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.

¹⁰ “Bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.^{(O) 11} Slaughter it in the Lord’s presence^(P) at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ¹² Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns^(Q) of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar.^{(R) 13} Then take all the fat^(S) on the internal organs,^(T) the long lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. ¹⁴ But burn the bull’s flesh and its hide and its intestines^(U) outside the camp.^(V) It is a sin offering.^[b]

¹⁵ “Take one of the rams,^(W) and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.^{(X) 16} Slaughter it and take the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar. ¹⁷ Cut the ram into pieces and wash^(Y) the internal organs and the legs, putting them with the head and the other pieces. ¹⁸ Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma,^(Z) a food offering presented to the Lord.

¹⁹ “Take the other ram,^(AA) and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.^{(AB) 20} Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet.^(AC) Then splash blood against the sides of the altar.^{(AD) 21} And take some blood^(AE) from the altar and some of the anointing oil^(AF) and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated.^(AG)

²² “Take from this ram the fat,^(AH) the fat tail, the fat on the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. (This is the ram for the ordination.) ²³ From the basket of bread made without yeast, which is before the Lord, take one round loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf. ²⁴ Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and have them wave them before the Lord as a wave offering.^{(AI) 25} Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the Lord, a food offering presented to the Lord.^{(AJ) 26} After you take the breast of the ram for Aaron’s ordination, wave it before the Lord as a wave offering, and it will be your share.^(AK)

²⁷ “Consecrate those parts of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons:^(AL) the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. ²⁸ This is always to be the perpetual share from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons. It is the contribution the Israelites are to make to the Lord from their fellowship offerings.^(AM)

²⁹ “Aaron’s sacred garments^(AN) will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them.^{(AO) 30} The son^(AP) who succeeds him as priest and comes to the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place is to wear them seven days.

³¹ “Take the ram^(AQ) for the ordination and cook the meat in a sacred place.^{(AR) 32} At the entrance to the tent of meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread^(AS) that is in the basket. ³³ They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eat^(AT) them, because they are sacred. ³⁴ And if any of the meat of the ordination ram or any bread is left over till morning,^(AU) burn it up. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred.

³⁵ “Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. ³⁶ Sacrifice a bull each day^(AV) as a sin offering to make atonement^(AW). Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate^(AX) it. ³⁷ For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy.^(AY)

³⁸ “This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day:^(AZ) two lambs a year old. ³⁹ Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight.^{(BA) 40} With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah^[c] of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin^[d] of oil^(BB) from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering.^{(BC) 41} Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight^(BD) with the same grain offering^(BE) and its drink offering as in the morning—a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.

⁴² “For the generations to come^(BF) this burnt offering is to be made regularly^(BG) at the entrance to the tent of meeting,^(BH) before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you;^{(BI) 43} there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory.^(BJ)

⁴⁴ “So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests.^{(BK) 45} Then I will dwell^(BL) among the Israelites and be their God.^{(BM) 46} They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt^(BN) so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.^(BO)

The Altar of Incense^(BP)

30 “Make an altar^(BQ) of acacia wood for burning incense.^{(BR) 2} It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high^[e]—its horns^(BS) of one piece with it. ³ Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.^{(BT) 4} Make two gold rings^(BU) for the altar below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. ⁵ Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.^{(BV) 6} Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover^(BW) that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you.

⁷ “Aaron must burn fragrant incense^(BX) on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. ⁸ He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.^{(BY) 9} Do not offer on this altar any other incense^(BZ) or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. ¹⁰ Once a year^(CA) Aaron shall make atonement^(CB) on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering^[f](CC) for the generations to come.^(CD) It is most holy to the Lord.”

Atonement Money

¹¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹² “When you take a census^(CE) of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom^(CF) for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague^(CG) will come on them when you number them. ¹³ Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel,^[g] according to the sanctuary shekel,^(CH) which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. ¹⁴ All who cross over, those twenty years old or more,^(CI) are to give an offering to the Lord. ¹⁵ The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less^(CJ) when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. ¹⁶ Receive the atonement^(CK) money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting.^(CL) It will be a memorial^(CM) for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.”

Basin for Washing

¹⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸ “Make a bronze basin,^(CN) with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. ¹⁹ Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet^(CO) with water^(CP) from it. ²⁰ Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.^(CQ) Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord, ²¹ they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance^(CR) for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”^(CS)

Anointing Oil

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, ²³ “Take the following fine spices:^(CT) 500 shekels^[h] of liquid myrrh,^(CU) half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon,^(CV) 250 shekels^[i] of fragrant calamus,^{(CW) 24} 500 shekels^(CX) of cassia^(CY)—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin^[j] of olive oil. ²⁵ Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.^(CZ) It will be the sacred anointing oil.^{(DA) 26} Then use it to anoint^(DB) the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, ²⁷ the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, ²⁸ the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. ²⁹ You shall consecrate them^(DC) so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.^(DD)

³⁰ “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate^(DE) them so they may serve me as priests.^{(DF) 31} Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil^(DG) for the generations to come.^{(DH) 32} Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.^{(DI) 33} Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off^(DJ) from their people.’”

Incense

³⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices^(DK)—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, ³⁵ and make a fragrant blend of incense,^(DL) the work of a perfumer.^(DM) It is to be salted and pure and sacred. ³⁶ Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet^(DN) with you. It shall be most holy^(DO) to you. ³⁷ Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy^(DP) to the Lord. ³⁸ Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off^(DQ) from their people.”

The Authority of Jesus Questioned^(A)

²³ Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority^(B) are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

²⁴ Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ²⁵ John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”^(C)

²⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’^(D)

²⁹ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

³⁰ “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors^(E) and the prostitutes^(F) are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³² For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness,^(G) and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors^(H) and the prostitutes^(I) did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent^(J) and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants^(K)

³³ “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted^(L) a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower.^(M) Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.^{(N) 34} When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants^(O) to the tenants to collect his fruit.

³⁵ “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.^{(P) 36} Then he sent other servants^(Q) to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. ³⁷ Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

³⁸ “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir.^(R) Come, let’s kill him^(S) and take his inheritance.’^{(T) 39} So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

⁴⁰ “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

⁴¹ “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,”^(U) they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants,^(V) who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

⁴³ “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you^(X) and given to a people who will produce its fruit. ⁴⁴ Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”^[b](Y)

⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. ⁴⁶ They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.^(Z)