"Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of the livestock -- of the herd and of the flock.

Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering,

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

' If his offering [is] a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD.

'or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a male without blemish.

'[you shall offer] of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats.

"But cursed [be] the deceiver Who has in his flock a male, And takes a vow, But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished -- For I [am] a great King," Says the LORD of hosts, "And My name [is to be] feared among the nations.