Ordaining the priests

The ceremony for ordaining priests

(Exodus 29.1-37)

1The LORD said to Moses:

2Send 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. 3Then bring the whole community of Israel together at the entrance to the sacred tent.

4Moses obeyed the LORD, and when everyone had come together, 5he said, “We are here to follow the LORD's instructions.”

6After Moses told Aaron and his sons to step forward, he made them wash themselves. 7He put the priestly shirt and robe on Aaron and wrapped the sash around his waist. Then he put the sacred apron on Aaron and fastened it with the finely woven belt. 8Next, he put on Aaron the sacred breastpiece that was used in learning what the LORD wanted his people to do. 9He 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.

10Moses then dedicated the sacred tent and everything in it to the LORD by sprinkling them with some of the oil for ordination. 11He sprinkled the bronze altar seven times, and he sprinkled its equipment, as well as the large bronze bowl and its base. 12He also poured some of the oil on Aaron's head to dedicate him to the LORD. 13At last, 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.

14Moses led out the bull that was to be sacrificed for sin, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. 15After 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. 16Moses 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. 17Finally, he took the skin and the flesh of the bull, together with the food still in its stomach, and burnt them outside the camp, just as the LORD had commanded.

18Moses led out the ram for the sacrifice to please the LORD.8.18 sacrifice to please the LORD: See the note at 1.1-3. After Aaron and his sons had laid their hands on its head, 19Moses killed the ram and splattered its blood against the four sides of the altar. 20-21Moses 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.

22Moses led out the ram for the ceremony of ordination. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head, 23and it was killed. Moses smeared some of its blood on Aaron's right ear lobe, some on his right thumb, and some on the big toe of his right foot. 24Moses did the same thing for Aaron's sons, before splattering the rest of the blood against the four sides of the altar. 25He 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. 26Then he took from a basket some of each of the three kinds of bread8.26 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). that had been made without yeast and had been dedicated to the LORD.

27Moses placed the bread on top of the meat and gave it all to Aaron and his sons, who lifted it up8.27 lifted it up: See the note at 7.29,30. to show that it was dedicated to the LORD. 28After 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. 29Moses lifted up8.29 lifted up: See the note at 7.29,30. 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.

30Finally, 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.

31Moses 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. 32Burn what is left over 33and stay near the entrance to the sacred tent until the ordination ceremony ends seven days from now. 34We have obeyed the LORD in everything that has been done today, so that your sins may be forgiven.8.34 forgiven: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 34. 35The LORD has told me that you must stay near the entrance to the tent for seven days and nights, or else you will die.

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