Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into doing even greater evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed at the coming of the Israelites.
Once a year Aaron shall purge its horns. Throughout your generations he is to purge it once a year with the blood of the atoning purification offering. This altar is most sacred to the Lord. Census Tax.
But these also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priest and prophet stagger from strong drink, overpowered by wine; They are confused by strong drink, they stagger in their visions, they totter when giving judgment.
Therefore I will again deal with this people in surprising and wondrous fashion: The wisdom of the wise shall perish, the prudence of the prudent shall vanish.
That is why the Lord does not spare their young men, and their orphans and widows he does not pity; For they are totally impious and wicked, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this, his wrath is not turned back, his hand is still outstretched!
My people consult their piece of wood, and their wand makes pronouncements for them, For the spirit of prostitution has led them astray; they prostitute themselves, forsaking their God.
This, then, shall be an everlasting statute for you: once a year atonement shall be made on behalf of the Israelites for all their sins. And Moses did as the Lord had commanded him.
The individual shall bring to the priest an unblemished ram of the flock, at the established value, for a reparation offering. The priest shall then make atonement on the offerer’s behalf for the error inadvertently and unknowingly committed so that the individual may be forgiven.
Then the priest shall make atonement for the whole Israelite community; and they will be forgiven, since it was inadvertence, and for their inadvertence they have brought their offering: an oblation to the Lord as well as their purification offering before the Lord.
He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself.