A goat carries away the sins of Israel's people
20 Aaron must then bring the goat that is alive in front of the Lord. He must do this after he has made clean the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar. 21 He must put his hands on the goat's head. He must speak aloud all the sins that Israel's people have done. He must say that they have been wicked and they have not obeyed the Lord. In this way he will put all their sins on the goat's head. Aaron must then tell a man that he has chosen to send the goat away into the desert. 22 The goat will carry all the sins of Israel's people far away to an empty place. The man must send it away into the desert.
23 After this, Aaron must go into the Tent of Meeting. He must take off his special linen clothes. He had put them on when he went into the holy tent. He must leave the clothes there. 24 He must wash his whole body in a holy place. He must put on his own clothes and go out of the tent. Then he will offer the animals for his own burnt offering and the burnt offering for the people. In this way, he will make himself clean and the people clean from their sins. 25 Then he must burn on the altar the fat from the sin offering.
26 The man who sent the goat away to escape must wash his clothes and his whole body. Then he may return to the camp. 27 Someone must carry the dead bodies of the animals for the sin offerings outside the camp. That is the bull and the goat that Aaron had killed. He used their blood to make the Most Holy Place clean. The man who takes them outside the camp must completely burn them. That includes their skin, their meat and their inside parts. 28 After that, the man must wash his clothes and his whole body. Then he may return to the camp.
The Day of Atonement is a day of rest
29 On the tenth day of the seventh month, you must not eat and you must not do any work. This is a rule that you must obey every year for all time. It is a rule for you who belong to Israel's people and for foreign people who live among you. 30 It will be the Day of Atonement. On this day the priest will make you clean. The Lord will forgive you for all your sins. 31 It is a very holy day of complete rest for you. You must not eat during that day. This is a rule that you must all obey every year.
32 The descendant of Aaron who is chosen as leader of the priests will do all these things on the Day of Atonement. He will put on the linen clothes that are holy. 33 He will make clean the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar. He will make the priests and all the people clean from their sins. 34 Once every year, on this day, he will make Israel's people clean from all their sins. This is a rule that you must obey for all time.’
Moses did all these things as the Lord had commanded him.
