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23  Then Israel came into Egypt; ♦︎
   Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
24  And the Lord made his people exceedingly fruitful; ♦︎
   he made them too many for their adversaries,
25  Whose heart he turned, so that they hated his people ♦︎
   and dealt craftily with his servants.
26  Then sent he Moses his servant ♦︎
   and Aaron whom he had chosen.
27  He showed his signs through their word ♦︎
   and his wonders in the land of Ham.
28  He sent darkness and it grew dark; ♦︎
   yet they did not heed his words.
29  He turned their waters into blood ♦︎
   and slew all their fish.
30  Their land swarmed with frogs, ♦︎
   even in their kings’ chambers.
31  He spoke the word, and there came clouds of flies, ♦︎
   swarms of gnats within all their borders.
32  He gave them hailstones for rain ♦︎
   and flames of lightning in their land.
33  He blasted their vines and their fig trees ♦︎
   and shattered trees across their country.
34  He spoke the word, and the grasshoppers came ♦︎
   and young locusts without number;
35  They ate every plant in their land ♦︎
   and devoured the fruit of their soil.
36  He smote all the firstborn in their land, ♦︎
   the first fruits of all their strength.
37  Then he brought them out with silver and gold; ♦︎
   there was not one among their tribes that stumbled.
38  Egypt was glad at their departing, ♦︎
   for a dread of them had fallen upon them.
39  He spread out a cloud for a covering ♦︎
   and a fire to light up the night.
40  They asked and he brought them quails; ♦︎
   he satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41  He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out ♦︎
   and ran in the dry places like a river.
42  For he remembered his holy word ♦︎
   and Abraham, his servant.
43  So he brought forth his people with joy, ♦︎
   his chosen ones with singing.
44  He gave them the lands of the nations ♦︎
   and they took possession of the fruit of their toil,
45  That they might keep his statutes ♦︎
   and faithfully observe his laws.
      Alleluia.

20 When he has finished atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. ²¹Then Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and sending it away into the wilderness by means of someone designated for the task.^{* 22}The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a barren region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness.

23 Then Aaron shall enter the tent of meeting, and shall take off the linen vestments that he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there. ²⁴He shall bathe his body in water in a holy place, and put on his vestments; then he shall come out and offer his burnt-offering and the burnt-offering of the people, making atonement for himself and for the people. ²⁵The fat of the sin-offering he shall turn into smoke on the altar. ²⁶The one who sets the goat free for Azazel^* shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterwards may come into the camp. ²⁷The bull of the sin-offering and the goat of the sin-offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be taken outside the camp; their skin and their flesh and their dung shall be consumed in fire. ²⁸The one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterwards may come into the camp.

29 This shall be a statute to you for ever: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall deny yourselves,^* and shall do no work, neither the citizen nor the alien who resides among you. ³⁰For on this day atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before the Lord. ³¹It is a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall deny yourselves;^* it is a statute for ever. ³²The priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement, wearing the linen vestments, the holy vestments. ³³He shall make atonement for the sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. ³⁴This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the people of Israel once in the year for all their sins. And Moses did as the Lord had commanded him.

Final Exhortations, Greetings, and Benediction

12 But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters,^* to respect those who labour among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; ¹³esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴And we urge you, beloved,^* to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. ¹⁵See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. ¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise the words of prophets,^{* 21}but test everything; hold fast to what is good; ²²abstain from every form of evil.

23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound^* and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

25 Beloved,^* pray for us.

26 Greet all the brothers and sisters^* with a holy kiss. ²⁷I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all of them.^*

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.^*