Book of Leviticus

The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and the third of five books of the Torah (or Pentateuch).
The English name is from the Latin Leviticus, taken in turn from Greek and a reference to the Levites, the tribe from whom the priests were drawn.
Leviticus is not, however, a manual for priests, as it concerns itself at least equally with the role and duties of the laity.
Leviticus rests on two crucial beliefs: the first, that the world was created "very good" and retains the capacity to achieve that state although it is vulnerable to sin and defilement; the second, that the faithful enactment of ritual makes God's presence available, while ignoring or breaching it compromises the harmony between God and the world.
The traditional view is that Leviticus was compiled by Moses, or, in less extreme form, that the material in it goes back to his time.
However, the tradition is comparatively late (it dates from Josephus, a 1st century CE historian), and scholars are practically unanimous that the book had a long period of growth, that it includes some material of considerable antiquity, and that it reached its present form in the Persian period (538-332 BCE).

Vayikra, on Leviticus 1-5: Laws of the sacrifices
Tzav, on Leviticus 6-8: Sacrifices, ordination of the priests
Shemini, on Leviticus 9-11: Tabernacle consecrated, alien fire, dietary laws
Tazria, on Leviticus 12-13: Childbirth, skin disease, clothing
Metzora, on Leviticus 14-15: Skin disease, infected houses, genital discharges
Acharei, on Leviticus 16-18: Yom Kippur, centralized offerings, sexual practices
Kedoshim, on Leviticus 19-20: Holiness, penalties for transgressions
Emor, on Leviticus 21-24: Rules for priests, holy days, lights and bread, a blasphemer
Behar, on Leviticus 25-25: Sabbatical year, debt servitude limited
Bechukotai, on Leviticus 26-27: Blessings and curses, payment of vows

I. Laws on sacrifice (1:1-7:38)
A. Instructions for the laity on bringing offerings (1:1-6:7)
1-5. The types of offering: burnt, cereal, peace, purification, reparation (or sin) offerings (ch.1-5)
B. Instructions for the priests (6:1-7:38)
1-6. The various offerings, with the addition of the priests' cereal offering (6:1-7:36)
7. Summary (7:37-38)

II. Institution of the priesthood (8:1-10:20)
A. Ordination of Aaron and his sons (ch.8)
B. Aaron makes the first sacrifices (ch.9)
C. Judgement on Nadab and Abihu (ch.10)

III. Uncleanliness and its treatment (11:1-16:24)
A. Unclean animals (ch.11)
B. Uncleanness caused by childbirth (ch.12)
C. Unclean diseases (ch.13)
D. Cleansing of diseases (ch.14)
E. Unclean discharges (ch.15)
F. Purification of the tabernacle from uncleanness (ch.16)

IV. Prescriptions for practical holiness (the Holiness Code - ch. 17:1-26)
A. Sacrifice and food (ch.17)
B. Sexual behaviour (ch.18)
C. Neighbourliness (ch.19)
D. Grave crimes (ch. 20)
E. Rules for priests (ch. 21)
F. Rules for eating sacrifices (ch.22)
G. Festivals (ch.23)
H. Rules for the tabernacle (ch.24:1-9)
I. Blasphemy (ch.24:10-23)
J. Sabbatical and Jubilee years (ch.25)
K. Exhortation to obey the law: blessing and curse (ch.26)
V. Redemption of votive gifts (ch.27)

Book of Leviticus Chapter 1

1. The LORD called unto Moses, and spoke unto him out of the tent of meeting, saying:
2. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When any man of you bringeth an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd or of the flock.
3. If his offering be a burnt-offering of the herd, he shall offer it a male without blemish; he shall bring it to the door of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD.
4. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
5. And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD; and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall present the blood, and dash the blood round about against the altar that is at the door of the tent of meeting.
6. And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and cut it into its pieces.
7. And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay wood in order upon the fire.

8. And Aaron's sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, and the head, and the suet, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar;
9. but its inwards and its legs shall he wash with water; and the priest shall make the whole smoke on the altar, for a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
10. And if his offering be of the flock, whether of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt-offering, he shall offer it a male without blemish.
11. And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD; and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall dash its blood against the altar round about.
12. And he shall cut it into its pieces; and the priest shall lay them, with its head and its suet, in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar.
13. But the inwards and the legs shall he wash with water; and the priest shall offer the whole, and make it smoke upon the altar; it is a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
14. And if his offering to the LORD be a burnt-offering of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtle-doves, or of young pigeons.
15. And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and pinch off its head, and make it smoke on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be drained out on the side of the altar.
16. And he shall take away its crop with the feathers thereof, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes.
17. And he shall rend it by the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder; and the priest shall make it smoke upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire; it is a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Book of Leviticus Chapter 2

1. And when any one bringeth a meal-offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon.
2. And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests; and he shall take thereout his handful of the fine flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, together with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall make the memorial-part thereof smoke upon the altar, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
3. But that which is left of the meal-offering shall be Aaron's and his sons'; it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.
4. And when thou bringest a meal-offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers spread with oil.
5. And if thy offering be a meal-offering baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.
6. Thou shalt break it in pieces, and pour oil thereon; it is a meal-offering.
7. And if thy offering be a meal-offering of the stewing-pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
8. And thou shalt bring the meal-offering that is made of these things unto the LORD; and it shall be presented unto the priest, and he shall bring it unto the altar.
9. And the priest shall take off from the meal-offering the memorial-part thereof, and shall make it smoke upon the altar--an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
10. But that which is left of the meal-offering shall be Aaron's and his sons'; it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.
11. No meal-offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven; for ye shall make no leaven, nor any honey, smoke as an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
12. As an offering of first-fruits ye may bring them unto the LORD; but they shall not come up for a sweet savour on the altar.
13. And every meal-offering of thine shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meal-offering; with all thy offerings thou shalt offer salt.
14. And if thou bring a meal-offering of first-fruits unto the LORD, thou shalt bring for the meal-offering of thy first-fruits corn in the ear parched with fire, even groats of the fresh ear.
15. And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon; it is a meal-offering.
16. And the priest shall make the memorial-part of it smoke, even of the groats thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.