¹⁷ But the bull with its hide and its flesh and its intestines^(A) he burned up outside the camp,^(B) as the Lord commanded Moses.

¹⁸ He then presented the ram^(C) for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. ¹⁹ Then Moses slaughtered the ram and splashed the blood against the sides of the altar. ²⁰ He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces and the fat.^{(D) 21} He washed the internal organs and the legs with water and burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

²² He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination,^(E) and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.^{(F) 23} Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.^{(G) 24} Moses also brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splashed blood against the sides of the altar.^{(H) 25} After that, he took the fat^(I), the fat tail, all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. ²⁶ And from the basket of bread made without yeast, which was before the Lord, he took one thick loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf,^(J) and he put these on the fat portions and on the right thigh. ²⁷ He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and they waved them before the Lord^(K) as a wave offering. ²⁸ Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering as an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord. ²⁹ Moses also took the breast, which was his share of the ordination ram,^(L) and waved it before the Lord as a wave offering, as the Lord commanded Moses.

³⁰ Then Moses^(M) took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments^(N) and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated^(O) Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments.

³¹ Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, “Cook the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting^(P) and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I was commanded: ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it.’ ³² Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. ³³ Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days.^{(Q) 34} What has been done today was commanded by the Lord^(R) to make atonement for you. ³⁵ You must stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and do what the Lord requires,^(S) so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded.”

³⁶ So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses.

²⁰ So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.^{(A) 21} Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver^(B) between two opinions? If the Lord^(C) is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

But the people said nothing.

²² Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left,^(D) but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.^{(E) 23} Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. ²⁴ Then you call^(F) on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord.^(G) The god who answers by fire^(H)—he is God.”

Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

²⁵ Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” ²⁶ So they took the bull given them and prepared it.

Then they called^(I) on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response;^(J) no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

²⁷ At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.”^{(K) 28} So they shouted louder and slashed^(L) themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. ²⁹ Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice.^(M) But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.^(N)

³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar^(O) of the Lord, which had been torn down. ³¹ Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.”^{(P) 32} With the stones he built an altar in the name^(Q) of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs^[a] of seed. ³³ He arranged^(R) the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

³⁴ “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.

“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. ³⁵ The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

³⁶ At the time^(S) of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham,^(T) Isaac and Israel, let it be known^(U) today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.^{(V) 37} Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know^(W) that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

³⁸ Then the fire^(X) of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

³⁹ When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate^(Y) and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”^(Z)

⁴⁰ Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley^(AA) and slaughtered^(AB) there.

Psalm 83^[a]

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus^(A)(B)

²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying,^(C) heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him^(D) in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son,^(E) whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”^(F)

The Believer’s Freedom

²³ “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.^(A) “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.