¹⁰ “As for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the Lord are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them.

¹⁶ Those from every tribe of Israel^(A) who set their hearts on seeking the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ¹⁷ They strengthened^(B) the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, following the ways of David and Solomon during this time.

Duties of Priests and Levites

18 The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary,^(A) and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood. ² Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister^(B) before the tent of the covenant law. ³ They are to be responsible to you^(C) and are to perform all the duties of the tent,^(D) but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die.^{(E) 4} They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting—all the work at the tent—and no one else may come near where you are.^(F)

⁵ “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar,^(G) so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. ⁶ I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you,^(H) dedicated to the Lord to do the work at the tent of meeting.^{(I) 7} But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain.^(J) I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift.^(K) Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.^(L)”

⁴⁰ as the Lord directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense^(A) before the Lord,^(B) or he would become like Korah and his followers.^(C)

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)

⁵ Now if you obey me fully^(A) and keep my covenant,^(B) then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.^(C) Although the whole earth^(D) is mine, ⁶ you^[a] will be for me a kingdom of priests^(E) and a holy nation.’^(F) These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”