Certain laws concerning sacrifices – Numbers, chapter 15

Sabbath breaking is punished with death. The law of fringes on their garments.

[1] And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: [2] Speak to the children of Israel and thou shalt say to them: When you shall be come into the land of your habitation, which I will give you, [3] And shall make an offering to the Lord, for a holocaust, or a victim, paying your vows, or voluntarily offering gifts, or in your solemnities burning a sweet savour unto the Lord, of oxen or of sheep: [4] Whosoever immolateth the victim, shall offer a sacrifice of fine flour, the tenth part of an ephi, tempered with the fourth part of a hin of oil: [5] And he shall give the same measure of wine to pour out in libations for the holocaust or for the victim. For every lamb,

[6] And for every ram there shall be a sacrifice of flour of two tenths, which shall be tempered with the third part of a hin of oil: [7] And he shall offer the third part of the same measure of wine for the libation, for a sweet savour to the Lord. [8] But when thou offerest a holocaust or sacrifice of oxen, to fulfill thy vow or for victims of peace offerings, [9] Thou shalt give for every ox three tenths of flour tempered with half a hin of oil, [10] And wine for libations of the same measure, for an offering of most sweet savour to the Lord.

[11] Thus shalt thou do: [12] For every ox and ram and lamb and kid. [13] Both they that are born in the land, and the strangers, [14] Shall offer sacrifices after the same rite. [15] There shall be all one law and judgment both for you and for them who are strangers in the land.

[16] And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: [17] Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: [18] When you are come into the land which I will give you, [19] And shall eat of the bread of that country, you shall separate firstfruits to the Lord, [20] Of the things you eat. As you separate firstfruits of your barnfloors:

[21] So also shall you give firstfruits of your dough to the Lord. [22] And if through ignorance you omit any of these things, which the Lord hath spoken to Moses, [23] And by him hath commanded you, from the day that he began to command and thenceforward, [24] And the multitude have forgotten to do it: they shall offer a calf out of the herd, a holocaust for a most sweet savour to the Lord, and the sacrifice and libations thereof, as the ceremonies require, and a buck goat for sin: [25] And the priest shall pray for all the multitude of the children of Israel: and it shall be forgiven them, because they sinned ignorantly, offering notwithstanding a burnt offering to the Lord for themselves and for their sin and their ignorance:

[26] And it shall be forgiven all the people of the children of Israel: and the strangers that sojourn among them: because it is the fault of all the people through ignorance. [27] But if one soul shall sin ignorantly, he shall offer a she goat of a year old for his sin. [28] And the priest shall pray for him, because he sinned ignorantly before the Lord: and he shall obtain his pardon, and it shall be forgiven him. [29] The same law shall be for all that sin by ignorance, whether they be natives or strangers. [30] But the soul that committeth any thing through pride, whether he be born in the land or a stranger (because he hath been rebellious against the Lord) shall be cut off from among his people:

[31] For he hath contemned the word the Lord, and made void his precept: therefore shall he be destroyed, and shall bear his iniquity. [32] And it came to pass, when the children of Israel were in the wilderness, and had found a man gathering sticks on the sabbath day, [33] That they brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole multitude. [34] And they put him into prison, not knowing what they should do with him. [35] And the Lord said to Moses: Let that man die, let all the multitude stone him without the camp.

[36] And when they had brought him out, they stoned him, and he died as the Lord had commanded. [37] The Lord also said to Moses: [38] Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt tell them to make to themselves fringes in the corners of their garments, putting in them ribands of blue: [39] That when they shall see them, they may remember all the commandments of the Lord, and not follow their own thoughts and eyes going astray after divers things, [40] But rather being mindful of the precepts of the Lord, may do them and be holy to their God.

[41] I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that I might be your God.

Commentary

[38] “Fringes”: The Pharisees enlarged these fringes through hypocrisy, Matt. 23. 5, to appear more zealous than other men for the law of God.