Leviticus 3

Expanded Bible

The Fellowship Offering

3 “‘If a person’s ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering [^Cdemonstrated fellowship because the meat was to be eaten by the worshipers] to the Lord is from the herd, it may be a male or female, but it must ·have nothing wrong with it [be unblemished]. ² The person must ·put [lay] his hand on the animal’s head [1:4] and ·kill [slaughter] it at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. Then Aaron’s sons, the priests, must ·sprinkle [dash] the blood on all sides of the altar. ³ From the ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering he must make a sacrifice by fire to the Lord. He must offer the fat of the animal’s inner organs (both the fat that is in them and that covers them), ⁴ both kidneys with the fat that is on them near the ·lower back muscle [loins], and the ·best part [appendage] of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys. ⁵ Then the priests will ·burn these parts [^Lturn these into smoke] on the altar, on the whole burnt offering that is on the wood of the fire. It is an offering made by fire, and its smell is pleasing to the Lord.

⁶ “‘If a person’s ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering to the Lord is ·a lamb or a goat [^Lfrom the flock], it may be a male or female, but it must ·have nothing wrong with it [be unblemished]. ⁷ If he offers a lamb, he must bring it before the Lord ⁸ and ·put [lay] his hand on its head [1:4]. Then he must ·kill [slaughter] the animal in front of the Meeting Tent, and the ·priests [^Lsons of Aaron] must ·sprinkle [dash] its blood on all sides of the altar. ⁹ From the ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering the person must make a sacrifice by fire to the Lord. He must bring the fat, the whole fat tail cut off close to the backbone, the fat of the inner organs (both the fat that is in them and that covers them), ¹⁰ both kidneys with the fat that is on them, near the ·lower back muscle [loins], and the ·best part [appendage] of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys. ¹¹ Then the priest will ·burn these parts [^Lturn them into smoke] on the altar as food; it will be an offering made by fire to the Lord.

¹² “‘If a person’s ·offering [gift] is a goat, he must offer it before the Lord ¹³ and ·put [lay] his hand on its head [1:4]. Then he must ·kill [slaughter] it in front of the Meeting Tent, and the priests must ·sprinkle [dash] its blood on all sides of the altar. ¹⁴ From this ·offering [gift] the person must make a sacrifice by fire to the Lord. He must offer all the fat of the goat’s inner organs (both the fat that is in them and that covers them), ¹⁵ both kidneys with the fat that is on them near the ·lower back muscle [loins], and the ·best part [appendage] of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys. ¹⁶ The priest will ·burn these parts [^Lturn them into smoke] on the altar as food. It is an offering made by fire, and its smell is pleasing to the Lord. All the fat belongs to the Lord [see v. 17].

¹⁷ “‘This ·law [statute; ordinance; requirement] will continue for people ·from now on [forever], ·wherever you live [^Lin all your habitations/settlements]: You must not eat any fat [^Cperhaps considered the location of an animal’s strength; 7:22–25] or ·blood [^Cthe source of life; 7:26–27; 17:10; 19:26; Gen. 9:4; Deut. 12:16, 23; 15:23].’”