Leviticus 5

1 'And when a person doth sin, and hath heard the voice of an oath, and he [is] witness, or hath seen, or hath known — if he declare not, then he hath borne his iniquity:

If you sin by not giving the evidence you have about a legal case, whether you saw something yourself or heard about it, you bear responsibility for your guilt.

2 'Or when a person cometh against any thing unclean, or against a carcase of an unclean beast, or against a carcase of unclean cattle, or against a carcase of an unclean teeming creature, and it hath been hidden from him, and he unclean, and guilty;

If you touch anything unclean such as the dead body of any unclean wild animal or farm animals or vermin, even if you're unaware of it, you become unclean and guilty.

3 'Or when he cometh against uncleanness of man, even any of his uncleanness whereby he is unclean, and it hath been hidden from him, and he hath known, and hath been guilty:

If you touch something unclean from someone else who is unclean, even if you're unaware of it, you become guilty.

4 'Or when a person sweareth, speaking wrongfully with the lips to do evil, or to do good, even anything which man speaketh wrongfully with an oath, and it hath been hid from him; — when he hath known then he hath been guilty of one of these;

If you foolishly swear to do something, (whether good or bad, and in whatever way people impulsively swear an oath), even if you're unaware of it being wrong, when you eventually realize it, you are guilty.

5 'And it hath been when he is guilty of one of these, that he hath confessed concerning that which he hath sinned,

If you become guilty in one of these ways, you must confess your sin,

6 and hath brought in his guilt-offering to Jehovah for his sin which he hath sinned, a female out of the flock, a lamb, or a kid of the goats, for a sin-offering, and the priest hath made atonement for him, because of his sin.

and you must take your guilt offering of a female lamb or goat to the Lord as a sin offering for your sin. The priest will make your sin right.

7 'And if his hand reach not to the sufficiency of a lamb, then he hath brought in his guilt-offering — he who hath sinned — two turtle-doves or two young pigeons to Jehovah, one for a sin-offering, and one for a burnt-offering;

If you can't afford a lamb, you may offer to the Lord as compensation for your sin two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one as a sin offering and one as a burnt offering.

8 and he hath brought them in unto the priest, and hath brought near that which [is] for a sin-offering first, and hath wrung off its head from its neck, and doth not separate [it],

You are to take them to the priest, who shall present the first one as the sin offering. He is to wring its head from the neck without removing it completely.

9 and he hath sprinkled of the blood of the sin-offering on the side of the altar, and that which is left of the blood is wrung out at the foundation of the altar; it [is] a sin-offering.

Then 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 poured out at the bottom of the altar. It is a sin offering.

10 'And the second he maketh a burnt-offering, according to the ordinance, and the priest hath made atonement for him, because of his sin which he hath sinned, and it hath been forgiven him.

The priest must then prepare the second bird as a burnt offering according to the regulations. In this way the priest will make you right for your sin, and you will be forgiven.

11 'And if his hand reach not to two turtle-doves, or to two young pigeons, then he hath brought in his offering — he who hath sinned — a tenth of an ephah of flour for a sin-offering; he putteth no oil on it, nor doth he put on it frankincense, for it [is] a sin-offering,

If you can't afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons you may bring a tenth of an ephah of the best flour as a sin offering. Don't put olive oil or frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering.

12 and he hath brought it in unto the priest, and the priest hath taken a handful from it — the fulness of his hand — its memorial — and hath made perfume on the altar, according to the fire-offerings of Jehovah; it [is] a sin-offering.

Take it to the priest, who shall take a handful as a ‘reminder part’ and burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offerings to the Lord. It is a sin offering.

13 'And the priest hath made atonement for him, for his sin which he hath sinned against one of these, and it hath been forgiven him, and [the remnant] hath been to the priest, like the present.'

This is how the priest will make right any of these sins you have committed, and you will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest, just like the grain offering.”

14 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

The Lord told Moses,

15 'When a person committeth a trespass, and hath sinned through ignorance against the holy things of Jehovah, then he hath brought in his guilt-offering to Jehovah, a ram, a perfect one, out of the flock, at thy valuation [in] silver — shekels by the shekel of the sanctuary — for a guilt-offering.

“If any of you neglects unintentionally all that the Lord has declared belong to him and are holy, you must bring your guilt offering to the Lord: a ram without defects from your herd or but one of equivalent value in silver shekels (according to the sanctuary shekel standard). It is a guilt offering.

16 'And that which he hath sinned against the holy thing he repayeth, and its fifth is adding to it, and hath given it to the priest, and the priest maketh atonement for him with the ram of the guilt-offering, and it hath been forgiven him.

As regards any holy requirement you failed to contribute, you must pay compensation by adding a fifth of its value to it and then give it to the priest, who will make it right with the ram as a guilt offering, and you will be forgiven.

17 'And when any person sinneth, and hath done [something against] one of all the commands of Jehovah [regarding things] which are not to be done, and hath not known, and he hath been guilty, and hath borne his iniquity,

If you sin and break any of the Lord's commandments, even if you are unaware of it, you are still guilty and bear responsibility for your guilt.

18 'Then he hath brought in a ram, a perfect one, out of the flock, at thy valuation, for a guilt-offering, unto the priest; and the priest hath made atonement for him, for his ignorance in which he hath erred and he hath not known, and it hath been forgiven him;

You must take to the priest a ram without defects of the appropriate value from the flock as a guilt offering. Then the priest will make right for you the wrong you did in ignorance, and you will be forgiven.

19 it [is] a guilt-offering; he hath been certainly guilty before Jehovah.'

It is a guilt offering because you were guilty as far as the Lord was concerned.”