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How to Consecrate Kohanim

29 “Now this is what you are to do to consecrate them, so that they may minister as kohanim. Take one young bull and two rams without blemish, along with matzot, cakes of matzot mixed with oil, and matzot wafers spread with oil. Make them from fine wheat flour. You are to put them into one basket and present them, along with the bull and the two rams. You are to bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water. Then take the garments, and put the tunic on Aaron, along with the robe, the ephod and the breastplate. Gird him with the artfully woven band of the ephod, set the turban on his head, and put the holy coronet on the turban. Then you are to take the anointing oil, pour it upon his head and anoint him. Also you are to bring his sons and put tunics on them. You are to gird Aaron and his sons with sashes, tie headwear on them, and they shall hold the priesthood by a perpetual statute. In this way you are to consecrate Aaron and his sons.

10 “You are to bring the bull before the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on its head. 11 You are to slaughter the bull before Adonai at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. 12 Then take the blood of the bull, put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out all the remaining blood at the base of the altar. 13 Also take all the fat that covers the innards, the lobe above the liver, the two kidneys, along with the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But the meat of the bull, along with its skin and its dung, you are to burn with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering.

15 “Then take one ram, have Aaron and his sons lay their hands upon the head of the ram, 16 then slaughter the ram, take its blood, and sprinkle it around the altar. 17 You are to cut the ram into pieces, wash its innards and its legs, and place them with its head and other pieces. 18 Then you are to offer the whole ram up in smoke on the altar. It is a burnt offering to Adonai, a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to Adonai.

19 “Then take the other ram, and have Aaron and his sons lay their hands upon the head of that ram. 20 Slaughter the ram, take its blood, and dab it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, on the tip of the right ears of his sons, on the thumb of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet, then pour the blood on the altar all around. 21 Also you are to take some of the blood that is on the altar, along with the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and their garments. In this way he and his garments are to be consecrated, along with his sons and their garments.

22 “Moreover, take some of the fat from the ram, along with the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the covering over the liver, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, along with the right thigh, because it is a ram of consecration. 23 Also take one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of matzot that is before Adonai. 24 You are to put the entirety into Aaron’s hands and the hands of his sons, and present them as a wave offering before Adonai. 25 Then you are to take them out of their hands and offer them up in smoke on the altar on top of the burnt offering, as a sweet aroma before Adonai, an offering made by fire to Adonai. 26 Also take the breast of Aaron’s ram of consecration and wave it as a wave offering before Adonai—so it will be your portion.

27 “Set apart the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution, which is waved and offered up, from the ram of consecration, including what belongs to Aaron and his sons. 28 It is to belong to Aaron and his sons as their due share forever from Bnei-Yisrael, because it is a contribution. It is to be a contribution from Bnei-Yisrael from their sacrifices of fellowship offerings, their contribution to Adonai.

29 “The holy garments of Aaron are to pass to his sons after him, to be anointed in them and to be consecrated in them. 30 The son that succeeds him as kohen, who comes into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the holy place, is to put them on for seven days.

31 “You are to take the ram of consecration and boil its meat in a holy place. 32 Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. 33 They are to eat those things with which atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them, but a layman is not to eat them, because they are holy. 34 If some of the meat of the consecration or the bread remains until the morning, you are to burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

35 “Do for Aaron and his sons everything according to what I have commanded you. Consecrate them for seven days. 36 Each day you are to offer a bull as a sin offering,[a] apart from the other offerings of atonement. Also purify the altar when you make atonement for it, and anoint it in order to sanctify it. 37 You are to make atonement for the altar for seven days, and so sanctify it. The altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will become holy.

38 “Now this is what you are to offer upon the altar: two one-year-old lambs, each day, continually. 39 You are to offer one lamb in the morning and the other lamb at dusk. 40 Offer along with the first lamb a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering. 41 The other lamb you are to offer at dusk, like the grain offering and drink offering of the morning, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to Adonai. 42 It is to be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before Adonai. There I will meet with you, to speak with you there. 43 I will meet with Bnei-Yisrael there. So it will be sanctified by My glory.

44 “So I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar. I will also sanctify Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as kohanim. 45 So I will dwell among Bnei-Yisrael and be their God. 46 Then they will know that I am Adonai their God, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, so that I may live among them. I am Adonai their God.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 29:36 cf. Heb. 10:11.

Consecration of the Priests(A)

29 “This is what you are to do to consecrate(B) them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect.(C) And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil.(D) Put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and the two rams.(E) Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.(F) Take the garments(G) and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband.(H) Put the turban(I) on his head and attach the sacred emblem(J) to the turban. Take the anointing oil(K) and anoint him by pouring it on his head. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics(L) and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons.[a](M) The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance.(N)

“Then you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

10 “Bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.(O) 11 Slaughter it in the Lord’s presence(P) at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 12 Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns(Q) of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar.(R) 13 Then take all the fat(S) on the internal organs,(T) the long lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But burn the bull’s flesh and its hide and its intestines(U) outside the camp.(V) It is a sin offering.[b]

15 “Take one of the rams,(W) and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.(X) 16 Slaughter it and take the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar. 17 Cut the ram into pieces and wash(Y) the internal organs and the legs, putting them with the head and the other pieces. 18 Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma,(Z) a food offering presented to the Lord.

19 “Take the other ram,(AA) and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.(AB) 20 Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet.(AC) Then splash blood against the sides of the altar.(AD) 21 And take some blood(AE) from the altar and some of the anointing oil(AF) and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated.(AG)

22 “Take from this ram the fat,(AH) the fat tail, the fat on the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. (This is the ram for the ordination.) 23 From the basket of bread made without yeast, which is before the Lord, take one round loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf. 24 Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and have them wave them before the Lord as a wave offering.(AI) 25 Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the Lord, a food offering presented to the Lord.(AJ) 26 After you take the breast of the ram for Aaron’s ordination, wave it before the Lord as a wave offering, and it will be your share.(AK)

27 “Consecrate those parts of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons:(AL) the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. 28 This is always to be the perpetual share from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons. It is the contribution the Israelites are to make to the Lord from their fellowship offerings.(AM)

29 “Aaron’s sacred garments(AN) will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them.(AO) 30 The son(AP) who succeeds him as priest and comes to the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place is to wear them seven days.

31 “Take the ram(AQ) for the ordination and cook the meat in a sacred place.(AR) 32 At the entrance to the tent of meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread(AS) that is in the basket. 33 They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eat(AT) them, because they are sacred. 34 And if any of the meat of the ordination ram or any bread is left over till morning,(AU) burn it up. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred.

35 “Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. 36 Sacrifice a bull each day(AV) as a sin offering to make atonement(AW). Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate(AX) it. 37 For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy.(AY)

38 “This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day:(AZ) two lambs a year old. 39 Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight.(BA) 40 With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah[c] of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin[d] of oil(BB) from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering.(BC) 41 Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight(BD) with the same grain offering(BE) and its drink offering as in the morning—a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.

42 “For the generations to come(BF) this burnt offering is to be made regularly(BG) at the entrance to the tent of meeting,(BH) before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you;(BI) 43 there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory.(BJ)

44 “So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests.(BK) 45 Then I will dwell(BL) among the Israelites and be their God.(BM) 46 They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt(BN) so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.(BO)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 29:9 Hebrew; Septuagint on them
  2. Exodus 29:14 Or purification offering; also in verse 36
  3. Exodus 29:40 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  4. Exodus 29:40 That is, probably about 1 quart or about 1 liter