The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons^(A)

8 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Bring Aaron and his sons,^(B) their garments,^(C) the anointing oil,^(D) the bull for the sin offering,^[a](E) the two rams^(F) and the basket containing bread made without yeast,^{(G) 3} and gather the entire assembly^(H) at the entrance to the tent of meeting.” ⁴ Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

⁵ Moses said to the assembly, “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.^(I)” ⁶ Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water.^{(J) 7} He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him. He also fastened the ephod with a decorative waistband, which he tied around him.^{(K) 8} He placed the breastpiece^(L) on him and put the Urim and Thummim^(M) in the breastpiece. ⁹ Then he placed the turban^(N) on Aaron’s head and set the gold plate, the sacred emblem,^(O) on the front of it, as the Lord commanded Moses.^(P)

¹⁰ Then Moses took the anointing oil^(Q) and anointed^(R) the tabernacle^(S) and everything in it, and so consecrated them. ¹¹ He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them.^{(T) 12} He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed^(U) him to consecrate him.^{(V) 13} Then he brought Aaron’s sons^(W) forward, put tunics^(X) on them, tied sashes around them and fastened caps on them, as the Lord commanded Moses.^(Y)

¹⁴ He then presented the bull^(Z) for the sin offering,^(AA) and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.^{(AB) 15} Moses slaughtered the bull and took some of the blood,^(AC) and with his finger he put it on all the horns of the altar^(AD) to purify the altar.^(AE) He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. So he consecrated it to make atonement for it.^{(AF) 16} Moses also took all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and both kidneys and their fat, and burned it on the altar. ¹⁷ But the bull with its hide and its flesh and its intestines^(AG) he burned up outside the camp,^(AH) as the Lord commanded Moses.

¹⁸ He then presented the ram^(AI) for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. ¹⁹ Then Moses slaughtered the ram and splashed the blood against the sides of the altar. ²⁰ He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces and the fat.^{(AJ) 21} He washed the internal organs and the legs with water and burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

²² He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination,^(AK) and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.^{(AL) 23} Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.^{(AM) 24} Moses also brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splashed blood against the sides of the altar.^{(AN) 25} After that, he took the fat^(AO), the fat tail, all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. ²⁶ And from the basket of bread made without yeast, which was before the Lord, he took one thick loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf,^(AP) and he put these on the fat portions and on the right thigh. ²⁷ He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and they waved them before the Lord^(AQ) as a wave offering. ²⁸ Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering as an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord. ²⁹ Moses also took the breast, which was his share of the ordination ram,^(AR) and waved it before the Lord as a wave offering, as the Lord commanded Moses.

³⁰ Then Moses^(AS) took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments^(AT) and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated^(AU) Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments.

³¹ Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, “Cook the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting^(AV) and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I was commanded: ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it.’ ³² Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. ³³ Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days.^{(AW) 34} What has been done today was commanded by the Lord^(AX) to make atonement for you. ³⁵ You must stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and do what the Lord requires,^(AY) so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded.”

³⁶ So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses.

Paul’s Rights as an Apostle

9 Am I not free?^(A) Am I not an apostle?^(B) Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?^(C) Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?^{(D) 2} Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal^(E) of my apostleship in the Lord.

³ This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. ⁴ Don’t we have the right to food and drink?^{(F) 5} Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife^(G) along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers^(H) and Cephas^[a]?^{(I) 6} Or is it only I and Barnabas^(J) who lack the right to not work for a living?

⁷ Who serves as a soldier^(K) at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard^(L) and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? ⁸ Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”^[b](M) Is it about oxen that God is concerned?^{(N) 10} Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us,^(O) because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.^{(P) 11} If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?^{(Q) 12} If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?

But we did not use this right.^(R) On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder^(S) the gospel of Christ.

¹³ Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?^{(T) 14} In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.^(U)

¹⁵ But I have not used any of these rights.^(V) And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast.^{(W) 16} For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach.^(X) Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷ If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward;^(Y) if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.^{(Z) 18} What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge,^(AA) and so not make full use of my rights^(AB) as a preacher of the gospel.

Paul’s Use of His Freedom

¹⁹ Though I am free^(AC) and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone,^(AD) to win as many as possible.^{(AE) 20} To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.^(AF) To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law),^(AG) so as to win those under the law. ²¹ To those not having the law I became like one not having the law^(AH) (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law),^(AI) so as to win those not having the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.^(AJ) I have become all things to all people^(AK) so that by all possible means I might save some.^{(AL) 23} I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

The Need for Self-Discipline

²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?^(AM) Run^(AN) in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown^(AO) that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.^{(AP) 26} Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly;^(AQ) I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.^{(AR) 27} No, I strike a blow to my body^(AS) and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.^(AT)

Psalm 98

A psalm.