Leviticus 1:1-17

The Lord summoned Moses¹ and spoke to him from the tent of meeting,² saying: 'Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: “When any of you bring an offering of livestock³ to the Lord, you shall bring your offering from the herd or from the flock.⁴

If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you shall offer a male⁵ without blemish;⁶ you shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, for acceptance in your behalf before the Lord. You shall lay your hand⁷ on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be acceptable in your behalf as atonement for you.⁸ The bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord; and Aaron's sons the priets shall offer the blood, dashing the blood against all sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. The burnt offering shall be flayed and cut up into its parts. The sons of the priest Aaron shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the parts, with the head and the suet, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, but its entrails and its legs shall be washed with water. Then the priest shall thurn the whole into smoke⁹ on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering by fire of pleasing odor to the Lord.¹⁰

If your gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, your offering shall be a male without blemish. It shall be slaughtered on the north side of the altar before the Lord, and Aaron's sons the priests shall dash the blood against all sides of the altar. It shall be cut up into its parts, with its head and its suet, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, but the entrails and the legs shall be washed with water. Then the priest shall offer the whole and turn it into smoke on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of pleasing odor to the Lord.¹¹

If your offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, you shall choose your offering from turtledoves or pigeons. The priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head, and turn it into smoke on the altar; and its blood shall be drained out against the side of the altar. He shall remove its crop with its contents and throw it at the east side of the altar, in the place for ashes. He shall tear it open by the wings without severing it. Then the priest shall turn it into smoke on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of pleasing odor to the Lord.^12"'"
1 Is this a direct continuation from the end of Exodus, or some time later?

2 The tent of meeting is the holy place where God speaks, but he can clearly speak elsewhere, as shown by the very fact that he summoned Moses to bring him there.

3 Interestingly, livestock are always the creatures for sacrifice, never hunted animals.

4 It may be from birds too, thought that isn't mentioned yet here.

5 My Study Bible points out that males were more expendable than females, as one male could fertilize many females. But it is also true that male offspring in Israeli society had a higher perceived value than female offspring, though I don't know whether that ever held true for livestock too.

6 Showing that it is a good sacrifice, not in any way tainted. God asks for the best.

7 My Study Bible says that this signifies ownership, showing that it is your sacrifice that is being offered.

8 The sacrifice of your animal atones for the sins that you have committed.

9 Does this mean the whole thing was burnt up, or could it still be used as food for the priests?

10 It is made clear that this is the kind of offering the Lord accepts, and it will please Him.

11 All noteworthy details for the sacrifice of a sheep or goat appears to mimic the sacrifice of a bull.

12 Some details of the bird sacrifice differ from the first two, but nothing that I can gain any meaning from.

Take-home: For the first time in the Bible, instructions for the method of animal sacrifice are given. God asks for a worthy sacrifice, performed in a certain, specific way, to atone for your sins.