Leviticus

A handbook for living near a holy God. It covers sacrifices, priests, clean and unclean, the Day of Atonement, and how Israel was to be holy in everyday life, including the command to love your neighbour as yourself.

Author

Traditionally Moses

Written

Traditionally about 1400 BC

Chapters

1. 1Leviticus 1Instructions for the burnt offering, an offering completely given to God for atonement.
2. 2Leviticus 2Instructions for the grain offering, a gift of thanks from the harvest.
3. 3Leviticus 3Instructions for the peace offering, a sacrifice shared as a fellowship meal with God.
4. 4Leviticus 4Instructions for the sin offering, for when people sin without meaning to.
5. 5Leviticus 5More on the sin offering, and the guilt offering for wrongs that require repayment.
6. 6Leviticus 6Further rules for offerings, and the fire on the altar that must never go out.
7. 7Leviticus 7Rules for the guilt and peace offerings, and the portions given to the priests.
8. 8Leviticus 8Moses ordains Aaron and his sons as priests in a seven-day ceremony.
9. 9Leviticus 9The priests offer their first sacrifices, and fire comes from the Lord to consume the offering. The people shout for joy and fall on their faces.
10. 10Leviticus 10Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu offer unauthorised fire and are consumed. God must be treated as holy.
11. 11Leviticus 11Laws about clean and unclean animals, teaching Israel to be holy as God is holy.
12. 12Leviticus 12Purification after childbirth.
13. 13Leviticus 13Laws for diagnosing skin diseases and mould, which made a person unclean and set apart from the camp.
14. 14Leviticus 14Rituals for cleansing and restoring someone healed of a skin disease, and for houses with mould.
15. 15Leviticus 15Laws about bodily discharges and ritual cleanness.
16. 16Leviticus 16The Day of Atonement: once a year the high priest enters the Most Holy Place, and a goat carries the people’s sins away into the wilderness.
17. 17Leviticus 17Sacrifices must be brought to the tabernacle, and blood must not be eaten, because the life is in the blood.
18. 18Leviticus 18Laws about sexual relationships, forbidding the practices of Egypt and Canaan.
19. 19Leviticus 19Various laws for holy living, including caring for the poor and foreigners, honesty in business, and “love your neighbour as yourself”.
20. 20Leviticus 20Penalties for serious sins such as child sacrifice to Molech and sexual immorality.
21. 21Leviticus 21Special standards of holiness for the priests.
22. 22Leviticus 22Rules for priests eating holy food and for acceptable offerings without defect.
23. 23Leviticus 23Israel’s appointed feasts: the Sabbath, Passover, Firstfruits, Weeks, Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and Tabernacles.
24. 24Leviticus 24The lamps and bread of the tabernacle. A man who blasphemes God’s name is punished.
25. 25Leviticus 25The Sabbath year and the Year of Jubilee, when land returns to its families and slaves go free. The land belongs to God.
26. 26Leviticus 26Blessings for obedience and warnings of discipline for disobedience, with the promise that God will remember his covenant if they repent.
27. 27Leviticus 27Laws about vows and dedicating people, animals and land to the Lord, and the tithe.