81 Bible Verses about Sacrifice

You are not to bring to the LORD an offering that is blind, fractured, mutilated, or infected with ulcers, scurvy, or scales. You are not to present any of them as an offering made by fire on the altar for the LORD.

If it has a blemish lameness, blindness, or any kind of defect you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.

When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Offer that to your governor would he be pleased with you or receive you favorably?" asks the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

Next, he brought the bull for a sin offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the bull's head for a sin offering. So Moses slaughtered it, took the blood, and applied some of it at the horns of the altar and around it with his fingers, thus purifying the altar. Then he poured the blood at the base of the altar, thereby sanctifying it as a means to make atonement with it. Moses burned on the altar all the fat on the internal organs, the appendage on the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat. read more.
As to the bull and its fat, skin, and offal, he incinerated them outside the camp, just as the LORD had commanded him. Next, he brought the ram for the whole burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, and Moses slaughtered it and poured its blood over and around the altar. As to the ram, he cut it into parts at the joints, burned the head, the internal organs, and the fat, washed the internal organs and the thigh with water, and then burned the entire ram on the altar as a whole burnt offering, a pleasing aroma of an offering made by fire to the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him. Moses brought the ram that is, the second of the rams for consecration. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. Moses then slaughtered it, took some of its blood, and put it on Aaron's right earlobe, right thumb, and right great toe. Then Moses brought Aaron's sons, took some of the ram's blood, put it on their right earlobes, on their right thumbs, and on their right great toes, and then poured the blood on the altar and all around it. Then he took the fat from the tail, all the fat on the internal organs, the appendage of the liver, the two kidneys with the fat, and the right thigh. From the basket of unleavened bread that is in the LORD'S presence he took one piece of unleavened bread, one cake spread with olive oil, and one wafer, which he placed over the fat and the right thigh. He put all of these things in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and they all waved them in a raised offering to the LORD. After this, Moses took those things from their hands and burned them on the altar over the whole burnt offering for consecration. They served as a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. Moses took the breast and waved it as a raised offering in the LORD's presence as the portion that belonged to Moses from the ram of consecration, just as the LORD had commanded him. Moses took some anointing oil and blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his clothes, on his sons, and on their clothes, consecrating Aaron, his clothes, his sons, and their clothes. Then he told Aaron and his sons, "Boil the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. You may eat it there, along with the bread that is in the basket for consecration, just as I've commanded when I told him, "Aaron and his sons may eat of it, but the leftover meat and bread is to be incinerated.' Furthermore, you are not to go out past the entrance to the Tent of Meeting until the days of your ordination have been completed, since it will take seven days to ordain you. What has been done today has been commanded by the LORD to make atonement for you. Stay seven days and nights at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and attend to the service of the LORD, so that you won't die, because this is what I've commanded." So Aaron and his sons did everything that the LORD had commanded through Moses.

So Aaron drew near to the altar and slaughtered the calf for a sin offering on behalf of himself. Next, Aaron's sons brought the blood to him and he dipped his fingers in the blood and placed it on the horns of the altar. As to the rest of the blood, he poured it at the base of the altar. He incinerated the fat, the kidneys, and the appendage from the liver of the sin offering, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. read more.
He also incinerated the meat and skin outside the camp. And so the burnt offering was slaughtered, and Aaron's sons secured for him the blood, which he poured on the altar and around it. As for the burnt offering, they delivered it to Aaron piece by piece, and he burned the head on the altar, washed the internal organs and thighs, and incinerated them on the altar, along with the whole burnt offering. He brought the people's offering, presenting a goat for a sin offering on behalf of the people. He slaughtered it and offered it as the first sin offering. Then he brought the whole burnt offering and offered it according to procedure. Next, he brought the grain offering, filled his hand with it, and burned it on the altar next to the burnt offering for that morning. He slaughtered the ox and ram for the peace offering sacrifice on behalf of the people. Aaron's sons delivered the blood to him, which he poured on the altar and around it. As to the fat from the ox and the ram the tail, the fat covering the kidneys, and the appendage of the liver they placed the fat on the breast and burned the fat on the altar. Aaron waved the breast and the right thigh as a raised offering in the LORD's presence, just as Moses had commanded. Aaron raised his hand toward the people and blessed them. Then he came down from the altar after offering the sin, whole burnt, and peace offerings. Moses and Aaron entered the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. A fire came down from the LORD's presence and consumed the burnt offering on the altar as well as the fat. When the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

The number of burnt offerings brought by the assembly was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs. All of these were burnt offerings to the LORD.

The next day, they offered sacrifices and burnt offerings to the LORD amounting to 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs, along with their libations. Sacrifices were abundant throughout all Israel,

God said, "Please take your son, your unique son whom you love Isaac and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him as a burnt offering there on one of the mountains that I will point out to you."

You are to make an altar of earth for me, and you are to sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep, and your cattle. Everywhere I cause my name to be remembered, I'll come to you and bless you.

Araunah responded to David, "May your majesty the king take it and offer whatever pleases him. Here are oxen for a burnt offering, along with the threshing sledges and yokes from the oxen for wood!

For it is love that I seek, and not sacrifice; knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

"Listen to what the LORD says, you rulers of Sodom, and pay attention to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! "How do your voluminous sacrifices benefit me?" the LORD is asking. "I've had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts. I don't enjoy the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats. "When you come to present yourselves in my presence, who has required you to trample on my courts? read more.
Stop bringing useless offerings! Incense is detestable to me, as are your New Moons, Sabbaths, and calling of convocations. I cannot stand iniquity within a solemn assembly. As for your New Moons and your appointed festivals, I abhor them. They've become a burden to me; I've grown weary of carrying that burden.

When Jesus heard that, he said, "Healthy people don't need a physician, but sick people do. Go and learn what this means: "I want mercy and not sacrifice,' because I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners."

LORD, my God, You have done great things: marvelous works and your thoughts toward us. There is no one who compares to you! I will try to recite your actions, even though there are too many to number. You take no delight in sacrifices and offerings you have prepared my ears to listen you require no burnt offerings or sacrifices for sin.

For the Law, being only a reflection of the blessings to come and not their substance, can never make perfect those who come near by the same sacrifices repeatedly offered year after year. Otherwise, would they not have stopped offering them, because the worshipers, cleansed once for all, would no longer be aware of any sins? Instead, through those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year, read more.
for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. For this reason, the Scriptures say, when the Messiah was about to come into the world: "You did not want sacrifices and offerings, but you prepared a body for me. In burnt offerings and sin offerings you never took delight. Then I said, "See, I have come to do your will, O God' In the volume of the scroll this is written about me." In this passage he says, "You never wanted or took delight in sacrifices, offerings, burnt offerings, and sin offerings," which are offered according to the Law. Then he says, "See, I have come to do your will." He takes away the first in order to establish the second.

"Tell the Israelis that when an Israeli or a resident alien who lives in Israel offers his child to Molech, he is certainly to be put to death. The people who live in the land are to stone him with stones.

Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for sixteen years. He did not practice what the LORD considered to be right, as had his ancestor David. Instead, he behaved like the kings of Israel did by making his son pass through fire, the very same abomination that the heathen practiced, whom the LORD evicted from the land right in front of the Israelis.

Ahaz was 20 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 16 years in Jerusalem, but he did not practice what the LORD considered to be right, as his ancestor David had done. Instead, he lived like the kings of Israel did. He cast metal images of Baal, burned incense in the Ben-hinnom Valley, and burned his sons as an offering, following the detestable activities of the nations whom the LORD had expelled in front of the people of Israel.

"But as for you, come here, you children of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! Whom are you mocking? And against whom do you make a wide mouth and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, the offspring of lies, you who burn with lust among the oaks, under every spreading tree, who slaughter your children in the ravines, under the clefts of the rocks? read more.
"Among the smooth stones of the ravines is your portion there they are as your lot. To them you have poured out drink offerings; you have brought grain offerings. Should I be lenient over such things? "You have made your bed on a high and lofty mountain, and you went up to offer sacrifice there. Behind the doors and the doorposts you have set up your pagan sign." For in deserting me you have uncovered your bed you have climbed up into it and have opened it wide. And you have made a pact for yourself with them; you have loved their bed, you have looked on their private parts. You went to Molech with olive oil and increased your perfumes; you sent your ambassadors far away, you sent them down even to Sheol itself! You grew tired with your many wanderings, but you wouldn't say: "It is hopeless.' You found new strength for your desire, and so you did not falter. "Whom did you so dread and while you feared me that you lied, and you did not remember me, and did not lay to heart these things? Haven't I remained silent for a long time, and still you don't fear me?" "I will denounce your righteousness and your works, for your collections of idols will not benefit you. When you cry out, let your collection deliver you! The wind will carry them all off, and a mere breath will sweep them all away." "But whoever takes refuge in me will possess the land, and will inherit my holy mountain.

I no longer live, but the Messiah lives in me, and the life that I am now living in this body I live by the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I therefore urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercies, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, for this is the reasonable way for you to worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but continuously be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God's will is what is proper, pleasing, and perfect.

The love of the Messiah controls us, for we are convinced of this: that one person died for all people; therefore, all people have died. He died for all people, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for the one who died and rose for them.

I know and have been persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in and of itself, but it is unclean to a person who thinks it is unclean. For if your brother is being hurt by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not destroy the person for whom the Messiah died by what you eat. Do not allow what seems good to you to be spoken of as evil. read more.
For God's kingdom does not consist of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy produced by the Holy Spirit. For the person who serves the Messiah in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people. Therefore, let's keep on pursuing those things that bring peace and that lead to building up one another. Do not destroy God's action for the sake of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make another person stumble because of what you eat. The right thing to do is to avoid eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that makes your brother stumble, upset, or weak. As for the faith you do have, have it as your own conviction before God. How blessed is the person who has no reason to condemn himself because of what he approves! But the person who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not act in faith; and anything that is not done in faith is sin.

Now concerning food offered to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone thinks he really knows something, he has not yet learned it as he ought to know it. But anyone who loves God is known by him. read more.
Now concerning eating food offered to idols: We know that no idol is real in this world and that there is only one God. For even if there are "gods" in heaven and on earth (as indeed there are many so-called "gods" and "lords"), yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom everything came into being and for whom we live. And there is only one Lord, Jesus the Messiah, through whom everything came into being and through whom we live. But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are so accustomed to idolatry that when they eat food that has been offered to an idol, their conscience becomes contaminated because it is weak. However, food will not bring us closer to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat food that has been offered to an idol, and no better off if we do. But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block for those who are weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you, who know better, eating in an idol's temple, he will be encouraged to eat what has been offered to idols, won't he? In that case, the weak brother for whom the Messiah died is ruined by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak consciences, you are sinning against the Messiah. Therefore, if food that I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, in order to keep my brother from stumbling.

And so, my dear friends, keep on running away from idolatry. I am talking to sensible people. Apply what I am saying to yourselves. The cup of blessing that we bless is our fellowship in the blood of the Messiah, isn't it? The bread that we break is our fellowship in the body of the Messiah, isn't it? read more.
Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body, because all of us eat from the same loaf. Look at the Israelis from a human point of view. Those who eat the sacrifices share in what is on the altar, don't they? Am I suggesting that an offering made to idols means anything, or that an idol itself means anything? Hardly! What they offer, they offer to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to become partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot dine with the Lord and dine with demons, or you'll provoke the Lord to jealousy, won't you? Are we stronger than he is? Everything is permissible, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible, but not everything builds up. No one should seek his own welfare, but rather his neighbor's. Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question about it on the grounds of conscience, for "the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord." If an unbeliever invites you to his house and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you, raising no question on the grounds of conscience. However, if someone says to you, "This was offered as a sacrifice," don't eat it, both out of consideration for the one who told you and also for the sake of conscience. I mean, of course, his conscience, not yours. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else's conscience? If I eat with thankfulness, why should I be denounced because of what I am thankful for? Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Don't become a stumbling block to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, just as I myself try to please everybody in every way. I don't look out for my own benefit, but rather for the benefit of many people, so that they might be saved.

"Also, the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, and to bless the LORD'S name, observing the Sabbath without profaning it, and who hold fast my covenant these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will rise up to be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for everyone."

That is why Jesus, in order to sanctify the people by his own blood, also suffered outside the city gate. Therefore go to him outside the camp and endure the insults he endured. For here we have no permanent city but are looking for the one that is coming. read more.
Therefore, through him let us always bring God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to be generous, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

Later, after a while, Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit that he had harvested, while Abel brought the best parts of some of the firstborn from his flock. The LORD looked favorably upon Abel and his offering, but he did not look favorably upon Cain and his offering. read more.
When Cain became very upset and depressed, the LORD asked Cain, "Why are you so upset? Why are you depressed? If you do what is appropriate, you'll be accepted, won't you? But if you don't do what is appropriate, sin is crouching near your doorway, turning toward you. Now as for you, will you take dominion over it?"

They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood the blood of their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, thereby polluting the land with blood. Therefore, they became unclean because of what they did; they have acted like whores by their evil deeds. read more.
The LORD's anger burned against his people, so that he despised his own inheritance. He turned them over to domination by nations where those who hated them ruled over them. Their enemies oppressed them, so that they were humiliated by their power. He delivered them many times, but they demonstrated rebellion by their evil plans; therefore they sunk deep in their sins.

"You are to say, "Hear this message from the LORD, you kings of Judah and residents of Jerusalem! ""This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: "I'm about to bring a disaster on this place that will make the ears of all who hear about it tingle. For they have forsaken me and have treated this place as foreign. In it they have burned incense to other gods that neither they, their ancestors, nor the kings of Judah knew. They have also filled this place with the blood of innocent people. They built the high places for Baal to burn their children in the fire as a burnt offering to Baal something I didn't command, didn't say, nor did it ever enter my mind! read more.
"""Therefore, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when this place will no longer be called Topheth, or the Valley of Hinnom, but rather the Valley of Slaughter. I'll shatter the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I'll make them fall by the sword before their enemies and at the hands of those seeking their lives. I'll give their dead bodies as food to the birds of the sky and to the animals of the land. I'll make this city into a desolate place and an object of scorn. All who pass by it will be astonished and will scoff because of all its wounds. I'll cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and people will eat the flesh of their neighbors in the siege and in the distress to which their enemies and those seeking their lives will subject them."'" "Then you are to break the jug in front of the men who have come with you, and say to them, "This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "In this same way I'll break this people and this city, just as someone breaks a potter's vessel which he then cannot put back together again. They'll bury corpses in Topheth until there is no more room to bury anyone. This is what I'll do to this place and its residents," declares the LORD, "making this city like Topheth. The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be polluted like Topheth, as will be all the houses on whose roofs people burned incense to all the host of heaven and poured out liquid offerings to other gods."'" Then Jeremiah went from Topheth where the LORD had sent him to prophesy. He stood in the courtyard of the LORD's Temple, saying to all the people, "This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: "I'm about to bring on this city and all its towns all the disaster that I declared against it because they were determined not to obey my message.'"

They built the high places of Baal that are in the Hinnom Valley in order to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech something that I didn't command, nor did it ever enter my mind for them to require this utterly repugnant thing and lead Judah into sin." "Now therefore," says the LORD God of Israel, "concerning this city about which you are saying, "It is being given into the control of the king of Babylon by sword, famine, and plague,'

Samuel said, "Does the LORD delight as much in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the LORD? Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Then one of the scribes came near and heard the Sadducees arguing with one another. He saw how well Jesus answered them, so he asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of them all?" Jesus answered, "The most important is, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' read more.
The second is this: "You must love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these." Then the scribe told him, "Well said, Teacher! You have told the truth that "God is one, and there is no other besides him.' To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices."

This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you would build for me, and where will my resting place be? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But this is the one to whom I will look favorably: to the one who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at my message. "Whoever slaughters an ox is just like one who kills a human being; whoever sacrifices a lamb is just like one who breaks a dog's neck; whoever makes a grain offering is just like one who offers pig's blood; and whoever makes a memorial offering of frankincense is just like one who blesses an idol. Yes, these have chosen their own ways, and they take delight in their contaminated actions. read more.
Therefore I, too, will choose harsh treatment for them, and will bring upon them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they didn't listen; but they did what I consider to be evil, and chose what doesn't please me."

Later, after a while, Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit that he had harvested, while Abel brought the best parts of some of the firstborn from his flock. The LORD looked favorably upon Abel and his offering, but he did not look favorably upon Cain and his offering. read more.
When Cain became very upset and depressed, the LORD asked Cain, "Why are you so upset? Why are you depressed? If you do what is appropriate, you'll be accepted, won't you? But if you don't do what is appropriate, sin is crouching near your doorway, turning toward you. Now as for you, will you take dominion over it?"

"Don't celebrate, Israel, like other nations would rejoice, because you left your God by committing fornication, loving the profit you gained on all of the threshing floors. Neither threshing floor nor winepress will sustain them, and the new wine will disappoint her. They will not live in the LORD's land Ephraim will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Assyria. read more.
They won't present wine offerings to the LORD, nor will they please him. Their sacrifices will seem like food for mourners everyone who eats them will become unclean; none of them will enter the Temple of the LORD.

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

Then I saw a lamb standing in the middle of the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders. He looked like he had been slaughtered. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sits on the throne. When the lamb had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders bowed down in front of him. Each held a harp and a gold bowl full of incense, the prayers of the saints. read more.
They sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slaughtered. With your blood you purchased people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on the earth." Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels, the living creatures, and the elders surrounding the throne. They numbered 10,000's times 10,000 and thousands times thousands. They sang with a loud voice, "Worthy is the lamb who was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and praise!" I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea, and everything that is in them, saying, "To the one who sits on the throne and to the lamb be praise, honor, glory, and power forever and ever!"

"Anyone who sacrifices to a god, except the LORD alone, is to be utterly destroyed.

"But as for you, come here, you children of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! Whom are you mocking? And against whom do you make a wide mouth and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, the offspring of lies, you who burn with lust among the oaks, under every spreading tree, who slaughter your children in the ravines, under the clefts of the rocks? read more.
"Among the smooth stones of the ravines is your portion there they are as your lot. To them you have poured out drink offerings; you have brought grain offerings. Should I be lenient over such things? "You have made your bed on a high and lofty mountain, and you went up to offer sacrifice there. Behind the doors and the doorposts you have set up your pagan sign." For in deserting me you have uncovered your bed you have climbed up into it and have opened it wide. And you have made a pact for yourself with them; you have loved their bed, you have looked on their private parts. You went to Molech with olive oil and increased your perfumes; you sent your ambassadors far away, you sent them down even to Sheol itself! You grew tired with your many wanderings, but you wouldn't say: "It is hopeless.' You found new strength for your desire, and so you did not falter. "Whom did you so dread and while you feared me that you lied, and you did not remember me, and did not lay to heart these things? Haven't I remained silent for a long time, and still you don't fear me?" "I will denounce your righteousness and your works, for your collections of idols will not benefit you. When you cry out, let your collection deliver you! The wind will carry them all off, and a mere breath will sweep them all away." "But whoever takes refuge in me will possess the land, and will inherit my holy mountain.

The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

What the wicked person sacrifices is detestable how much more when he offers it with vile motives!

You must not do the same to the LORD your God, because they practiced in the presence of their gods every sort of abomination that the LORD hates. Moreover, they sacrificed their sons and daughters to their gods.

"You are not to present any of your children to Molech as a sacrifice. That way, you won't defile the name of your God."

This is how we have come to know love: the Messiah gave his life for us. We, too, ought to give our lives for our brothers.

Offer sacrifices that are righteous, and put your confidence in the LORD.

Moses said, "You must let us havesacrifices and burnt offerings to offer to the LORD our God.

"Speak to the Israelis and tell them that when any person brings an offering to the LORD from among you, whether he brings on offering of animals from either cattle or flock,

For the Law, being only a reflection of the blessings to come and not their substance, can never make perfect those who come near by the same sacrifices repeatedly offered year after year.