« | Leviticus 7 | » |
1 The sacrifice to make things right is very sacred.
2 The animal must be killed in the same place where the sacrifice to please me is killed, and the animal's blood must be splattered against the four sides of the bronze altar.
3 Offer all of the animal's fat, including the fat on its tail and on its insides,
4 as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat.
5 One of the priests will lay these pieces on the altar and send them up in smoke to me.
6 This sacrifice for making things right is very holy. Only the priests may eat it, and they must eat it in a holy place.
7 The ceremony for this sacrifice and the one for sin are just alike, and the meat may be eaten only by the priest who performs this ceremony of forgiveness.
8 In fact, the priest who offers a sacrifice to please me may keep the skin of the animal,
9 just as he may eat the bread from a sacrifice to give thanks to me.
10 All other grain sacrifices--with or without olive oil in them--are to be divided equally among the priests of Aaron's family.
11 Here are the instructions for offering a sacrifice to ask my blessing:
12 If you offer it to give thanks, you must offer some bread together with it. Use the finest flour to make three kinds of bread without yeast--two in the form of loaves mixed with olive oil and one in the form of thin wafers brushed with oil.
13 You must also make some bread with yeast.
14 Give me one loaf or wafer from each of these four kinds of bread, after which they will belong to the priest who splattered the blood against the bronze altar.
15 When you offer an animal to ask a blessing from me or to thank me, the meat belongs to you, but it must be eaten the same day.
16 It is different with the sacrifices you offer when you make me a promise or voluntarily give me something. The meat from those sacrifices may be kept and eaten the next day,
17 but any that is left must be destroyed. If you eat any after the second day, your sacrifice will be useless and unacceptable, and you will be both disgusting and guilty.
18 (SEE 7:17)
19 Don't eat any of the meat that touches something unclean. Instead, burn it. The rest of the meat may be eaten by anyone who is clean and acceptable to me.
20 But don't eat any of this meat if you have become unclean by touching something unclean from a human or an animal or from any other creature. If you do, you will no longer belong to the community of Israel.
21 (SEE 7:20)
22 The LORD told Moses
23 to say to the people: Don't eat the fat of cattle, sheep, or goats.
24 If one of your animals dies or is killed by some wild animal, you may do anything with its fat except eat it.
25 If you eat the fat of an animal that can be used as a sacrifice to me, you will no longer belong to the community of Israel.
26 And no matter where you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal,
27 or you will no longer belong to the community of Israel.
28 The LORD also told Moses
29 to say to the people of Israel: If you want to offer a sacrifice to ask my blessing, you must bring the part to be burned and lay it on the bronze altar. But you must first lift up the choice ribs with their fat to show that the offering is dedicated to me.
30 (SEE 7:29)
31 A priest from Aaron's family will then send the fat up in smoke, but the ribs belong to the priests.
32 The upper joint of the right hind leg is for the priest who offers the blood and the fat of the animal.
33 (SEE 7:32)
34 I have decided that the people of Israel must always give the choice ribs and the upper joint of the right hind leg to Aaron's descendants
35 who have been ordained as priests to serve me.
36 This law will never change. I am the LORD!
37 These are the ceremonies for sacrifices to please the LORD, to give him thanks, and to ask his blessing or his forgiveness, as well as the ceremonies for those sacrifices that demand a payment and for the sacrifices that are offered when priests are ordained.
38 While Moses and the people of Israel were in the desert at Mount Sinai, the LORD commanded them to start offering these sacrifices.
The Contemporary English Version (CEV)
The Contemporary English Version (CEV) is a modern Bible translation that aims to make the scriptures accessible and understandable to a broad audience, including children and those with limited English proficiency. Published by the American Bible Society in 1995, the CEV emphasizes clarity, readability, and ease of comprehension. Unlike more literal translations, the CEV uses a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, which focuses on conveying the original meaning of the text in a way that is clear and straightforward for contemporary readers.
One of the key features of the CEV is its use of everyday language and simple sentence structures. The translators avoided theological jargon and archaic terms, instead opting for language that is commonly used in daily conversation. This makes the CEV particularly well-suited for public reading, educational settings, and outreach programs where the audience might not be familiar with traditional biblical language. The translation strives to communicate the essence of the biblical message without the barriers that complex language can sometimes create.
The CEV also pays special attention to cultural sensitivity and inclusivity. The translators sought to avoid expressions and idioms that might be misunderstood or offensive in different cultural contexts. Additionally, the CEV includes gender-neutral language where appropriate, aiming to make the text more inclusive while still remaining faithful to the original manuscripts. This approach helps ensure that Bible teachings are accessible to a diverse global audience, promoting understanding and acceptance across different cultures and communities.
Despite its strengths, the CEV has faced some criticism from those who prefer more literal translations. Critics argue that the CEV emphasises on simplicity and readability which can sometimes result in a loss of nuance and depth found in the original languages. Some theologians and scholars believe that the thought-for-thought approach may oversimplify complex theological concepts. Nevertheless, the Contemporary English Version remains a valuable resource for many readers, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that is particularly effective for those new to the scriptures or those seeking a more accessible way to engage with the biblical text.