⁵ The Levitical priests shall step forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings^(A) in the name of the Lord and to decide all cases of dispute and assault.^(B)

⁴ And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.^(A)

²⁸ I chose^(A) your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense,^(B) and to wear an ephod^(C) in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings^(D) presented by the Israelites.

⁶ Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover^(A) that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you.

⁷ “Aaron must burn fragrant incense^(B) 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.^{(C) 9} Do not offer on this altar any other incense^(D) or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. ¹⁰ Once a year^(E) Aaron shall make atonement^(F) on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering^[a](G) for the generations to come.^(H) It is most holy to the Lord.”

³ Another angel,^(A) who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people,^(B) on the golden altar^(C) in front of the throne.

¹⁵ But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb^(A) and called me^(B) by his grace, was pleased

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle^(A) and set apart^(B) for the gospel of God^(C)—