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)

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

Instructions for Ordaining Aaron and His Sons as Priests(A)

29 “This is what you are to do to Aaron and his sons to dedicate them as priests in my service. Take one young bull and two rams without any defects. Use the best wheat flour, but no yeast, and make some bread with olive oil, some without it, and some in the form of thin cakes brushed with oil. Put them in a basket and offer them to me when you sacrifice the bull and the two rams.

“Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of my presence, and have them take a ritual bath. Then dress Aaron in the priestly garments—the shirt, the robe that goes under the ephod, the ephod, the breastpiece, and the belt. Put the turban on him and tie on it the sacred sign of dedication engraved ‘Dedicated to the Lord.’ Then take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him.

“Bring his sons and put shirts on them; put sashes around their waists and tie caps on their heads. That is how you are to ordain Aaron and his sons. They and their descendants are to serve me as priests forever.

10 “Bring the bull to the front of the Tent of my presence and tell Aaron and his sons to put their hands on its head. 11 Kill the bull there in my holy presence at the entrance of the Tent. 12 Take some of the bull's blood and with your finger put it on the projections of the altar. Then pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 13 Next, take all the fat which covers the internal organs, the best part of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar as an offering to me. 14 But burn the bull's flesh, its skin, and its intestines outside the camp. This is an offering to take away the sins of the priests.

15 “Take one of the rams and tell Aaron and his sons to put their hands on its head. 16 Kill it, and take its blood and throw it against all four sides of the altar. 17 Cut the ram in pieces; wash its internal organs and its hind legs, and put them on top of the head and the other pieces. 18 (B)Burn the whole ram on the altar as a food offering. The odor of this offering pleases me.

19 “Take the other ram—the ram used for dedication—and tell Aaron and his sons to put their hands on its head. 20 Kill it, and 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. Throw the rest of the blood against all four sides of the altar. 21 Take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his clothes and on his sons and their clothes. He, his sons, and their clothes will then be dedicated to me.

22 “Cut away the ram's fat, the fat tail, the fat covering the internal organs, the best part of the liver, the two kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. 23 From the basket of bread which has been offered to me, take one loaf of each kind: one loaf made with olive oil and one made without it and one thin cake. 24 Put all this food in the hands of Aaron and his sons and have them dedicate it to me as a special gift. 25 Then take it from them and burn it on the altar, on top of the burnt offering, as a food offering to me. The odor of this offering pleases me.

26 “Take the breast of this ram and dedicate it to me as a special gift. This part of the animal will be yours.

27 “When a priest is ordained, the breast and the thigh of the ram being used for the ordination are to be dedicated to me as a special gift and set aside for the priests. 28 It is my unchanging decision that when my people make their fellowship offerings, the breast and the thigh of the animal belong to the priests. This is the people's gift to me, the Lord.

29 “Aaron's priestly garments are to be handed on to his sons after his death, for them to wear when they are ordained. 30 The son of Aaron who succeeds him as priest and who goes into the Tent of my presence to serve in the Holy Place is to wear these garments for seven days.

31 “Take the meat of the ram used for the ordination of Aaron and his sons and boil it in a holy place. 32 At the entrance of the Tent of my presence they are to eat it along with the bread left in the basket. 33 They shall eat what was used in the ritual of forgiveness at their ordination. Only priests may eat this food, because it is sacred. 34 If some of the meat or some of the bread is not eaten by morning, it is to be burned; it is not to be eaten, for it is sacred.

35 “Perform the rites of ordination for Aaron and his sons for seven days exactly as I have commanded you. 36 Each day you must offer a bull as a sacrifice, so that sin may be forgiven. This will purify the altar. Then anoint it with olive oil to make it holy. 37 Do this every day for seven days. Then the altar will be completely holy, and anyone or anything that touches it will be harmed by the power of its holiness.[a]

The Daily Offerings(C)

38 “Every day for all time to come, sacrifice on the altar two one-year-old lambs. 39 Sacrifice one of the lambs in the morning and the other in the evening. 40 With the first lamb offer two pounds of fine wheat flour mixed with one quart of pure olive oil. Pour out one quart of wine as an offering. 41 Sacrifice the second lamb in the evening, and offer with it the same amounts of flour, olive oil, and wine as in the morning. This is a food offering to me, the Lord, and its odor pleases me. 42 For all time to come, this burnt offering is to be offered in my presence at the entrance of the Tent of my presence. That is where I will meet my people and speak to you. 43 There I will meet the people of Israel, and the dazzling light of my presence will make the place holy. 44 I will make the Tent and the altar holy, and I will set Aaron and his sons apart to serve me as priests. 45 I will live among the people of Israel, and I will be their God. 46 They will know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the Lord their God.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 29:37 It was believed that ordinary people or things would be harmed by touching something holy.

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)

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