³ Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:

Aaron remained silent.

²² Even the priests, who approach^(A) the Lord, must consecrate^(B) themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.”^(C)

⁶ They must be holy to their God^(A) and must not profane the name of their God.^(B) Because they present the food offerings to the Lord,^(C) the food of their God,^(D) they are to be holy.^(E)

¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy^(A) in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”^(B)

¹² He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate^(A) yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. ¹³ It was because you, the Levites,^(B) did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us.^(C) We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.^(D)”

³⁰ “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.^(A)’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,^(B) but those who despise^(C) me will be disdained.^(D)

²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,^(A) let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,^{(B) 29} for our “God is a consuming fire.”^[a](C)