Leviticus 16:21 nasb — "Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the son…

NASB

""Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness."

— Leviticus 16:21, NASB

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Leviticus 16:21 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:”

  • ASV

    “and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a man that is in readiness into the wilderness: ”

  • WEB

    “Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.”

  • NET

    “Aaron is to lay his two hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the Israelites and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins, and thus he is to put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the desert by the hand of a man standing ready.”

  • DRB

    “And putting both hands upon his head, let him confess all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their offences and sins. And praying that they may light on its head, he shall turn him out by a man ready for it, into the desert.”

  • BBE

    “And Aaron, placing his two hands on the head of the living goat, will make a public statement over him of all the evil doings of the children of Israel and all their wrongdoing, in all their sins; and he will put them on the head of the goat and send him away, in the care of a man who will be waiting there, into the waste land.”

  • KJVA

    “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:”

Leviticus 16 — Context

18

"Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides.

19

"With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it, and from the impurities of the sons of Israel consecrate it.

20

"When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat.

21

"Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness.

22

"The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

23

"Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there.

24

"He shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come forth and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people.

Leviticus 16:21 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Leviticus 16:21 say?
Leviticus 16:21 in the NASB reads: “"Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness.”
Where is Leviticus 16:21 in the Bible?
Leviticus 16:21 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Leviticus, chapter 16, verse 21.
Who wrote Leviticus?
Leviticus is traditionally attributed to Moses (traditional). It was written c. 1446–1406 BC.
What is the book of Leviticus about?
Leviticus is Israel's handbook for holy living in the presence of a holy God. It details the sacrificial system, priestly duties, dietary and purity laws, and the festivals — all teaching that sin requires atonement and that God's people are called to be set apart.
What are the major themes of Leviticus?
Leviticus explores themes including Holiness, Sacrifice, Atonement, Priesthood, Purity. These themes shape the meaning and context of Leviticus 16:21.
What translation should I read Leviticus 16:21 in?
Leviticus 16:21 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Leviticus 16:21?
Leviticus 16:21 reads (NASB): “"Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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