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Leviticus Chapter 1
Of holocausts or burnt offerings.
English (Douay-Rheims)
1 And the Lord called Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of the testimony, saying:
2 Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: The man among you that shall offer to the Lord a sacrifice of the cattle, that is, offering victims of oxen and sheep:
3 If his offering be a holocaust, and of the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish, at the door of the testimony, to make the Lord favourable to him. A holocaust... That is, a whole burnt offering (olokauston), so called, because the whole victim was consumed with fire; and given in such manner to God as wholly to evaporate, as it were, for his honour and glory; without having any part of it reserved for the use of man. The other sacrifices in the Old Testament were either offerings for sin, or peace offerings: and these latter again were either offered in thanksgiving for blessings received; or by way of prayer for new favours or graces. So that sacrifices were then offered to God for four different ends or intentions, answerable to the different obligations which man has to God: 1. By way of adoration, homage, praise, and glory due to his divine majesty. 2. By way of thanksgiving for all benefits received from him. 3. By way of confessing and craving pardon for sins. 4. By way of prayer and petition for grace and relief in all necessities. In the New Law we have but one sacrifice, viz., that of the body and blood of Christ: but this one sacrifice of the New Testament perfectly answers all these four ends; and both priest and people, as often as it is celebrated, ought to join in offering it up for these four ends.
4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the victim: and it shall be acceptable, and help to its expiation.
5 And he shall immolate the calf before the Lord: and the priests the sons of Aaron shall offer the blood thereof, pouring it round about the altar, which is before the door of the tabernacle.
6 And when they have flayed the victim, they shall cut the joints into pieces:
7 And shall put fire on the altar, having before laid in order a pile of wood.
8 And they shall lay the parts that are cut out in order thereupon: to wit, the head, and all things that cleave to the liver;
9 The entrails and feet being washed with water. And the priest shall burn them upon the altar for a holocaust, and a sweet savour to the Lord.
10 And if the offering be of the flocks, a holocaust of sheep or of goats, he shall offer a male without blemish.
11 And he shall immolate it at the side of the altar that looketh to the north, before the Lord: but the sons of Aaron shall pour the blood thereof upon the altar round about.
12 And they shall divide the joints, the head, and all that cleave to the liver: and shall lay them upon the wood, under which the fire is to be put.
13 But the entrails and the feet they shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer it all and burn it all upon the altar for a holocaust, and most sweet savour to the Lord.
14 But if the oblation of a holocaust to the Lord be of birds, of turtles, or of young pigeons:
15 The priest shall offer it at the altar: and twisting back the neck, and breaking the place of the wound, he shall make the blood run down upon the brim of the altar.
16 But the crop of the throat, and the feathers he shall cast beside the altar at the east side, in the place where the ashes are wont to be poured out.
17 And he shall break the pinions thereof, and shall not cut, nor divide it with a knife: and shall burn it upon the altar, putting fire under the wood. It is a holocaust and oblation of most sweet savour to the Lord.
Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899
Latin (Clementine Vulgate)
1 Vocavit autem Moysen, et locutus est ei Dominus de tabernaculo testimonii, dicens:
2 Loquere filiis Israël, et dices ad eos: Homo, qui obtulerit ex vobis hostiam Domino de pecoribus, id est, de bobus et ovibus offerens victimas,
3 si holocaustum fuerit ejus oblatio, ac de armento: masculum immaculatum offeret ad ostium tabernaculi testimonii, ad placandum sibi Dominum:
4 ponetque manum super caput hostiæ, et acceptabilis erit, atque in expiationem ejus proficiens.
5 Immolabitque vitulum coram Domino, et offerent filii Aaron sacerdotes sanguinem ejus, fundentes per altaris circuitum, quod est ante ostium tabernaculi:
6 detractaque pelle hostiæ, artus in frusta concident.
7 Et subjicient in altari ignem, strue lignorum ante composita:
8 et membra quæ sunt cæsa, desuper ordinantes, caput videlicet, et cuncta quæ adhærent jecori,
9 intestinis et pedibus lotis aqua: adolebitque ea sacerdos super altare in holocaustum et suavem odorem Domino.
10 Quod si de pecoribus oblatio est, de ovibus sive de capris holocaustum, masculum absque macula offeret:
11 immolabitque ad latus altaris, quod respicit ad aquilonem, coram Domino: sanguinem vero illius fundent super altare filii Aaron per circuitum:
12 dividentque membra, caput, et omnia quæ adhærent jecori, et ponent super ligna, quibus subjiciendus est ignis:
13 intestina vero et pedes lavabunt aqua. Et oblata omnia adolebit sacerdos super altare in holocaustum et odorem suavissimum Domino.
14 Si autem de avibus, holocausti oblatio fuerit Domino, de turturibus, aut pullis columbæ,
15 offeret eam sacerdos ad altare: et retorto ad collum capite, ac rupto vulneris loco, decurrere faciet sanguinem super crepidinem altaris:
16 vesiculam vero gutturis, et plumas projiciet prope altare ad orientalem plagam, in loco in quo cineres effundi solent,
17 confringetque ascellas ejus, et non secabit, neque ferro dividet eam, et adolebit super altare, lignis igne supposito. Holocaustum est et oblatio suavissimi odoris Domino.
Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition
