, 4 ⁴ he is a diseased man. He is unclean. The priest must surely pronounce him unclean because of his infection on his head. 4 ⁵ “As for the diseased person who has the infection, his clothes must be torn, the hair of his head must be unbound, he must cover his mustache, and he must call out ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 4 ⁶ The whole time he has the infection he will be continually unclean. He must live in isolation, and his place of residence must be outside the camp. 4 ⁷ “When a garment has a diseased infection in it, whether a wool or linen garment, 4 ⁸ or in the warp or woof of the linen or the wool, or in leather or anything made of leather, 4 ⁹ if the infection in the garment or leather or warp or woof or any article of leather is yellowish green or reddish, it is a diseased infection, and it must be shown to the priest. 5 ⁰ The priest is to examine and then quarantine the article with the infection for seven days. 5 ¹ He must then examine the infection on the seventh day. If the infection has spread in the garment, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in the leather—whatever the article into which the leather was made—the infection is a malignant disease. It is unclean. 5 ² He must burn the garment or the warp or the woof, whether wool or linen, or any article of leather which has the infection in it. Because it is a malignant disease it must be burned up in the fire. 5 ³ But if the priest examines it and the infection has not spread in the garment or in the warp or in the woof or in any article of leather, 5 ⁴ the priest is to command that they wash whatever has the infection and quarantine it for another seven days. 5 ⁵ The priest must then examine it after the infection has been washed out, and if the infection has not changed its appearance even though the infection has not spread, it is unclean. You must burn it up in the fire. It is a fungus, whether on the back side or front side of the article. 5 ⁶ But if the priest has examined it and the infection has faded after it has been washed, he is to tear it out of the garment or the leather or the warp or the woof. 5 ⁷ Then if it still appears again in the garment or the warp or the woof, or in any article of leather, it is an outbreak. Whatever has the infection in it you must burn up in the fire. 5 ⁸ But the garment or the warp or the woof or any article of leather which you wash and infection disappears from it is to be washed a second time, and it will be clean.” 5 ⁹ This is the law of the diseased infection in the garment of wool or linen, or the warp or woof, or any article of leather, for pronouncing it clean or unclean. 1 4 :¹ The Lord spoke to Moses: ² “This is the law of the diseased person on the day of his purification, when he is brought to the priest. ³ The priest is to go outside the camp and examine the infection. If the infection of the diseased person has been healed, ⁴ then the priest will command that two live clean birds, a piece of cedar wood, a scrap of crimson fabric, and some twigs of hyssop be taken up for the one being cleansed. ⁵ The priest will then command that one bird be slaughtered into a clay vessel over fresh water. ⁶ Then he is to take the live bird along with the piece of cedar wood, the scrap of crimson fabric, and the twigs of hyssop, and he is to dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird slaughtered over the fresh water, ⁷ and sprinkle it seven times on the one being cleansed from the disease, pronounce him clean, and send the live bird away over the open countryside. ⁸ “The one being cleansed must then wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe in water, and so be clean. Then afterward he may enter the camp, but he must live outside his tent seven days. ⁹ When the seventh day comes, he must shave all his hair—his head, his beard, his eyebrows, all his hair—and he must wash his clothes, bathe his body in water, and so be clean. 1 ⁰ “On the eighth day he must take two flawless male lambs, one flawless yearling female lamb, three-tenths of an ephah of choice wheat flour as a grain offering mixed with olive oil, and one log of olive oil, 1 ¹ and the priest who pronounces him clean will have the man who is being cleansed stand along with these offerings before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. 1 ² “The priest is to take one male lamb and present it for a guilt offering along with the log of olive oil and present them as a wave offering before the Lord. 1 ³ He must then slaughter the male lamb in the place where the sin offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered, in the sanctuary, because, like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy. 1 ⁴ Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the right earlobe of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 1 ⁵ The priest will then take some of the log of olive oil and pour it into his own left hand. 1 ⁶ Then the priest is to dip his right forefinger into the olive oil that is in his left hand, and sprinkle some of the olive oil with his finger seven times before the Lord. 1 ⁷ The priest will then put some of the rest of the olive oil that is in his hand on the right earlobe of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt offering, 1 ⁸ and the remainder of the olive oil that is in his hand the priest is to put on the head of the one being cleansed. So the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord. 1 ⁹ “The priest must then perform the sin offering and make atonement for the one being cleansed from his impurity. After that he is to slaughter the burnt offering, 2 ⁰ and the priest is to offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. So the priest is to make atonement for him and he will be clean. 2 ¹ “If the person is poor and does not have sufficient means, he must take one male lamb as a guilt offering for a wave offering to make atonement for himself, one-tenth of an ephah of choice wheat flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, a log of olive oil, 2 ² and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, which are within his means. One will be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. 2 ³ “On the eighth day he must bring them for his purification to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent before the Lord, 2 ⁴ and the priest is to take the male lamb of the guilt offering and the log of olive oil and wave them as a wave offering before the Lord. 2 ⁵ Then he is to slaughter the male lamb of the guilt offering, and the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the right earlobe of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 2 ⁶ The priest will then pour some of the olive oil into his own left hand, 2 ⁷ and sprinkle some of the olive oil that is in his left hand with his right forefinger seven times before the Lord. 2 ⁸ Then the priest is to put some of the olive oil that is in his hand on the right earlobe of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt offering, 2 ⁹ and the remainder of the olive oil that is in the hand of the priest he is to put on the head of the one being cleansed to make atonement for him before the Lord. 3 ⁰ “He will then make one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, which are within his means, 3 ¹ a sin offering and the other a burnt offering along with the grain offering. So the priest is to make atonement for the one being cleansed before the Lord. 3 ² This is the law of the one in whom there is a diseased infection, who does not have sufficient means for his purification.” 3 ³ The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 3 ⁴ “When you enter the land of Canaan which I am about to give to you for a possession, and I put a diseased infection in a house in the land you are to possess, 3 ⁵ then whoever owns the house must come and declare to the priest, ‘Something like an infection is visible to me in the house.’ 3 ⁶ Then the priest will command that the house be cleared before the priest enters to examine the infection so that everything in the house does not become unclean, and afterward the priest will enter to examine the house. 3 ⁷ He is to examine the infection, and if the infection in the walls of the house consists of yellowish green or reddish eruptions, and it appears to be deeper than the surface of the wall, 3 ⁸ then the priest is to go out of the house to the doorway of the house and quarantine the house for seven days. 3 ⁹ The priest must return on the seventh day and examine it, and if the infection has spread in the walls of the house, 4 ⁰ then the priest is to command that the stones that had the infection in them be pulled and thrown outside the city into an unclean place. 4 ¹ Then they shall scrape the house all around on the inside, and the plaster which they have scraped off must be dumped outside the city into an unclean place. 4 ² They are then to take other stones and replace those stones, and he is to take other plaster and replaster the house. 4 ³ “If the infection returns and breaks out in the house after he has pulled out the stones, scraped the house, and it is replastered, 4 ⁴ the priest is to come and examine it, and if the infection has spread in the house, it is a malignant disease in the house. It is unclean. 4 ⁵ He must tear down the house, its stones, its wood, and all the plaster of the house, and take all of it outside the city to an unclean place. 4 ⁶ Anyone who enters the house all the days the priest has quarantined it will be unclean until evening. 4 ⁷ Anyone who lies down in the house must wash his clothes. Anyone who eats in the house must wash his clothes. 4 ⁸ “If, however, the priest enters and examines it, and the infection has not spread in the house after the house has been replastered, then the priest is to pronounce the house clean because the infection has been healed. 4 ⁹ Then he is to take two birds, a piece of cedar wood, a scrap of crimson fabric, and some twigs of hyssop to purify the house, 5 ⁰ and he is to slaughter one bird into a clay vessel over fresh water. 5 ¹ He must then take the piece of cedar wood, the twigs of hyssop, the scrap of crimson fabric, and the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird and in the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times. 5 ² So he is to purify the house with the blood of the bird, the fresh water, the live bird, the piece of cedar wood, the twigs of hyssop, and the scrap of crimson fabric, 5 ³ and he is to send the live bird away outside the city into the open countryside. So he is to make atonement for the house, and it will be clean. 5 ⁴ “This is the law for all diseased infections, for scall, 5 ⁵ for the diseased garment, for the house, 5 ⁶ for the swelling, for the scab, and for the bright spot, 5 ⁷ to teach when something is unclean and when it is clean. This is the law for dealing with infectious disease.” 1 5 :¹ The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: ² “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. ³ Now this is his uncleanness in regard to his discharge—whether his body secretes his discharge or blocks his discharge, he is unclean. All the days that his body has a discharge or his body blocks his discharge, this is his uncleanness. 4 “‘Any bed the man with a discharge lies on will be unclean, and any furniture he sits on will be unclean. ⁵ Anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. ⁶ The one who sits on the furniture the man with a discharge sits on must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. ⁷ The one who touches the body of the man with a discharge must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. ⁸ If the man with a discharge spits on a person who is ceremonially clean, that person must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. ⁹ Any means of riding that the man with a discharge rides on will be unclean. 1 ⁰ Anyone who touches anything that was under him will be unclean until evening, and the one who carries those items must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 1 ¹ Anyone whom the man with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 1 ² A clay vessel which the man with the discharge touches must be broken, and any wooden utensil must be rinsed in water. 1 3 “‘When the man with the discharge becomes clean from his discharge, he is to count off for himself seven days for his purification, and he must wash his clothes, bathe in fresh water, and be clean. 1 ⁴ Then on the eighth day he is to take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and he is to present himself before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent and give them to the priest, 1 ⁵ and the priest is to make one of them a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. So the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord for his discharge. 1 6 “‘When a man has a seminal emission, he must bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until evening, 1 ⁷ and he must wash in water any clothing or leather that has semen on it, and it will be unclean until evening. 1 ⁸ As for a woman whom a man goes to bed with, then has a seminal emission, they must bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 1 9 “‘When a woman has a discharge and her discharge is blood from her body, she is to be in her menstruation seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening. 2 ⁰ Anything she lies on during her menstruation will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. 2 ¹ Anyone who touches her bed must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 2 ² Anyone who touches any furniture she sits on must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 2 ³ If there is something on the bed or on the furniture she sits on, when he touches it, he will be unclean until evening, 2 ⁴ and if a man actually goes to bed with her so that her menstrual impurity touches him, then he will be unclean seven days, and any bed he lies on will be unclean. 2 5 “‘When a woman’s discharge of blood flows many days not at the time of her menstruation, or if it flows beyond the time of her menstruation, all the days of her discharge of impurity will be like the days of her menstruation—she is unclean. 2 ⁶ Any bed she lies on all the days of her discharge will be to her like the bed of her menstruation, any furniture she sits on will be unclean like the impurity of her menstruation, 2 ⁷ and anyone who touches them will be unclean, and he must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 2 8 “‘If she becomes clean from her discharge, then she is to count off for herself seven days, and afterward she will be clean. 2 ⁹ Then on the eighth day she must take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and she must bring them to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, 3 ⁰ and the priest is to make one a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. So the priest is to make atonement for her before the Lord from her discharge of impurity. 3 1 “‘Thus you are to set the Israelites apart from their impurity so that they do not die in their impurity by defiling my tabernacle which is in their midst. 3 ² This is the law for the one with a discharge: for the one who has a seminal emission and becomes unclean by it, 3 ³ for the one who is sick in her menstruation, for the one with a discharge, whether male or female, and for a man who goes to bed with an unclean woman.’” 1 6 :¹ The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons when they approached the presence of the Lord and died, ² and the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother that he must not enter at any time into the Holy Place inside the special curtain in front of the atonement lid that is on the ark so that he may not die, for I will appear in the cloud over the atonement lid. ³ “In this way Aaron is to enter into the sanctuary—with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. ⁴ He must put on a holy linen tunic, linen leggings are to cover his body, and he is to wrap himself with a linen sash and wrap his head with a linen turban. They are holy garments, so he must bathe his body in water and put them on. ⁵ He must also take two male goats from the congregation of the Israelites for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. ⁶ Then Aaron is to present the sin-offering bull which is for himself and is to make atonement on behalf of himself and his household. ⁷ Next he must take the two goats and stand them before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, ⁸ and Aaron is to cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and one lot for Azazel. ⁹ Aaron must then present the goat which has been designated by lot for the Lord, and he is to make it a sin offering, 1 ⁰ but the goat which has been designated by lot for Azazel is to be stood alive before the Lord to make atonement on it by sending it away into the desert to Azazel. 1 ¹ “Aaron is to present the sin-offering bull which is for himself, and he is to make atonement on behalf of himself and his household. He is to slaughter the sin-offering bull which is for himself, 1 ² and take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord and a full double handful of finely ground fragrant incense, and bring them inside the curtain. 1 ³ He must then put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the cloud of incense will cover the atonement lid which is above the ark of the testimony, so that he will not die. 1 ⁴ Then he is to take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the eastern face of the atonement lid, and in front of the atonement lid he is to sprinkle some of the blood seven times with his finger. 1 ⁵ “Aaron must then slaughter the sin-offering goat which is for the people. He is to bring its blood inside the curtain, and he is to do with its blood just as he did to the blood of the bull: He is to sprinkle it on the atonement lid and in front of the atonement lid. 1 ⁶ So he is to make atonement for the Holy Place from the impurities of the Israelites and from their transgressions with regard to all their sins, and thus he is to do for the Meeting Tent which resides with them in the midst of their impurities. 1 ⁷ Nobody is to be in the Meeting Tent when he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he goes out, and he has made atonement on his behalf, on behalf of his household, and on behalf of the whole assembly of Israel. 1 ⁸ “Then Aaron is to go out to the altar which is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He is to take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it all around on the horns of the altar. 1 ⁹ Then he is to sprinkle on it some of the blood with his finger seven times, and cleanse and consecrate it from the impurities of the Israelites. 2 ⁰ “When Aaron has finished purifying the Holy Place, the Meeting Tent, and the altar, he is to present the live goat. 2 ¹ Aaron is to lay his two hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the Israelites and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins, and thus he is to put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the desert by the hand of a man standing ready. 2 ² The goat is to bear on itself all their iniquities into an inaccessible land, so he is to send the goat away into the desert. 2 ³ “Aaron must then enter the Meeting Tent and take off the linen garments which he had put on when he entered the sanctuary, and leave them there. 2 ⁴ Then he must bathe his body in water in the Holy Place, put on his clothes, and go out and make his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering. So he is to make atonement on behalf of himself and the people. 2 ⁵ “Then he is to offer up the fat of the sin offering in smoke on the altar, 2 ⁶ and the one who sent the goat away to Azazel must wash his clothes, bathe his body in water, and afterward he may reenter the camp. 2 ⁷ The bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought to make atonement in the Holy Place, must be brought outside the camp and their hide, their flesh, and their dung must be burned up, 2 ⁸ and the one who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may reenter the camp. 2 ⁹ “This is to be a perpetual statute for you. In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you must humble yourselves and do no work of any kind, both the native citizen and the resident foreigner who lives in your midst, 3 ⁰ for on this day atonement is to be made for you to cleanse you from all your sins; you must be clean before the Lord. 3 ¹ It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves. It is a perpetual statute. 3 ² “The priest who is anointed and ordained to act as high priest in place of his father is to make atonement. He is to put on the linen garments, the holy garments, 3 ³ and he is to purify the Most Holy Place, he is to purify the Meeting Tent and the altar, and he is to make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 3 ⁴ This is to be a perpetual statute for you to make atonement for the Israelites for all their sins once a year.” So he did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 1 7 :¹ The Lord spoke to Moses, ² “Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites, and tell them, ‘This is the word that the Lord has commanded, ³ “Blood guilt will be accounted to any man from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat inside the camp or outside the camp, ⁴ but has not brought it to the entrance of the Meeting Tent to present it as an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord. He has shed blood, so that man will be cut off from the midst of his people. ⁵ This is so that the Israelites will bring their sacrifices that they are sacrificing in the open field to the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent—to the priest—and sacrifice them there as peace-offering sacrifices to the Lord. ⁶ The priest is to splash the blood on the altar of the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and offer the fat up in smoke for a soothing aroma to the Lord. ⁷ So the people must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons, acting like prostitutes by going after them. This is to be a perpetual statute for them throughout their generations.”’ ⁸ “You are to say to them: ‘Any man from the house of Israel or from the resident foreigners who live in their midst, who offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice ⁹ but does not bring it to the entrance of the Meeting Tent to offer it to the Lord—that person will be cut off from his people. 1 0 “‘Any man from the house of Israel or from the resident foreigners who live in their midst who eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats the blood, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, 1 ¹ for the life of every living thing is in the blood. So I myself have assigned it to you on the altar to make atonement for your lives, for the blood makes atonement by means of the life. 1 ² Therefore, I have said to the Israelites: No person among you is to eat blood, and no resident foreigner who lives among you is to eat blood. 1 3 “‘Any man from the Israelites or from the resident foreigners who live in their midst who hunts a wild animal or a bird that may be eaten must pour out its blood and cover it with soil, 1 ⁴ for the life of all flesh is its blood. So I have said to the Israelites: You must not eat the blood of any living thing because the life of every living thing is its blood—all who eat it will be cut off. 1 5 “‘Any person who eats an animal that has died of natural causes or an animal torn by beasts, whether a native citizen or a resident foreigner, must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening; then he will be clean. 1 ⁶ But if he does not wash his clothes and does not bathe his body, he will bear his punishment for his iniquity.’” 1 8 :¹ The Lord spoke to Moses: ² “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘I am the Lord your God! ³ You must not do as they do in the land of Egypt where you have been living, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan into which I am about to bring you; you must not walk in their statutes. ⁴ You must observe my regulations, and you must be sure to walk in my statutes. I am the Lord your God. ⁵ So you must keep my statutes and my regulations; anyone who does so will live by keeping them. I am the Lord. 6 “‘No man is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations with her. I am the Lord. ⁷ You must not expose your father’s nakedness by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her. ⁸ You must not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; she is your father’s nakedness. ⁹ You must not have sexual relations with your sister, whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she is born in the same household or born outside it; you must not have sexual relations with either of them. 1 ⁰ You must not expose the nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter by having sexual relations with them, because they are your own nakedness. 1 ¹ You must not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife born of your father; she is your sister. You must not have sexual relations with her. 1 ² You must not have sexual relations with your father’s sister; she is your father’s flesh. 1 ³ You must not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, because she is your mother’s flesh. 1 ⁴ You must not expose the nakedness of your father’s brother; you must not approach his wife to have marital relations with her. She is your aunt. 1 ⁵ You must not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife. You must not have sexual relations with her. 1 ⁶ You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; she is your brother’s nakedness. 1 ⁷ You must not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter; you must not take as wife either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to have sexual relations with them. They are closely related to her—it is lewdness. 1 ⁸ You must not take a woman in marriage and then marry her sister as a rival wife while she is still alive, to have sexual relations with her. 1 9 “‘You must not approach a woman in her menstrual impurity to have sexual relations with her. 2 ⁰ You must not have sexual relations with the wife of your fellow citizen to become unclean with her. 2 ¹ You must not give any of your children as an offering to Molech, so that you do not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord! 2 ² You must not have sexual relations with a male as one has sexual relations with a woman; it is a detestable act. 2 ³ You must not have sexual relations with any animal to become defiled with it, and a woman must not stand before an animal to have sexual relations with it; it is a perversion. 2 4 “‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things, for the nations that I am about to drive out before you have been defiled with all these things. 2 ⁵ Therefore the land has become unclean, and I have brought the punishment for its iniquity upon it, so that the land has vomited out its inhabitants. 2 ⁶ You yourselves must obey my statutes and my regulations and must not do any of these abominations, both the native citizen and the resident foreigner in your midst, 2 ⁷ for the people who were in the land before you have done all these abominations, and the land has become unclean. 2 ⁸ So do not make the land vomit you out because you defile it just as it has vomited out the nations that were before you. 2 ⁹ For if anyone does any of these abominations, that person who does them will be cut off from the midst of the people. 3 ⁰ You must obey my charge not to practice any of the abominable statutes that have been done before you, so that you do not defile yourselves by them. I am the Lord your God.’”