Leviticus 5:1-13
When a Person Is Guilty
1“If someone sins by failing to testify when he hears a public charge about something he has witnessed, whether he has seen it or learned of it, he shall bear the iniquity.
2Or if a person touches anything unclean—whether the carcass of any unclean wild animal or livestock or crawling creature—even if he is unaware of it, he is unclean and guilty.
3Or if he touches human uncleanness—anything by which one becomes unclean—even if he is unaware of it, when he realizes it, he is guilty.
4Or if someone swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do anything good or evil—in whatever matter a man may rashly pronounce an oath—even if he is unaware of it, when he realizes it, he is guilty in the matter.
5If someone incurs guilt in one of these ways, he must confess the sin he has committed,
6and he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin he has committed: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. And the priest will make atonement for him concerning his sin.
7If, however, he cannot afford a lamb, he may bring to the LORD as restitution for his sin two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering.
8He is to bring them to the priest, who shall first present the one for the sin offering. He is to twist its head at the front of its neck without severing it;
9then he is to sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood is drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering.
10And the priest must prepare the second bird as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.
11But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he may bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He must not put olive oil or frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering.
12He is to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful from it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar atop the food offerings to the LORD; it is a sin offering.
13In this way the priest will make atonement for him for any of these sins he has committed, and he will be forgiven. The remainder will belong to the priest, like the grain offering.”
Berean Standard Bible
A person becomes guilty by failing to testify after hearing a public charge, touching an unclean animal or person, or speaking thoughtlessly under oath. The issue is not only deliberate rebellion. Carelessness, silence, and unexamined contact can still require a response before God.
When someone recognizes guilt, that person is to confess the sin. A female lamb or goat is brought as a sin offering. The priest makes atonement, and the person is forgiven.
If the worshiper cannot afford a lamb, two turtledoves or two young pigeons may be brought. One is a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. If even that is beyond the person's means, fine flour may be brought instead.
The offering is scaled to the person's resources, but the need for confession is not removed. The poor person is not shut out of atonement, and the wealthy person is not allowed to bypass it through silence.
Questions
1 What should a guilty person do first?
AnswerA guilty person should confess the sin that he or she has committed.
2 What could someone bring if a lamb was unaffordable?
AnswerThe person could bring two turtledoves, two young pigeons, or fine flour according to available resources.
3 How were the two birds used?
AnswerOne bird was offered as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering.
4 What did the priest's atonement accomplish?
AnswerThe priest made atonement for the person, and the person was forgiven.
What This Means for Us
The passage treats confession as a necessary act, not a feeling that can remain private. It also protects the poor from being told that forgiveness is available only to people who can afford the expected gift.
Tell the truth about your part in a problem, and do not make financial ability the measure of spiritual seriousness. Repentance must be honest, but it does not belong only to the prosperous.
Prayer
Merciful God, make confession possible and sincere in our homes. Keep us from hiding behind silence or money, and teach us to meet guilt with truth, humility, and hope. Amen.