Ordination of Aaron and His Sons

The Lord spoke to Moses: “Take Aaron, his sons with him, the garments, the anointing oil,(A) the bull of the sin[a] offering, the two rams, and the basket(B) of unleavened bread, and assemble the whole community(C) at the entrance to the tent of meeting.” So Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the community assembled at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Moses said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.”

Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. He put the tunic on Aaron, wrapped the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod(D) on him. He put the woven band of the ephod around him and fastened it to him. Then he put the breastpiece on him and placed the Urim and Thummim(E) into the breastpiece. He also put the turban(F) on his head and placed the gold medallion, the holy diadem, on the front of the turban, as the Lord had commanded Moses.(G)

10 Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it to consecrate(H) them. 11 He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them.(I) 12 He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed and consecrated him.(J) 13 Then Moses presented Aaron’s sons, clothed them with tunics, wrapped sashes around them, and fastened headbands on them, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

14 Then he brought the bull near for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull for the sin offering. 15 Then Moses slaughtered it,[b] took the blood, and applied it with his finger to the horns of the altar on all sides, purifying(K) the altar. He poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it so that atonement can be made on it.[c](L) 16 Moses took all the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys(M) with their fat, and he burned them on the altar.(N) 17 He burned up the bull with its hide, flesh, and dung outside the camp,(O) as the Lord had commanded Moses.

18 Then he presented the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19 Moses slaughtered it and[d] sprinkled the blood on all sides of the altar. 20 Moses cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces, and the suet,(P) 21 but he washed the entrails and shanks with water. He then burned the entire ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the Lord as He had commanded Moses.

22 Next he presented the second ram, the ram of ordination,(Q) and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23 Moses slaughtered it,[e] took some of its blood, and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.(R) 24 Moses also presented Aaron’s sons and put some of the blood on their right earlobes, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then Moses sprinkled the blood on all sides of the altar. 25 He took the fat—the fat tail,(S) all the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat—as well as the right thigh. 26 From the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one cake of unleavened bread, one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat portions and the right thigh.(T) 27 He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the Lord as a presentation offering. 28 Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering. This was an ordination offering for a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the Lord. 29 He also took the breast and waved it before the Lord as a presentation offering; it was Moses’ portion of the ordination ram as the Lord had commanded him.

30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments, as well as on his sons and their garments. In this way he consecrated Aaron and his garments, as well as his sons and their garments.(U)

31 Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket for the ordination offering as I commanded:[f] Aaron and his sons are to eat it.(V) 32 You must burn up what remains of the meat and bread.(W) 33 You must not go outside the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the time your days of ordination are completed, because it will take seven days to ordain you.[g] 34 The Lord commanded what has been done today in order to make atonement for you.(X) 35 You must remain at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and keep the Lord’s charge(Y) so that you will not die,(Z) for this is what I was commanded.” 36 So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord had commanded through Moses.

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 8:2 Or purification
  2. Leviticus 8:15 Or offering, and he slaughtered [it]. 15 Then Moses
  3. Leviticus 8:15 Or it by making atonement for it
  4. Leviticus 8:19 Or ram, 19 and he slaughtered it. Moses
  5. Leviticus 8:23 Or ram, 23 and he slaughtered [it]. Moses
  6. Leviticus 8:31 LXX, Syr, Tg read was commanded; Ex 29:31-32
  7. Leviticus 8:33 Lit because he will fill your hands for seven days

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.

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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”