Old/New Testament

Ordination of the Priesthood^(A)

8 The Lord told Moses, ² “Take Aaron, his sons with him, the clothing, the anointing oil, the bull for sin offering, two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread ³ and then assemble the entire congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”

⁴ So Moses did just as the Lord had commanded him. He assembled the congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ⁵ Moses told the congregation, “This is what the Lord commanded to be done.”

⁶ Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. ⁷ Then he clothed Aaron with the tunic, girded him with the band^[a] for priests, clothed him with the robe, placed the ephod on him, girded him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and bound it on him. ⁸ He set the breastplate on him, placed the Urim and Thummim^[b] on top of the breastplate, ⁹ then he set the turban on his head. On the turban at the front he set the golden plate, the sacred crown that the Lord had commanded. ¹⁰ After this, Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tent, consecrating everything that was in it. ¹¹ He sprinkled some on the altar seven times, and then anointed the altar, all its vessels, the basin, and its base to consecrate them. ¹² After doing this, he poured the oil of anointing on Aaron’s head to anoint and consecrate him. ¹³ Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons, clothed them with the tunics, girded them with the bands, and bound turbans on them, just as the Lord had commanded him.^[c]

Moses’ Sin and Whole Offerings

¹⁴ Next, he brought the bull for a sin offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the bull’s head for a sin offering. ¹⁵ So Moses slaughtered it, took the blood, and applied some of it at the horns of the altar and around it with his fingers, thus purifying the altar. Then he poured the blood at the base of the altar, thereby sanctifying it as a means to make atonement with it. ¹⁶ Moses burned on the altar all the fat on the internal organs, the appendage on the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat. ¹⁷ As to the bull and its fat, skin, and offal, he incinerated them outside the camp, just as the Lord had commanded him.^{[d] 18} Next, he brought the ram for the whole burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, ¹⁹ and Moses slaughtered it and poured its blood over and around the altar. ²⁰ As to the ram, he cut it into parts at the joints, burned the head, the internal organs, and the fat, ²¹ washed the internal organs and the thigh with water, and then burned the entire ram on the altar as a whole burnt offering, a pleasing aroma of an offering made by fire to the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.^[e]

Moses’ Consecration Offerings

²² Moses brought the ram—that is, the second of the rams—for consecration. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. ²³ Moses then slaughtered it, took some of its blood, and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe, right thumb, and right great toe. ²⁴ Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons, took some of the ram’s blood, put it on their right earlobes, on their right thumbs, and on their right great toes, and then poured the blood on the altar and all around it. ²⁵ Then he took the fat from the tail, all the fat on the internal organs, the appendage of the liver, the two kidneys with the fat, and the right thigh. ²⁶ From the basket of unleavened bread that is in the Lord’s presence he took one piece of unleavened bread, one cake spread with olive oil, and one wafer, which he placed over the fat and the right thigh. ²⁷ He put all of these things in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and they all waved them in a raised offering to the Lord. ²⁸ After this, Moses took those things from their hands and burned them on the altar over the whole burnt offering for consecration. They served as a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord. ²⁹ Moses took the breast and waved it as a raised offering in the Lord’s presence as the portion that belonged to Moses from the ram of consecration, just as the Lord had commanded him.^[f]

Moses’ Oil of Anointing

³⁰ Moses took some anointing oil and blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his clothes, on his sons, and on their clothes, consecrating Aaron, his clothes, his sons, and their clothes. ³¹ Then he told Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. You may eat it there, along with the bread that is in the basket for consecration, just as I’ve commanded when I told him, ‘Aaron and his sons may eat of it, ³² but the leftover meat and bread is to be incinerated.’ ³³ Furthermore, you are not to go out past the entrance to the Tent of Meeting until the days of your ordination have been completed, since it will take seven days to ordain you. ³⁴ What has been done today^[g] has been commanded by the Lord to make atonement for you. ³⁵ Stay seven days and nights at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and attend to the service of the Lord, so that you won’t die, because this is what I’ve commanded.”

³⁶ So Aaron and his sons did everything that the Lord had commanded through^[h] Moses.

Aaron’s Ministry Commences

9 Eight days later, Moses called Aaron, his sons, and the elders of Israel. ² He told Aaron, “Take a young calf for a sin offering and a ram without defect for a whole burnt offering and bring them into the Lord’s presence.”

³ He also told the Israelis, “Bring a male goat for a sin offering, a calf, a year old lamb without defect for a whole burnt offering, ⁴ an ox, a ram for a peace offering to sacrifice in the Lord’s presence, and a grain offering with olive oil, because on that day the Lord will appear to you.” ⁵ So they brought what Moses had commanded to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The entire congregation drew near and stood in the Lord’s presence.

⁶ Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord commanded you to do so that the glory of the Lord may be revealed to you.”

⁷ Moses then told Aaron, “Approach the altar and bring your sin and whole burnt offerings. Make atonement for yourself and the people. Then bring the people’s offering and make atonement for them, as the Lord commanded.”

⁸ So Aaron drew near to the altar and slaughtered the calf for a sin offering on behalf of himself. ⁹ Next, Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him and he dipped his fingers in the blood and placed it on the horns of the altar. As to the rest of the^[i] blood, he poured it at the base of the altar. ¹⁰ He incinerated the fat, the kidneys, and the appendage from the liver of the sin offering, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ¹¹ He also incinerated the meat and skin outside the camp. ¹² And so the burnt offering was slaughtered, and Aaron’s sons secured for him the blood, which he poured on the altar and around it.

Aaron’s Burnt Offering

¹³ As for the burnt offering, they delivered it to Aaron^[j] piece by piece, and he burned the head on the altar, ¹⁴ washed the internal organs and thighs, and incinerated them on the altar, along with the whole burnt offering. ¹⁵ He brought the people’s offering, presenting a goat for a sin offering on behalf of the people. He slaughtered it and offered it as the first sin offering. ¹⁶ Then he brought the whole burnt offering and offered it according to procedure.

¹⁷ Next, he brought the grain offering, filled his hand with it, and burned it on the altar next to the burnt offering for that morning. ¹⁸ He slaughtered the ox and ram for the peace offering sacrifice on behalf of the people. Aaron’s sons delivered the blood to him, which he poured on the altar and around it. ¹⁹ As to the fat from the ox and the ram—the tail, the fat covering the kidneys, and the appendage of the liver— ²⁰ they placed the fat on the breast and burned the fat on the altar. ²¹ Aaron waved the breast and the right thigh as a raised offering in the Lord’s presence, just as Moses had commanded. ²² Aaron raised his hand toward the people and blessed them. Then he came down from the altar after^[k] offering the sin, whole burnt, and peace offerings.

²³ Moses and Aaron entered the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. ²⁴ A fire came down from the Lord’s presence and consumed the burnt offering on the altar as well as the fat. When the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

Nadab and Abihu^(B)

10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his own censer, placed fire in it, covered it with incense, and brought it into the Lord’s presence as unauthorized fire that he had never prescribed for them. ² As a result, fire came out from the Lord’s presence and incinerated them. They died while in the Lord’s presence. ³ Moses spoke with Aaron about what the Lord had said: “Among those who are near me, I’ll show myself holy so that I’ll be glorified before all people.” So Aaron remained silent.

After the Deaths of Nadab and Abihu

⁴ Then Moses called on Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, Aaron’s uncle, and said, “Come here and carry your brothers away from the sanctuary, outside the camp.” ⁵ So they approached to carry them in their tunics outside the camp, just as Moses had commanded.

⁶ Then Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “You are not to loosen the hair of your head and you are not to rend your clothes. That way, you won’t die and wrath won’t come on the entire congregation. Your brothers and the assembly^[l] of Israel will mourn because of the fire that the Lord kindled. ⁷ Also, you are not to leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Otherwise, you’ll die, since the Lord’s anointing oil remains on you.” So they followed Moses’ instructions.

Prohibitions against Drinking Wine

⁸ Then the Lord told Aaron, ⁹ “You and your sons with you are not to drink wine—that is, any intoxicating drink—when you enter the Tent of Meeting. That way, you won’t die. This is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations. ¹⁰ You are to differentiate between what’s sacred and common and between what’s unclean and clean. ¹¹ You are to teach the Israelis all the statutes that the Lord commanded you by the authority of Moses.”

Additional Orders for Offerings

¹² Then Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the leftovers from the grain offering and the offerings made by fire and eat the unleavened bread beside the altar, because it is most holy to the Lord. ¹³ Eat at a sacred place, because it’s your and your sons’ prescribed portions. It’s from the offering made by fire to the Lord, since I’ve commanded it. ¹⁴ As to the breast and thigh raised offerings, you and your sons and daughters with you may eat them^[m] at a clean place, because they belong to you and are your sons’ prescribed portions and were taken from the sacrifices of peace offering presented by the Israelis. ¹⁵ They are to bring the thigh offering, the breast raised offering, and the offerings made by fire from the fat to wave as a raised offering in the Lord’s presence. It will be a perpetual portion for you and your sons with you, just as the Lord commanded.”

Confusion Occurs, but is Resolved

¹⁶ Now Moses diligently sought for the goat that had been offered as a sin offering, but it had already been incinerated, so he was angry with Aaron’s sons who remained. He asked Eleazar and Ithamar, ¹⁷ “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering at the sacred place? It’s most holy and he has given it to you so that you may bear the punishment for the iniquity of the entire congregation and make atonement for them in the Lord’s presence. ¹⁸ Look! Its blood wasn’t brought inside the sanctuary. You were to have eaten it in the sanctuary, just as I commanded.”

¹⁹ But Aaron replied to Moses, “Today they’ve offered their sin and whole burnt offerings in the Lord’s presence. Yet things such as these have happened to me. Had I eaten the sin offering today, would that have pleased the Lord?”^[n]

²⁰ When Moses heard that explanation, he was pleased.

The Judgment of the Nations

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels are with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be assembled in front of him, and he will cull them out, one from another, like a shepherd separates sheep from goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right but the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who have been blessed by my Father! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, ³⁵ because I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. ³⁶ I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will say to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you something to eat, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or see you naked and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’

⁴⁰ The king will answer them, ‘I tell all of you^[a] with certainty, since you did it for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me, you who are accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the Devil and his angels! ⁴² Here’s why: I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. ⁴³ I was a stranger, and you didn’t welcome me. I was naked, and you didn’t clothe me. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

⁴⁴ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or as a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn’t help you?’

⁴⁵ Then he will say to them, ‘I tell all of you^[b] with certainty, since you didn’t do it for one of the least important of these, you didn’t do it for me.’ ⁴⁶ These people will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go^[c] into eternal life.”