Instructions about Consecration

29 “This is what you are to do for them to consecrate them to serve me as priests. Take a young bull and two unblemished rams, with unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers coated with oil. Make them out of fine wheat flour,(A) put them in a basket, and bring them in the basket, along with the bull and two rams. Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.(B) Then take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe for the ephod, the ephod itself, and the breastpiece; fasten the ephod on him with its woven waistband.(C) Put the turban on his head and place the holy diadem(D) on the turban. Take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint(E) him. You must also bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. Tie the sashes on Aaron and his sons and fasten headbands on them. The priesthood is to be theirs by a permanent statute. This is the way you will ordain Aaron and[a] his sons.(F)

10 “You are to bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the bull’s head.(G) 11 Slaughter the bull before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 12 Take some of the bull’s blood and apply it to the horns(H) of the altar with your finger; then pour out all the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 13 Take all the fat(I) that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But burn the bull’s flesh, its hide, and its waste outside the camp;(J) it is a sin offering.

15 “Take one ram, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on the ram’s head.(K) 16 You are to slaughter the ram, take its blood, and splatter it on all sides of the altar. 17 Cut the ram into pieces. Wash its entrails and legs, and place them with its head and its pieces on the altar. 18 Then burn the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a pleasing aroma,(L) a food offering to the Lord.

19 “You are to take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the ram’s head.(M) 20 Slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe, on his sons’ right earlobes, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Splatter the remaining blood on all sides of the altar. 21 Take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil,(N) and sprinkle them on Aaron and his garments, as well as on his sons and their garments. So he and his garments will be holy, as well as his sons and their garments.

22 “Take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, the fatty lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them, and the right thigh (since this is a ram for ordination[b]); 23 take one loaf of bread, one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread that is before the Lord; 24 and put all of them in the hands of Aaron and his[c] sons and present them as a presentation offering before the Lord.(O) 25 Take them from their hands and burn them on the altar on top of the burnt offering, as a pleasing aroma before the Lord; it is a food offering to the Lord.

26 “Take the breast from the ram of Aaron’s ordination and present it as a presentation offering before the Lord; it is to be your portion.(P) 27 Consecrate for Aaron and his sons(Q) the breast of the presentation offering that is presented and the thigh of the contribution that is lifted up from the ram of ordination. 28 This will belong to Aaron and his sons as a regular portion from the Israelites, for it is a contribution. It will be the Israelites’ contribution from their fellowship sacrifices, their contribution to the Lord.

29 “The holy garments that belong to Aaron are to belong to his sons after him, so that they can be anointed and ordained[d] in them.(R) 30 Any priest who is one of his sons and who succeeds him and enters the tent of meeting to minister in the sanctuary must wear them for seven days.(S)

31 “You are to take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place. 32 Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket at the entrance to the tent of meeting.(T) 33 They must eat those things by which atonement was made at the time of their ordination[e] and consecration. An unauthorized person must not eat(U) them, for these things are holy. 34 If any of the meat of ordination or any of the bread is left until morning, burn what is left over. It must not be eaten because it is holy.

35 “This is what you are to do for Aaron and his sons based on all I have commanded you. Take seven days to ordain them. 36 Sacrifice a bull as a sin offering each day for atonement. Purify[f] the altar when you make atonement for it, and anoint it in order to consecrate it.(V) 37 For seven days you must make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. The altar will be especially holy. Whatever touches the altar will be consecrated.(W)

38 “This is what you are to offer regularly on the altar every day: two year-old lambs.(X) 39 In the morning offer one lamb, and at twilight offer the other lamb.(Y) 40 With the first lamb offer two quarts[g] of fine flour mixed with one quart[h] of oil from crushed olives, and a drink offering of one quart of wine. 41 You are to offer the second lamb at twilight. Offer a grain offering and a drink offering with it, like the one in the morning, as a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. 42 This will be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet you[i] to speak with you.(Z) 43 I will also meet with the Israelites there, and that place will be consecrated by my glory.(AA) 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell(AB) among the Israelites and be their God.(AC) 46 And they will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.(AD)

The Incense Altar

30 “You are to make an altar for the burning of incense; make it of acacia wood.(AE) It must be square, eighteen inches long and eighteen inches wide;[j] it must be thirty-six inches high.[k] Its horns must be of one piece with it. Overlay its top, all around its sides, and its horns with pure gold; make a gold molding all around it. Make two gold rings for it under the molding on two of its sides; put these on opposite sides of it to be holders for the poles to carry it with. Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

“You are to place the altar in front of the curtain by the ark of the testimony—in front of the mercy seat that is over the testimony—where I will meet with you. Aaron must burn fragrant incense on it; he must burn it every morning when he tends the lamps.(AF) When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn incense. There is to be an incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. You must not offer unauthorized incense on it,(AG) or a burnt or grain offering; you are not to pour a drink offering on it.

10 “Once a year Aaron is to perform the atonement ceremony for the altar. Throughout your generations he is to perform the atonement ceremony for[l] it once a year, with the blood of the sin offering for atonement on the horns.(AH) The altar is especially holy to the Lord.”

The Atonement Money

11 The Lord spoke to Moses: 12 “When you take a census(AI) of the Israelites to register them, each of the men must pay a ransom(AJ) for his life to the Lord as they are registered. Then no plague(AK) will come on them as they are registered. 13 Everyone who is registered must pay half a shekel[m] according to the sanctuary shekel (twenty gerahs to the shekel). This half shekel is a contribution to the Lord.(AL) 14 Each man who is registered, twenty years old or more, must give this contribution to the Lord. 15 The wealthy may not give more and the poor may not give less(AM) than half a shekel when giving the contribution to the Lord to atone for[n] your lives. 16 Take the atonement price[o] from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will serve as a reminder for the Israelites before the Lord to atone for your lives.”(AN)

The Bronze Basin

17 The Lord spoke to Moses: 18 “Make a bronze basin(AO) for washing and a bronze stand for it. Set it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet from the basin. 20 Whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister by burning a food offering to the Lord, they must wash with water so that they will not die. 21 They must wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this is to be a permanent statute(AP) for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations.”

The Anointing Oil

22 The Lord spoke to Moses: 23 “Take for yourself the finest spices:(AQ) 12½ pounds[p] of liquid myrrh, half as much (6¼ pounds[q]) of fragrant cinnamon, 6¼ pounds of fragrant cane, 24 12½ pounds of cassia (by the sanctuary shekel), and a gallon[r] of olive oil.(AR) 25 Prepare from these a holy anointing oil, a scented blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be holy anointing oil.(AS)

26 “With it you are to anoint(AT) the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, 27 the table with all its utensils, the lampstand with its utensils, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 Consecrate them and they will be especially holy. Whatever touches them will be consecrated. 30 Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate(AU) them to serve me as priests.

31 “Tell the Israelites: This will be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. 32 It must not be used for ordinary anointing on a person’s body, and you must not make anything like it using its formula. It is holy, and it must be holy to you. 33 Anyone who blends something like it or puts some of it on an unauthorized person must be cut off(AV) from his people.”

The Sacred Incense

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices: stacte, onycha, and galbanum; the spices and pure frankincense are to be in equal measures. 35 Prepare expertly blended incense from these; it is to be seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36 Grind some of it into a fine powder and put some in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. It must be especially holy(AW) to you. 37 As for the incense you are making, you must not make any for yourselves using its formula. It is to be regarded by you as holy—belonging to the Lord. 38 Anyone who makes something like it to smell its fragrance must be cut off from his people.”

Footnotes

  1. 29:9 Lit you will fill the hand of Aaron and the hand of; Ex 29:23–24
  2. 29:22 The priest would normally receive the right thigh to be eaten, but here it is burned; Lv 7:32–34.
  3. 29:24 Lit in the hands of his
  4. 29:29 Lit him for anointing in them and for filling their hand
  5. 29:33 Lit made to fill their hand
  6. 29:36 Or Make a sin offering on
  7. 29:40 Lit offer a tenth
  8. 29:40 Lit a fourth of a hin
  9. 29:42 = Moses
  10. 30:2 Lit one cubit its length and one cubit its width
  11. 30:2 Lit wide; and two cubits its height
  12. 30:10 Or on
  13. 30:13 A shekel is about two-fifths of an ounce of silver
  14. 30:15 Or to ransom, also in v. 16
  15. 30:16 Lit the silver of the atonement
  16. 30:23 Lit 500 (shekels), also in v. 24
  17. 30:23 Lit 250 (shekels)
  18. 30:24 Lit a hin

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) 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) Put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and the two rams.(E) Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.(F) 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) Put the turban(I) on his head and attach the sacred emblem(J) to the turban. Take the anointing oil(K) and anoint him by pouring it on his head. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics(L) 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) 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. Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.(BT) 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. Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.(BV) 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.

“Aaron must burn fragrant incense(BX) on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. 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) 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.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 29:9 Hebrew; Septuagint on them
  2. Exodus 29:14 Or purification offering; also in verse 36
  3. Exodus 29:40 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  4. Exodus 29:40 That is, probably about 1 quart or about 1 liter
  5. Exodus 30:2 That is, about 1 1/2 feet long and wide and 3 feet high or about 45 centimeters long and wide and 90 centimeters high
  6. Exodus 30:10 Or purification offering
  7. Exodus 30:13 That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.8 grams; also in verse 15
  8. Exodus 30:23 That is, about 12 1/2 pounds or about 5.8 kilograms; also in verse 24
  9. Exodus 30:23 That is, about 6 1/4 pounds or about 2.9 kilograms
  10. Exodus 30:24 That is, probably about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters