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The Ceremony for Ordaining Priests

(Exodus 29.1-37)

The Lord said to Moses:

Send for Aaron and his sons, as well as their priestly clothes, the oil for ordination, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams, and a basket of bread made without yeast. Then bring the whole community of Israel together at the entrance to the sacred tent.

Moses obeyed the Lord, and when everyone had come together, he said, “We are here to follow the Lord's instructions.”

After Moses told Aaron and his sons to step forward, he told them to wash themselves. He put the priestly shirt and robe on Aaron and wrapped the sash around his waist. Then he put the sacred vest on Aaron and fastened it with the finely woven belt. Next, he put on Aaron the sacred breastpiece that was used in finding out what the Lord wanted his people to do. He placed the turban on Aaron's head, and on the front of the turban was the narrow strip of thin gold as a sign of his dedication to the Lord.

10 Moses then dedicated the sacred tent and everything in it to the Lord by sprinkling them with some of the oil for ordination. 11 He sprinkled the bronze altar seven times, and he sprinkled its equipment, as well as the large bronze bowl and its base. 12 He also poured some of the oil on Aaron's head to dedicate him to the Lord. 13 Next, Moses dressed Aaron's sons in their shirts, then tied sashes around them and put special caps on them, just as the Lord had commanded.

14 Moses led out the bull that was to be sacrificed for sin, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. 15 After it was killed, Moses dipped a finger in the blood and smeared some of it on each of the four corners of the bronze altar, before pouring out the rest at the foot of the altar. This purified the altar and made it a fit place for offering the sacrifice for sin. 16 Moses then took the fat on the bull's insides, as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and sent them up in smoke on the altar fire. 17 Finally, he took the skin and the flesh of the bull, together with the food still in its stomach, and burned them outside the camp, just as the Lord had commanded.

18 Moses led out the ram for the sacrifice to please the Lord.[a] After Aaron and his sons had laid their hands on its head, 19 Moses killed the ram and splattered its blood against the four sides of the altar. 20-21 Moses had the animal cut up, and he washed its insides and hind legs. Then he laid the head, the fat, and the rest of the ram on the altar and sent them up in smoke with a smell that pleased the Lord. All this was done just as the Lord had commanded.

22 Moses led out the ram for the ceremony of ordination. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head, 23 and it was killed. Moses smeared some of its blood on Aaron's right earlobe, some on his right thumb, and some on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Moses did the same thing for Aaron's sons, before splattering the rest of the blood against the four sides of the altar. 25 He took the animal's fat tail, the fat on its insides, and the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and the right hind leg. 26 Then he took from a basket some of each of the three kinds of bread[b] that had been made without yeast and had been dedicated to the Lord.

27 Moses placed the bread on top of the meat and gave it all to Aaron and his sons, who lifted it up[c] to show that it was dedicated to the Lord. 28 After this, Moses placed it on the fires of the altar and sent it up in smoke with a smell that pleased the Lord. This was part of the ordination ceremony. 29 Moses lifted up[d] the choice ribs of the ram to show that they were dedicated to the Lord. This was the part that the Lord had said Moses could have.

30 Finally, Moses sprinkled the priestly clothes of Aaron and his sons with some of the oil for ordination and with some of the blood from the altar. So Aaron and his sons, together with their priestly clothes, were dedicated to the Lord.

31 Moses said to Aaron and his sons:

The Lord told me that you must boil this meat at the entrance to the sacred tent and eat it there with the bread. 32 Burn what is left over 33 and stay near the entrance to the sacred tent until the ordination ceremony ends seven days from now. 34 We have obeyed the Lord in everything that has been done today, so that your sins may be forgiven.[e] 35 The Lord has told me that you must stay near the entrance to the tent for seven days and nights, or else you will die.

36 Aaron and his sons obeyed everything that the Lord had told Moses they must do.

Footnotes

  1. 8.18 sacrifice to please the Lord: See the note at 1.1-3.
  2. 8.26 three kinds of bread: Made from the finest wheat flour; olive oil was mixed into part of the dough, and some of it was made into thin wafers brushed with oil (see Exodus 29.2,3).
  3. 8.27 lifted it up: See the note at 7.29,30.
  4. 8.29 lifted it up: See the note at 7.29,30.
  5. 8.34 forgiven: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 34.

The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons(A)

The Lord said to Moses, “Bring Aaron and his sons,(B) their garments,(C) the anointing oil,(D) the bull for the sin offering,[a](E) the two rams(F) and the basket containing bread made without yeast,(G) and gather the entire assembly(H) at the entrance to the tent of meeting.” Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

Moses said to the assembly, “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.(I) Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water.(J) He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him. He also fastened the ephod with a decorative waistband, which he tied around him.(K) He placed the breastpiece(L) on him and put the Urim and Thummim(M) in the breastpiece. Then he placed the turban(N) on Aaron’s head and set the gold plate, the sacred emblem,(O) on the front of it, as the Lord commanded Moses.(P)

10 Then Moses took the anointing oil(Q) and anointed(R) the tabernacle(S) and everything in it, and so consecrated them. 11 He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them.(T) 12 He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed(U) him to consecrate him.(V) 13 Then he brought Aaron’s sons(W) forward, put tunics(X) on them, tied sashes around them and fastened caps on them, as the Lord commanded Moses.(Y)

14 He then presented the bull(Z) for the sin offering,(AA) and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.(AB) 15 Moses slaughtered the bull and took some of the blood,(AC) and with his finger he put it on all the horns of the altar(AD) to purify the altar.(AE) He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. So he consecrated it to make atonement for it.(AF) 16 Moses also took all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and both kidneys and their fat, and burned it on the altar. 17 But the bull with its hide and its flesh and its intestines(AG) he burned up outside the camp,(AH) as the Lord commanded Moses.

18 He then presented the ram(AI) for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. 19 Then Moses slaughtered the ram and splashed the blood against the sides of the altar. 20 He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces and the fat.(AJ) 21 He washed the internal organs and the legs with water and burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

22 He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination,(AK) and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.(AL) 23 Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.(AM) 24 Moses also brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splashed blood against the sides of the altar.(AN) 25 After that, he took the fat(AO), the fat tail, all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. 26 And from the basket of bread made without yeast, which was before the Lord, he took one thick loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf,(AP) and he put these on the fat portions and on the right thigh. 27 He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and they waved them before the Lord(AQ) as a wave offering. 28 Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering as an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord. 29 Moses also took the breast, which was his share of the ordination ram,(AR) and waved it before the Lord as a wave offering, as the Lord commanded Moses.

30 Then Moses(AS) took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments(AT) and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated(AU) Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments.

31 Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, “Cook the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting(AV) and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I was commanded: ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it.’ 32 Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. 33 Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days.(AW) 34 What has been done today was commanded by the Lord(AX) to make atonement for you. 35 You must stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and do what the Lord requires,(AY) so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded.”

36 So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 8:2 Or purification offering; also in verse 14