Old/New Testament
8 The Eternal One addressed Moses.
Eternal One: 2 Moses, take Aaron and his sons together with their sacred garments, the specially prepared anointing oil, the bull set aside for the purification offering for sin, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread. 3 Then gather the entire community at the entrance of the congregation tent.
4 So Moses followed the Eternal’s instructions. When the community of Israel was gathered together at the entrance of the congregation tent, 5 Moses addressed the assembly: “The Eternal One has commanded that we gather and ordain Aaron and his sons as priests.”
6 So Moses had Aaron and his sons approach, and he washed them with water and purified them. 7 Moses put a tunic on Aaron, fastened the sash around his waist, and put the robe and vest on him. He wrapped the skillfully made waistband of the vest around him and tied it to him. 8 Then Moses placed the breast piece on him and put the Urim and the Thummim inside a specially designed pouch on the breast piece.
There is much we do not know about the Urim and the Thummim. We do know the high priest used them to ascertain God’s will on difficult questions (see Numbers 27:21; 1 Samuel 14:41–42).
9 Moses then put the turban on Aaron’s head and fastened a golden medallion, a holy crown, to the front of it. Moses did all this exactly as the Eternal commanded.
10 Then Moses anointed and consecrated the sanctuary of the congregation tent along with everything in it with the anointing oil. 11 He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times; he anointed and consecrated the altar, its tools, and the basin and its stand with the oil. 12 Moses poured some of the oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to set him apart as head of the priestly order. 13 Then Moses had Aaron’s sons step forward and dressed them with the special tunics, fastened sashes about their waists, and placed caps on their heads. He did exactly as the Eternal commanded.
This consecration is of Aaron and his sons along with the enclosed part of the congregation tent, the sanctuary, and their objects. They are all set apart for God’s special purpose.
14 Moses brought the bull for the purification offering for sin and had Aaron and his sons place their hands on the bull’s head. 15 After the bull was slaughtered, Moses dipped his finger in its blood and rubbed it on the altar horns, purifying the altar. Moses then poured the remaining blood at the base of the altar. This is how Moses consecrated the altar and covered over any impurity it possessed. 16 Moses also removed the fat from around the organs, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat around them, and offered it all up as smoke on the altar. 17 As for the rest of the bull—its skin, its meat, and its excrement—he took and burned it outside the camp. Moses did exactly as the Eternal commanded.
18 Moses then brought out the ram for the burnt offering and had Aaron and his sons place their hands on its head. 19 After Moses slaughtered it, he splattered its blood against the sides of the altar. 20 Moses cut it up into pieces, and then he took the head, the cut portions, and the fat and offered them up on the altar as smoke. 21 After rinsing off the organs and legs with water—in order to remove any impurities—he took everything that was left of the ram and offered it up on the altar. The smoke of the burnt offering rose and became a pleasant aroma, a fire-offering to the Eternal One. Moses did all this exactly as the Eternal commanded.
22 Then Moses prepared the second ram, the ordination ram. He had Aaron and his sons place their hands on its head. 23 After Moses slaughtered it, he put some of the ram’s blood on Aaron’s right ear lobe, on his right thumb, and on his right big toe. 24 Then Moses sent for Aaron’s sons and put some of the ram’s blood on their right ear lobes, on their right thumbs, and on their right big toes. Moses then splattered the remaining blood against the sides of the altar.
25 He then removed the fat, the fat tail, the fat around the organs, the lobe of the liver, and two kidneys and the fat from them, as well as the right thigh of the ram. 26 Then Moses reached into the basket of unleavened bread dedicated to the Eternal One and took out one loaf of unleavened bread, one loaf made with oil, and one wafer. He put them on the fat and on the right thigh. 27 Then he placed it all in the hands of Aaron and his sons, who raised them to the Eternal One as a wave offering. 28 Moses then took it all back from Aaron and his sons and offered it on the altar along with the burnt offering. The smoke of the ordination offering rose and became a pleasant aroma, a fire-offering to the Eternal. 29 Moses also lifted up the breast of the ram as a wave offering to the Eternal. The breast served as Moses’ portion of the ordination offering as the Eternal had commanded.
30 Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments. He did the same on Aaron’s sons and their garments. This is how he consecrated Aaron and his priestly garments, as well as his sons and their garments.
Moses (to Aaron and his sons): 31 Boil the meat at the entrance to the congregation tent, and feast on it together with bread from the basket of the ordination offering, in accordance with the instructions I gave: “Aaron and his sons may eat it.” 32 Burn the rest of the meat and bread in the fire. 33 You are not allowed to go beyond the entrance of the congregation tent for seven days when your ordination period is complete; for it will take seven days to ordain you. 34 Everything we have done today the Eternal commanded us to do in order to cover your impurity. 35 Stay here at the entrance of the congregation tent all day and all night for the seven days. Do whatever the Eternal requires, or else you will die, for this is the command He has given me.
36 So Aaron and his sons honored the Eternal One’s instructions, which He commanded through Moses.
9 When the eighth day arrived, Moses called for Aaron, Aaron’s sons, and the elders of the Israelite community.
This ceremony inaugurated the daily sacrifices in the congregation tent.
Moses (to Aaron): 2 Take a young unblemished calf for a purification offering and an unblemished ram for a burnt offering and offer them to the Eternal One. 3 Then go instruct the Israelites, “Take a male goat for a purification offering and an unblemished calf and lamb, both a year old, for a burnt offering. 4 Take also an ox and a ram for a peace offering and a grain offering mixed with oil, and offer them to the Eternal One for He will reveal Himself to you today.
5 So the people gathered the sacrifices as Moses had commanded and brought them to the front of congregation tent. The entire community gathered around and stood in the presence of the Eternal One.
Moses: 6 The Eternal One has told us to conduct this ceremony so that His glory will be revealed to you.
7 (to Aaron) Approach the altar, and present your purification offering and burnt offering. Do this first to cover the impurity of your own life so that you will be fit to cover the impurity of all the people. Then present the offering of the people so that the impurity of their lives may be covered. Do exactly as the Eternal has commanded.
8 Aaron approached the altar and slaughtered the calf as the purification offering for himself. 9 Aaron’s sons held the blood out to him, and Aaron dipped his finger in the blood and spread it on the four horns of the altar. Then he poured the remaining blood around the base of the altar. 10 After this he removed the fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver of the purification offering and offered them as smoke on the altar, exactly as the Eternal had commanded Moses. 11 He took what remained of the meat and skin and burned it up in a fire outside the camp.
12 Then Aaron slaughtered the burnt offering and his sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it against the sides of the altar. 13 Then Aaron’s sons gave him all the pieces of the burnt offering, including the head, and he offered them up as smoke on the altar. 14 He washed the organs and the legs with water so nothing unacceptable would be added and offered them with the burnt offering as smoke on the altar.
15 Now with his own sins covered, Aaron was able to offer the sacrifices for the masses. So he took the goat for the purification offering, slaughtered it, and offered it as reparation for the people’s sin. He did this in the same way he presented the first offering. 16 He brought the burnt offering as well and offered it in accordance with the ordinances God handed on to Moses. 17 Then he presented the grain offering, took some of it in his hand, and offered it up as smoke on the altar in addition to the morning’s burnt offering.
18 Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram as the peace offerings for the masses. Aaron’s sons gave him the blood, and he splattered it against the sides of the altar. 19 The fat of the ox and ram—the fat tail, the fat covering the intestines, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver— 20 they put on top of the breasts and offered them as smoke on the altar. 21 Aaron lifted the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the Eternal as Moses commanded.
22 Then Aaron raised his hands in the direction of the people and blessed them.[a] After he had completed the sacrifices for the purification offering, burnt offering, and peace offerings, he descended from the altar. 23 Moses and Aaron entered the congregation tent. When they returned, they blessed the people, and the Eternal One’s glory appeared to all the people. 24 Then flames erupted from the presence of the Eternal One and devoured the burnt offering and all the fat on the altar. At the sight of this, everyone cried out and fell on their faces.
The glory of God is a hard notion for us. The word often translated “glory” means essentially heaviness or weight. The Eternal One uniquely is the most substantial and most significant being in the cosmos. Only God is eternal. Only God has true substance. Creation runs out, wears out, and peters out eventually. In the Scriptures the term “glory” is used often for those unique times and places when God manifests Himself in some visible way. It is His epiphany, or manifestation, one might say. To see God’s glory is a fearsome thing. That’s why people fall on their faces and call out for mercy. Not many people have seen God’s glory, but those who do never forget it.
10 Nadab and Abihu, two of Aaron’s sons, took censers and filled them with embers; then they put incense on top of the fire and presented it to the Eternal One. This was a strange and unauthorized fire that the Eternal did not command them. 2 Flames erupted from before the Eternal and burned up Nadab and Abihu. They both died in the presence of the Eternal One.
Moses (to Aaron): 3 This is what the Eternal One was talking about when He said,
By those authorized to come near,
I will be treated as sacred.
In the eyes of all the people,
I will be honored.
Aaron remained silent.
4 Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel.
Moses: Make your way forward. Gather the dead bodies of your relatives from the front of the sanctuary, and carry them outside the camp.
5 So Mishael and Elzaphan did as Moses instructed; they came forward, picked them up—while they were still wearing their priestly tunics—and carried them outside the camp. 6 Moses spoke to Aaron and his sons, Eleazar and Ithamar.
Moses: Do not let your hair go unkempt or rip your garments in customary acts of mourning, or else you will die. Follow this instruction so that the Eternal One does not grow angry toward the entire community. Everyone else—our relatives, the entire community of Israel—can lament the great fire the Eternal One has produced that killed your sons. 7 Do not go beyond the entrance of the congregation tent. If you do, you will meet a quick death, for the Eternal’s anointing oil covers you.
Aaron and his sons followed Moses’ instructions.
8 The Eternal One addressed Aaron.
Eternal One: 9 You and your sons must not drink wine or any alcoholic drink before entering the congregation tent, lest you die. This directive stands for all time throughout your generations. 10 You must know the difference between the sacred and the profane, the ritually pure and the impure, 11 and teach the people of Israel the directives, which I have revealed to them through Moses.
God demanded that the priests stay entirely sober while performing their ritual duties to ensure good judgment and orderly worship.
Moses (to Aaron and his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar): 12 You may take whatever grain is left from the fire-offerings devoted to the Eternal and eat it unleavened next to the altar; this is most sacred. 13 You are to eat it in a sacred space; it is your and your sons’ portion of the Eternal One’s fire-offerings, according to the commands I have given. 14 You, your sons, and your daughters may eat the breast of the wave offering and the thigh presented to God in some ritually pure place. The breast and thigh are your portion and your children’s portion from the sacrifices of the peace offerings brought by the people of Israel. 15 Have them bring the thigh that is contributed and the breast that is waved, along with the fire-offerings of fat, to present as a wave offering before the Eternal One. This will be your and your children’s portion for all time; it is your due as the Eternal has commanded.
16 Moses began asking for the goat for the purification offering, but he discovered that it had already been burned up. He was furious with Eleazar and Ithamar (Aaron’s surviving sons).
Moses (to Aaron’s sons): 17 Why did you disobey my instructions and not eat the purification offering in the area of the sanctuary? It is most sacred. God has given it to you so that you can take on the guilt of the community and cover their wrongs before the Eternal. 18 Look, its blood was never taken inside the sanctuary; therefore the rightful place for you to eat it was in the sanctuary as I commanded.
Aaron (to Moses): 19 Look, my sons offered their purification offering and their burnt offering to the Eternal One today. But think of all that has happened to me. Given the tragedy I have seen, would the Eternal have approved if I had eaten a purification offering today?
20 After Moses listened to what Aaron had to say, he was satisfied.
31 When the Son of Man comes in all His majesty accompanied by throngs of heavenly messengers, His throne will be wondrous. 32 All the nations will assemble before Him, and He will judge them, distinguishing them from one another as a shepherd isolates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put some, the sheep, at His right hand and some, the goats, at His left. 34 Then the King will say to those to His right,
King: Come here, you beloved, you people whom My Father has blessed. Claim your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of creation. 35 You shall be richly rewarded, for when I was hungry, you fed Me. And when I was thirsty, you gave Me something to drink. I was alone as a stranger, and you welcomed Me into your homes and into your lives. 36 I was naked, and you gave Me clothes to wear; I was sick, and you tended to My needs; I was in prison, and you comforted Me.
37 Even then the righteous will not have achieved perfect understanding and will not recall these things.
Righteous: Master, when did we find You hungry and give You food? When did we find You thirsty and slake Your thirst? 38 When did we find You a stranger and welcome You in, or find You naked and clothe You? 39 When did we find You sick and nurse You to health? When did we visit You when You were in prison?
King: 40 I tell you this: whenever you saw a brother or sister hungry or cold, whatever you did to the least of these, so you did to Me.
41 At that He will turn to those on His left hand.
King: Get away from Me, you despised people whom My Father has cursed. Claim your inheritance—the pits of flaming hell where the devil and his minions suffer. 42 For I was starving, and you left Me with no food. When I was dry and thirsty, you left Me to struggle with nothing to drink. 43 When I was alone as a stranger, you turned away from Me. When I was pitifully naked, you left Me unclothed. When I was sick, you gave Me no care. When I was in prison, you did not comfort Me.
Unrighteous: 44 Master, when did we see You hungry and thirsty? When did we see You friendless or homeless or excluded? When did we see You without clothes? When did we see You sick or in jail? When did we see You in distress and fail to respond?
King: 45 I tell you this: whenever you saw a brother hungry or cold, when you saw a sister weak and without friends, when you saw the least of these and ignored their suffering, so you ignored Me.
46 So these, the goats, will go off to everlasting punishment. But the beloved, the sheep (the righteous), will go into everlasting life.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.