The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, (A)Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the (B)garments and (C)the anointing oil, and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread, and assemble all the congregation at the doorway of the tent of meeting.” So Moses did just as the Lord commanded him. When the congregation was assembled at the doorway of the tent of meeting, Moses said to the congregation, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded us to do.”

Then (D)Moses had Aaron and his sons come near, and he (E)washed them with water. Then he (F)put the tunic on [a]Aaron and wrapped his waist with the sash, and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him; and he wrapped his waist with the artistic band of the ephod, [b]with which he fitted it to him. He then placed the [c]breastpiece on him, and in the [d]breastpiece he put the [e](G)Urim and the Thummim. He also placed the turban on his head, and on the turban, at its front, he placed (H)the golden plate, the holy crown, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

10 Moses then took (I)the anointing oil and anointed the [f]tabernacle and everything that was in it, and consecrated them. 11 He also sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, to (J)consecrate them. 12 Then he poured some of the (K)anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him. 13 (L)Next Moses had Aaron’s sons come near, and he clothed them with tunics and wrapped their waists with sashes, and bound [g]caps on them, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

14 Then he brought (M)the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. 15 Next [h]Moses slaughtered it and took the blood and with his finger (N)put some of it around on the horns of the altar, and purified the altar. Then he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it, to make atonement for it. 16 He also (O)took all the fat that was on the entrails and the [i]lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat; and Moses offered it up in smoke on the altar. 17 (P)But the bull and its hide, its flesh, and its refuse he burned in the fire outside the camp, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

18 Then he presented (Q)the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19 And [j]Moses slaughtered it and sprinkled the blood around on the altar. 20 When he had cut the ram into its pieces, Moses (R)offered up the head and the pieces and the suet in smoke. 21 After he had washed the entrails and the legs with water, Moses (S)offered up the whole ram in smoke on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a soothing aroma; it was an offering by fire to the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

22 Then he presented the second ram, (T)the ram of [k]ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23 [l]And Moses slaughtered it and took some of its blood and (U)put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 He also had Aaron’s sons come near; and Moses put some of the blood on the lobe of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot. Moses then (V)sprinkled the rest of the blood around on the altar. 25 He then took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the entrails, and the [m]lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh. 26 And (W)from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord, he took one unleavened cake and one cake of bread mixed with oil and one wafer, and placed them on the portions of fat and on the right thigh. 27 He then (X)put all these on the hands of Aaron and on the hands of his sons, and presented them as a wave offering before the Lord. 28 Then Moses (Y)took them from their hands and offered them up in smoke on the altar with the burnt offering. They were an ordination offering for (Z)a soothing aroma; it was an offering by fire to the Lord. 29 Moses also took (AA)the breast and presented it as a wave offering before the Lord; it was (AB)Moses’ portion of the ram of ordination, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

30 So Moses (AC)took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.

31 Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, “(AD)Boil the flesh at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and eat it there together with the bread which is in the basket of the ordination offering, just as I commanded, (AE)saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’ 32 And (AF)the remainder of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn in the fire. 33 And (AG)you shall not go outside the doorway of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the day that the period of your ordination is fulfilled; for he will [n]ordain you through seven days. 34 The Lord has commanded us to do as has been done this day, to make atonement on your behalf. 35 At the doorway of the tent of meeting, moreover, you shall remain day and night for seven days and (AH)fulfill your duty to the Lord, so that you will not die; for so I have been commanded.” 36 Aaron and his sons did all the things which the Lord had commanded through Moses.

Aaron Offers Sacrifices

Now it came about (AI)on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel; and he said to Aaron, “(AJ)Take for yourself a calf, a bull, as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering, both without defect, and offer them before the Lord. Then you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Take a male goat as a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both one year old, without defect, as a burnt offering, and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today (AK)the Lord will appear to you.’” So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the whole congregation came near and stood before the Lord. And Moses said, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded you to do, so that (AL)the glory of the Lord may appear to you.” Moses then said to Aaron, “Come near to the altar and [o](AM)offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, so that you may make atonement for yourself and for the people; then make the offering [p]for the people, so that you may make atonement for them, just as the Lord has commanded.”

(AN)So Aaron came near to the altar and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering which was for himself. (AO)Aaron’s sons then presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood and (AP)put some on the horns of the altar, and poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 10 The fat and the kidneys and the [q]lobe of the liver of the sin offering he then offered up in smoke on the altar, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 11 (AQ)The flesh and the hide, however, he burned with fire outside the camp.

12 Then he slaughtered the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 13 They brought the burnt offering to him in [r]pieces, with the head, and he offered them up in smoke on the altar. 14 He also washed the entrails and the legs, and offered them up in smoke with the burnt offering on the altar.

15 Then he presented the people’s offering, and took the (AR)goat of the sin offering which was for the people, and slaughtered it and offered it for sin, like the first. 16 He also presented the burnt offering, and [s]offered it according to (AS)the ordinance. 17 Next he presented (AT)the grain offering, and filled his [t]hand with some of it and offered it up in smoke on the altar, (AU)besides the burnt offering of the morning.

18 Then (AV)he slaughtered the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings which was for the people; and Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 19 As for the portions of fat from the ox and from the ram, the fat tail, the fat (AW)covering, the kidneys, and the [u]lobe of the liver, 20 they now placed the portions of fat on the breasts; and he offered [v]them up in smoke on the altar. 21 But (AX)the breasts and the right thigh Aaron [w]presented as a wave offering before the Lord, just as Moses had commanded.

22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and (AY)blessed them, and he stepped down after making the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings. 23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, (AZ)the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24 (BA)Then fire went out from the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell [x]face downward.

The Sin of Nadab and Abihu

10 Now (BB)Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective (BC)firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on [y]the fire and offered [z]strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. (BD)And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying,

‘By those who (BE)come near Me I [aa](BF)will be treated as holy,
And before all the people I will (BG)be honored.’”

So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.

Moses called also to (BH)Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come forward, carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to an area outside of the camp.” So they came forward and carried them, still in their (BI)tunics, to an area outside the camp, just as Moses had said. Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “(BJ)Do not [ab]uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, so that you do not die and He does not (BK)become wrathful against all the congregation. But your [ac]kinsmen, the entire house of Israel, shall weep for the burning which the Lord has [ad]brought about. You shall not even go out from the doorway of the tent of meeting, or you will die; for (BL)the Lords anointing oil is upon you.” So they did according to the word of Moses.

The Lord then spoke to Aaron, saying, (BM)Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you do not die—it is a permanent statute throughout your generations— 10 and (BN)to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean, 11 and (BO)so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.”

12 Then Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his surviving sons, (BP)Eleazar and Ithamar, “(BQ)Take the grain offering that is left over from the Lords offerings by fire and eat it as unleavened bread beside the altar, for it is most holy. 13 You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your allotted portion and your sons’ allotted portion from the Lords offerings by fire; for so I have been commanded. 14 (BR)The breast of the wave offering, however, and the thigh of the offering you may eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you; for they have been given as your allotted portion and your sons’ allotted portion from the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the sons of Israel. 15 They shall bring (BS)the thigh offered by lifting up and the breast offered by waving, along with the offerings by fire of the portions of fat, to present as a wave offering before the Lord; so it shall be a thing perpetually due you and your sons with you, just as the Lord has commanded.”

16 But Moses searched carefully for the (BT)goat of the sin offering, and behold, it had been burned! So he was angry with Aaron’s surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar, saying, 17 “Why (BU)did you not eat the sin offering at the [ae]holy place? For it is most holy, and [af]He gave it to you to take away (BV)the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord. 18 Behold, (BW)since its blood had not been brought inside, into the sanctuary, you certainly should have (BX)eaten it in the sanctuary, just as I commanded!” 19 But Aaron said to Moses, “Behold, this very day they (BY)presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord. When things like these happened to me, if I had eaten a sin offering today, would it have been good in the sight of the Lord?” 20 When Moses heard that, it was good in his sight.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 8:7 Lit him
  2. Leviticus 8:7 Lit and with it
  3. Leviticus 8:8 Or breast pouch
  4. Leviticus 8:8 Or breast pouch
  5. Leviticus 8:8 Meanings of Urim and Thummim uncertain
  6. Leviticus 8:10 Or dwelling place
  7. Leviticus 8:13 Lit headgear
  8. Leviticus 8:15 Lit he slaughtered it and Moses took
  9. Leviticus 8:16 Or appendage on
  10. Leviticus 8:19 Lit He slaughtered it and Moses sprinkled
  11. Leviticus 8:22 Lit filling, and so throughout the ch
  12. Leviticus 8:23 Lit He slaughtered it and Moses took
  13. Leviticus 8:25 Or appendage on
  14. Leviticus 8:33 Lit fill your hands
  15. Leviticus 9:7 Lit make
  16. Leviticus 9:7 Lit of
  17. Leviticus 9:10 Or appendage on
  18. Leviticus 9:13 Lit its pieces
  19. Leviticus 9:16 Lit made
  20. Leviticus 9:17 Lit palm
  21. Leviticus 9:19 Or appendage on
  22. Leviticus 9:20 Lit the portions of fat
  23. Leviticus 9:21 Lit waved
  24. Leviticus 9:24 Lit on their faces
  25. Leviticus 10:1 Lit it
  26. Leviticus 10:1 I.e., unauthorized
  27. Leviticus 10:3 Or will show Myself holy
  28. Leviticus 10:6 Lit unbind
  29. Leviticus 10:6 Lit brothers
  30. Leviticus 10:6 Lit burned
  31. Leviticus 10:17 I.e., the courtyard of the tabernacle, not the sanctuary
  32. Leviticus 10:17 Or was given

Ordination of the Priests

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Bring Aaron and his sons, along with their sacred garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of bread made without yeast, and call the entire community of Israel together at the entrance of the Tabernacle.[a]

So Moses followed the Lord’s instructions, and the whole community assembled at the Tabernacle entrance. Moses announced to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded us to do!” Then he presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. He put the official tunic on Aaron and tied the sash around his waist. He dressed him in the robe, placed the ephod on him, and attached the ephod securely with its decorative sash. Then Moses placed the chestpiece on Aaron and put the Urim and the Thummim inside it. He placed the turban on Aaron’s head and attached the gold medallion—the badge of holiness—to the front of the turban, just as the Lord had commanded him.

10 Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and everything in it, making them holy. 11 He sprinkled the oil on the altar seven times, anointing it and all its utensils, as well as the washbasin and its stand, making them holy. 12 Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head, anointing him and making him holy for his work. 13 Next Moses presented Aaron’s sons. He clothed them in their tunics, tied their sashes around them, and put their special head coverings on them, just as the Lord had commanded him.

14 Then Moses presented the bull for the sin offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the bull’s head, 15 and Moses slaughtered it. Moses took some of the blood, and with his finger he put it on the four horns of the altar to purify it. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. Through this process, he made the altar holy by purifying it.[b] 16 Then Moses took all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, and he burned it all on the altar. 17 He took the rest of the bull, including its hide, meat, and dung, and burned it on a fire outside the camp, just as the Lord had commanded him.

18 Then Moses presented the ram for the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram’s head, 19 and Moses slaughtered it. Then Moses took the ram’s blood and splattered it against all sides of the altar. 20 Then he cut the ram into pieces, and he burned the head, some of its pieces, and the fat on the altar. 21 After washing the internal organs and the legs with water, Moses burned the entire ram on the altar as a burnt offering. It was a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.

22 Then Moses presented the other ram, which was the ram of ordination. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram’s head, 23 and Moses slaughtered it. Then Moses took some of its blood and applied it to the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot. 24 Next Moses presented Aaron’s sons and applied some of the blood to the lobes of their right ears, the thumbs of their right hands, and the big toes of their right feet. He then splattered the rest of the blood against all sides of the altar.

25 Next Moses took the fat, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, along with the right thigh. 26 On top of these he placed a thin cake of bread made without yeast, a cake of bread mixed with olive oil, and a wafer spread with olive oil. All these were taken from the basket of bread made without yeast that was placed in the Lord’s presence. 27 He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and he lifted these gifts as a special offering to the Lord. 28 Moses then took all the offerings back from them and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering. This was the ordination offering. It was a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the Lord. 29 Then Moses took the breast and lifted it up as a special offering to the Lord. This was Moses’ portion of the ram of ordination, just as the Lord had commanded him.

30 Next Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar, and he sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. In this way, he made Aaron and his sons and their garments holy.

31 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the remaining meat of the offerings at the Tabernacle entrance, and eat it there, along with the bread that is in the basket of offerings for the ordination, just as I commanded when I said, ‘Aaron and his sons will eat it.’ 32 Any meat or bread that is left over must then be burned up. 33 You must not leave the Tabernacle entrance for seven days, for that is when the ordination ceremony will be completed. 34 Everything we have done today was commanded by the Lord in order to purify you, making you right with him.[c] 35 Now stay at the entrance of the Tabernacle day and night for seven days, and do everything the Lord requires. If you fail to do this, you will die, for this is what the Lord has commanded.” 36 So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord had commanded through Moses.

The Priests Begin Their Work

After the ordination ceremony, on the eighth day, Moses called together Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. He said to Aaron, “Take a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without defects, and present them to the Lord. Then tell the Israelites, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, and take a calf and a lamb, both a year old and without defects, for a burnt offering. Also take a bull[d] and a ram for a peace offering and flour moistened with olive oil for a grain offering. Present all these offerings to the Lord because the Lord will appear to you today.’”

So the people presented all these things at the entrance of the Tabernacle,[e] just as Moses had commanded. Then the whole community came forward and stood before the Lord. And Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering to purify yourself and the people. Then present the offerings of the people to purify them, making them right with the Lord,[f] just as he has commanded.”

So Aaron went to the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself. His sons brought him the blood, and he dipped his finger in it and put it on the horns of the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 10 Then he burned on the altar the fat, the kidneys, and the long lobe of the liver from the sin offering, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 11 The meat and the hide, however, he burned outside the camp.

12 Next Aaron slaughtered the animal for the burnt offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it against all sides of the altar. 13 Then they handed him each piece of the burnt offering, including the head, and he burned them on the altar. 14 Then he washed the internal organs and the legs and burned them on the altar along with the rest of the burnt offering.

15 Next Aaron presented the offerings of the people. He slaughtered the people’s goat and presented it as an offering for their sin, just as he had first done with the offering for his own sin. 16 Then he presented the burnt offering and sacrificed it in the prescribed way. 17 He also presented the grain offering, burning a handful of the flour mixture on the altar, in addition to the regular burnt offering for the morning.

18 Then Aaron slaughtered the bull and the ram for the people’s peace offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it against all sides of the altar. 19 Then he took the fat of the bull and the ram—the fat of the broad tail and from around the internal organs—along with the kidneys and the long lobes of the livers. 20 He placed these fat portions on top of the breasts of these animals and burned them on the altar. 21 Aaron then lifted up the breasts and right thighs as a special offering to the Lord, just as Moses had commanded.

22 After that, Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. Then, after presenting the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down from the altar. 23 Then Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came back out, they blessed the people again, and the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community. 24 Fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground.

The Sin of Nadab and Abihu

10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the Lord by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. So fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the Lord.

Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said,

‘I will display my holiness
    through those who come near me.
I will display my glory
    before all the people.’”

And Aaron was silent.

Then Moses called for Mishael and Elzaphan, Aaron’s cousins, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel. He said to them, “Come forward and carry away the bodies of your relatives from in front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.” So they came forward and picked them up by their garments and carried them out of the camp, just as Moses had commanded.

Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not show grief by leaving your hair uncombed[g] or by tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die, and the Lord’s anger will strike the whole community of Israel. However, the rest of the Israelites, your relatives, may mourn because of the Lord’s fiery destruction of Nadab and Abihu. But you must not leave the entrance of the Tabernacle[h] or you will die, for you have been anointed with the Lord’s anointing oil.” So they did as Moses commanded.

Instructions for Priestly Conduct

Then the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your descendants must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink before going into the Tabernacle. If you do, you will die. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation. 10 You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean. 11 And you must teach the Israelites all the decrees that the Lord has given them through Moses.”

12 Then Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take what is left of the grain offering after a portion has been presented as a special gift to the Lord, and eat it beside the altar. Make sure it contains no yeast, for it is most holy. 13 You must eat it in a sacred place, for it has been given to you and your descendants as your portion of the special gifts presented to the Lord. These are the commands I have been given. 14 But the breast and thigh that were lifted up as a special offering may be eaten in any place that is ceremonially clean. These parts have been given to you and your descendants as your portion of the peace offerings presented by the people of Israel. 15 You must lift up the thigh and breast as a special offering to the Lord, along with the fat of the special gifts. These parts will belong to you and your descendants as your permanent right, just as the Lord has commanded.”

16 Moses then asked them what had happened to the goat of the sin offering. When he discovered it had been burned up, he became very angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons. 17 “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the sacred area?” he demanded. “It is a holy offering! The Lord has given it to you to remove the guilt of the community and to purify the people, making them right with the Lord.[i] 18 Since the animal’s blood was not brought into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the meat in the sacred area as I ordered you.”

19 Then Aaron answered Moses, “Today my sons presented both their sin offering and their burnt offering to the Lord. And yet this tragedy has happened to me. If I had eaten the people’s sin offering on such a tragic day as this, would the Lord have been pleased?” 20 And when Moses heard this, he was satisfied.

Footnotes

  1. 8:3 Hebrew Tent of Meeting; also in 8:4, 31, 33, 35.
  2. 8:15 Or by making atonement for it; or that offerings for purification might be made on it.
  3. 8:34 Or to make atonement for you.
  4. 9:4 Or cow; also in 9:18, 19.
  5. 9:5 Hebrew Tent of Meeting; also in 9:23.
  6. 9:7 Or to make atonement for them.
  7. 10:6 Or by uncovering your heads.
  8. 10:7 Hebrew Tent of Meeting; also in 10:9.
  9. 10:17 Or to make atonement for the people before the Lord.