Psalm 146

Consecration of the Priests^(A)

29 “This is what you are to do to consecrate^(B) them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect.^{(C) 2} And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil.^{(D) 3} Put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and the two rams.^{(E) 4} Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.^{(F) 5} Take the garments^(G) and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband.^{(H) 6} Put the turban^(I) on his head and attach the sacred emblem^(J) to the turban. ⁷ Take the anointing oil^(K) and anoint him by pouring it on his head. ⁸ Bring his sons and dress them in tunics^{(L) 9} and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons.^[a](M) The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance.^(N)

“Then you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

⁶ “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.^{(A) 7} I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

⁸ “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,^(B) whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ⁹ My companions saw the light,^(C) but they did not understand the voice^(D) of him who was speaking to me.

¹⁰ “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’^{(E) 11} My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.^(F)

¹² “A man named Ananias came to see me.^(G) He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.^{(H) 13} He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

¹⁴ “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors^(I) has chosen you to know his will and to see^(J) the Righteous One^(K) and to hear words from his mouth. ¹⁵ You will be his witness^(L) to all people of what you have seen^(M) and heard. ¹⁶ And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized^(N) and wash your sins away,^(O) calling on his name.’^(P)

¹⁷ “When I returned to Jerusalem^(Q) and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance^{(R) 18} and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

¹⁹ “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison^(S) and beat^(T) those who believe in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of your martyr^[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’^(U)

²¹ “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”^(V)