Sirach 45

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

⁶ He exalted Aaron, a holy man like Moses,^[c]
    who was his brother, of the tribe of Levi.^(E)
7 He made an everlasting covenant with him
    and gave him the priesthood of the people.
He blessed him with stateliness
    and put a glorious robe on him.^(F)
8 He clothed him in perfect splendor^[d]
    and strengthened him with the apparel of authority,
    the linen undergarments, the long robe, and the ephod.^(G)
9 And he encircled him with pomegranates,
    with many golden bells all around,
to send forth a sound as he walked,
    to make their ringing heard in the temple
    as a reminder to his people;^(H)
10 with the sacred vestment, of gold and violet
    and purple, the work of an embroiderer;
with the oracle of judgment, the manifestations of truth;^(I)
11     with twisted crimson, the work of an artisan;
with precious stones engraved like seals,
    in a setting of gold, the work of a jeweler,
to commemorate in engraved letters
    each of the tribes of Israel;^(J)
12 with a gold crown upon his turban,
    inscribed like a holy seal,
majestic and glorious, a work of power,
    a delight to the eyes, richly adorned.^(K)
13 Before him such beautiful things did not exist.
    No outsider ever put them on,
but only his sons
    and his descendants in perpetuity.^(L)
14 His sacrifices shall be wholly burned
    twice every day continually.^(M)
15 Moses ordained him
    and anointed him with holy oil;
it was an everlasting covenant for him
    and for his descendants as long as the heavens endure,
to minister to the Lord^[e] and serve as priest
    and bless his people in his name.^(N)
16 He chose him out of all the living
    to offer sacrifice to the Lord,
incense and a pleasing odor as a memorial,
    to make atonement for the^[f] people.^(O)
17 In his commandments he gave him
    authority, by means of a decree, and^[g] judgments,
to teach Jacob the testimonies
    and to enlighten Israel with his law.^(P)
18 Outsiders conspired against him
    and envied him in the wilderness,
Dathan and Abiram and their followers
    and the company of Korah, in wrath and anger.^(Q)
19 The Lord saw it and was not pleased,
    and in the heat of his anger they were destroyed;
he performed wonders against them
    to consume them in flaming fire.^(R)
20 He added glory to Aaron
    and gave him a heritage;
he allotted to him the best of the first fruits
    and prepared bread of first fruits in abundance,^(S)
21 for they eat the sacrifices of the Lord,
    which he gave to him and his descendants.^(T)
22 But in the land of the people he has no inheritance,
    and he has no portion among the people,
    for the Lord^[h] himself is his^[i] portion and inheritance.^(U)

²³ Phinehas son of Eleazar ranks third in glory
    for being zealous in the fear of the Lord
and standing firm, when the people turned away,
    in the noble courage of his soul,
    and he made atonement for Israel.^(V)
24 Therefore a covenant of peace was established with him,
    that he should be leader of the sanctuary and of his people,
that he and his descendants should have
    the dignity of the priesthood forever.
²⁵ Just as a covenant was established with David
    son of Jesse of the tribe of Judah,
that the king’s heritage passes only from son to son,
    so the heritage of Aaron is for his descendants alone.^(W)