The structure of Revised Standard Version, roughly following the Hebrew (which actually has four “ifs”), is awkward because of the repetition of the word if. The first If is similar to the one in 1.3 marking the contrast between the whole burnt offering of chapter 1 and the fellowship offering in this chapter. It is better translated in many languages as “when,” since it is assumed that the sacrifice will be made. The second if corresponds to the one in 3.6, which contrasts the offering of a larger animal with the presentation of a smaller animal. In most cases it will be wise to do something like Good News Translation at this point and say “When a person offers…” or “In the case that someone offers….” Another possibility is to use if in the first case but omit it in the second: “If the offering is to restore fellowship and the animal brought is a bull or a cow, then it must be without any defect at all….”

Notice also that the Revised Standard Version rendering of this verse contains two occurrences of both the noun offering and the verb offer. The reproduction of the form of Revised Standard Version in this verse will probably be considered quite unnatural in most languages. In most cases this repetition can easily be reduced as in Good News Translation.

From the herd: the Good News Translation rendering, “a bull or a cow,” contains both the idea of herd and male or female. On the meaning of herd see 1.2.

Without blemish: see 1.3 as well as the text of 22.17-25.

Before the LORD: this part has been left implicit in Good News Translation, and it may be more natural to do so in some other languages. See also 1.3.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .