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Ordination of the Priesthood(A)

The Lord told Moses, “Take Aaron, his sons with him, the clothing, the anointing oil, the bull for sin offering, two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread and then assemble the entire congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”

So Moses did just as the Lord had commanded him. He assembled the congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Moses told the congregation, “This is what the Lord commanded to be done.”

Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. Then he clothed Aaron with the tunic, girded him with the band[a] for priests, clothed him with the robe, placed the ephod on him, girded him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and bound it on him. He set the breastplate on him, placed the Urim and Thummim[b] on top of the breastplate, then he set the turban on his head. On the turban at the front he set the golden plate, the sacred crown that the Lord had commanded. 10 After this, Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tent, consecrating everything that was in it. 11 He sprinkled some on the altar seven times, and then anointed the altar, all its vessels, the basin, and its base to consecrate them. 12 After doing this, he poured the oil of anointing on Aaron’s head to anoint and consecrate him. 13 Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons, clothed them with the tunics, girded them with the bands, and bound turbans on them, just as the Lord had commanded him.[c]

Moses’ Sin and Whole Offerings

14 Next, he brought the bull for a sin offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the bull’s head for a sin offering. 15 So Moses slaughtered it, took the blood, and applied some of it at the horns of the altar and around it with his fingers, thus purifying the altar. Then he poured the blood at the base of the altar, thereby sanctifying it as a means to make atonement with it. 16 Moses burned on the altar all the fat on the internal organs, the appendage on the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat. 17 As to the bull and its fat, skin, and offal, he incinerated them outside the camp, just as the Lord had commanded him.[d] 18 Next, he brought the ram for the whole burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, 19 and Moses slaughtered it and poured its blood over and around the altar. 20 As to the ram, he cut it into parts at the joints, burned the head, the internal organs, and the fat, 21 washed the internal organs and the thigh with water, and then burned the entire ram on the altar as a whole burnt offering, a pleasing aroma of an offering made by fire to the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.[e]

Moses’ Consecration Offerings

22 Moses brought the ram—that is, the second of the rams—for consecration. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23 Moses then slaughtered it, took some of its blood, and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe, right thumb, and right great toe. 24 Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons, took some of the ram’s blood, put it on their right earlobes, on their right thumbs, and on their right great toes, and then poured the blood on the altar and all around it. 25 Then he took the fat from the tail, all the fat on the internal organs, the appendage of the liver, the two kidneys with the fat, and the right thigh. 26 From the basket of unleavened bread that is in the Lord’s presence he took one piece of unleavened bread, one cake spread with olive oil, and one wafer, which he placed over the fat and the right thigh. 27 He put all of these things in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and they all waved them in a raised offering to the Lord. 28 After this, Moses took those things from their hands and burned them on the altar over the whole burnt offering for consecration. They served as a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord. 29 Moses took the breast and waved it as a raised offering in the Lord’s presence as the portion that belonged to Moses from the ram of consecration, just as the Lord had commanded him.[f]

Moses’ Oil of Anointing

30 Moses took some anointing oil and blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his clothes, on his sons, and on their clothes, consecrating Aaron, his clothes, his sons, and their clothes. 31 Then he told Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. You may eat it there, along with the bread that is in the basket for consecration, just as I’ve commanded when I told him, ‘Aaron and his sons may eat of it, 32 but the leftover meat and bread is to be incinerated.’ 33 Furthermore, you are not to go out past the entrance to the Tent of Meeting until the days of your ordination have been completed, since it will take seven days to ordain you. 34 What has been done today[g] has been commanded by the Lord to make atonement for you. 35 Stay seven days and nights at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and attend to the service of the Lord, so that you won’t die, because this is what I’ve commanded.”

36 So Aaron and his sons did everything that the Lord had commanded through[h] Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 8:7 Or girdle
  2. Leviticus 8:8 I.e. the jewel-encrusted breastplate worn by the high priest by which the will of God could be revealed; cf. Ezra 2:63, Neh 7:65
  3. Leviticus 8:13 Lit. Moses
  4. Leviticus 8:17 Lit. Moses
  5. Leviticus 8:21 Lit. Moses
  6. Leviticus 8:29 Lit. Moses
  7. Leviticus 8:34 Lit. as has been done today
  8. Leviticus 8:36 Lit. commanded through the hand of

Installing the Priests

Then[a] Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering and the two rams and the basket of the unleavened bread, and summon all of the community to the entrance to[b] the tent of assembly.” So[c] Moses did just as Yahweh commanded him, and the community gathered by the entrance to[d] the tent of assembly.

Then[e] Moses said to the community, “This is the word that Yahweh has commanded to be done.”[f]

So[g] Moses brought Aaron and his sons near, and he washed them with water. Then[h] he put the tunic on him and tied[i] the sash around him; then[j] he clothed him with the robe and put[k] the ephod on him; then[l] he tied the ephod’s waistband around him and fastened[m] the ephod[n] to him with it. Then[o] he placed the breastpiece on him and put[p] the Urim and the Thummim into the breastpiece; and he placed the turban on his head, and on the front of[q] the turban he placed the gold rosette, the holy diadem, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

10 Then[r] Moses took the anointing oil and anointed[s] the tabernacle and all that was in it, and he consecrated them. 11 And he spattered part of[t] it on the altar seven times—thus[u] he anointed the altar and all of its utensils, and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. 12 Then[v] he poured out part of[w] the anointing oil on Aaron’s head—thus[x] he anointed him in order to consecrate him. 13 Then[y] Moses brought Aaron’s sons near and clothed[z] them with tunics and tied[aa] a sash around each one,[ab] and he bound headbands on[ac] them, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

The Offerings for Consecration

14 Then[ad] he brought forth the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering, 15 and he slaughtered it, and Moses took the blood and put[ae] it with his finger on the altar’s horns all around and purified the altar; then[af] he poured the blood out on the altar’s base—thus[ag] he consecrated it in order to make atonement for it.[ah] 16 Then[ai] he took all the fat that was on the inner parts[aj] and the lobe on the liver and the two kidneys and their fat, and Moses turned them into smoke on the altar, 17 but[ak] he burned the bull and its skin and its meat and its offal in the fire outside the camp,[al] just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

18 Then[am] he brought the ram of the burnt offering near, and Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the ram’s head, 19 and he slaughtered it. Then[an] Moses sprinkled the blood on the altar all around. 20 Then[ao] he cut the ram into pieces, and Moses turned into smoke the head and the pieces and the suet, 21 but[ap] he washed the inner parts[aq] and the lower leg bones with water, and Moses turned into smoke all of the ram on the altar; it was a burnt offering as an appeasing fragrance, an offering made by fire for[ar] Yahweh, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

22 Then[as] he brought the second ram near, the ram of the consecration, and Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the ram’s head, 23 and he slaughtered it. Then[at] Moses took some of[au] its blood and put[av] it on Aaron’s right ear lobe and on his right hand’s thumb and on his right foot’s big toe. 24 Then[aw] he brought Aaron’s sons near, and Moses put some of[ax] the blood on their right ear lobe and on their right hand’s thumb and on their right foot’s big toe, and Moses sprinkled the blood on the altar all around.

25 Then[ay] he took the fat and the fat tail and all of the fat that was on the inner parts[az] and the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys and their fat and the right upper thigh; 26 and from the basket of the unleavened bread that was before Yahweh he took one ring-shaped unleavened bread and one ring-shaped bread with[ba] oil and one wafer, and he placed them on the fat parts[bb] and on the right upper thigh. 27 Then[bc] he put all of these[bd] on Aaron’s palms and on his sons’ palms, and he waved them as a wave offering before[be] Yahweh. 28 Then[bf] Moses took them from upon their palms, and he turned them into smoke upon the burnt offering on the altar; they were a consecration offering as an appeasing fragrance—it was an offering made by fire for[bg] Yahweh. 29 Then[bh] Moses took the breast section, and he waved it as a wave offering before[bi] Yahweh from the ram of the consecration offering; it was Moses’ share, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

Anointing the Priests and Their Garments

30 Then[bj] Moses took some of[bk] the anointing oil and some of[bl] the blood that was on the altar, and he spattered them on Aaron, on his garments, and on Aaron’s sons and on his sons’ garments with him—thus[bm] he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.

31 Then[bn] Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, “Boil the meat in the entrance to[bo] the tent of assembly, and there you must eat it and the bread that is in the basket of the consecration offering, just as I have commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons must eat it,’ 32 but[bp] the remainder of the meat and the bread you[bq] must burn in the fire. 33 And you must not go out from the entrance to[br] the tent of assembly for seven days, until the day of fulfilling the days of your[bs] consecration, because it will take seven days to ordain you.[bt] 34 Just as was done[bu] on this day, Yahweh commanded to be done[bv] in order to make atonement for you.[bw] 35 And you[bx] must stay at the entrance to[by] the tent of assembly day and night for seven days, and you[bz] shall keep the obligation from[ca] Yahweh, so you[cb] might not die, for thus I have been commanded.” 36 So[cc] Aaron and his sons did all the things that Yahweh had commanded through[cd] Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 8:1 Or “And”
  2. Leviticus 8:3 Or “of”
  3. Leviticus 8:4 Or “And”
  4. Leviticus 8:4 Or “of”
  5. Leviticus 8:5 Or “And”
  6. Leviticus 8:5 Or “to do” or “me to do”
  7. Leviticus 8:6 Or “And”
  8. Leviticus 8:7 Or “And”
  9. Leviticus 8:7 Or “he tied”
  10. Leviticus 8:7 Or “and”
  11. Leviticus 8:7 Or “he put”
  12. Leviticus 8:7 Or “and”
  13. Leviticus 8:7 Or “he fastened”
  14. Leviticus 8:7 Understood by context
  15. Leviticus 8:8 Or “And”
  16. Leviticus 8:8 Or “he put”
  17. Leviticus 8:9 Literally “to the front of his faces”
  18. Leviticus 8:10 Or “And”
  19. Leviticus 8:10 Or “he anointed”
  20. Leviticus 8:11 Literally “from”
  21. Leviticus 8:11 Or “and”
  22. Leviticus 8:12 Or “And”
  23. Leviticus 8:12 Literally “from”
  24. Leviticus 8:12 Or “and”
  25. Leviticus 8:13 Or “And”
  26. Leviticus 8:13 Or “he clothed”
  27. Leviticus 8:13 Or “he tied”
  28. Leviticus 8:13 Literally “them”
  29. Leviticus 8:13 Or “to”
  30. Leviticus 8:14 Or “And”
  31. Leviticus 8:15 Or “he put”
  32. Leviticus 8:15 Or “and”
  33. Leviticus 8:15 Or “and”
  34. Leviticus 8:15 Or “to make atonement upon it” (see NET, Tanakh)
  35. Leviticus 8:16 Or “And”
  36. Leviticus 8:16 Or “entrails”
  37. Leviticus 8:17 Or “and”
  38. Leviticus 8:17 Literally “from an outside place of the camp”
  39. Leviticus 8:18 Or “And”
  40. Leviticus 8:19 Or “And”
  41. Leviticus 8:20 Or “And”
  42. Leviticus 8:21 Or “and”
  43. Leviticus 8:21 Or “entrails”
  44. Leviticus 8:21 Or “to”
  45. Leviticus 8:22 Or “And”
  46. Leviticus 8:23 Or “And”
  47. Leviticus 8:23 Literally “from”
  48. Leviticus 8:23 Or “he put”
  49. Leviticus 8:24 Or “And”
  50. Leviticus 8:24 Literally “from”
  51. Leviticus 8:25 Or “And”
  52. Leviticus 8:25 Or “entrails”
  53. Leviticus 8:26 Or “of”
  54. Leviticus 8:26 Literally “fats”
  55. Leviticus 8:27 Or “And”
  56. Leviticus 8:27 Literally “the all”
  57. Leviticus 8:27 Literally “to the faces of”
  58. Leviticus 8:28 Or “And”
  59. Leviticus 8:28 Or “to”
  60. Leviticus 8:29 Or “And”
  61. Leviticus 8:29 Literally “to the faces of”
  62. Leviticus 8:30 Or “And”
  63. Leviticus 8:30 Literally “from”
  64. Leviticus 8:30 Literally “from”
  65. Leviticus 8:30 Or “and”
  66. Leviticus 8:31 Or “And”
  67. Leviticus 8:31 Or “of”
  68. Leviticus 8:32 Or “and”
  69. Leviticus 8:32 Plural
  70. Leviticus 8:33 Or “of”
  71. Leviticus 8:33 Plural
  72. Leviticus 8:33 Literally “seven of days it will fill your (plural) hand”
  73. Leviticus 8:34 Or “he did”
  74. Leviticus 8:34 Or “to do”
  75. Leviticus 8:34 Plural
  76. Leviticus 8:35 Plural
  77. Leviticus 8:35 Or “of”
  78. Leviticus 8:35 Plural
  79. Leviticus 8:35 Or “of”
  80. Leviticus 8:35 Plural
  81. Leviticus 8:36 Or “And”
  82. Leviticus 8:36 Literally “by the hand of”