Taking Care of the Lamps

(Exodus 27.20,21)

1The Lord told Moses 2to give the following orders to the people of Israel: Bring pure olive oil of the finest quality for the lamps in the Tent, so that a light might be kept burning regularly. 3Each evening Aaron shall light them and keep them burning until morning, there in the Lord's presence outside the curtain in front of the Covenant Box, which is in the Most Holy Place. This regulation is to be observed for all time to come. 4Aaron shall take care of the lamps on the lampstand of pure gold and must see that they burn regularly in the Lord's presence.

The Bread Offered to God

5 Take twenty-four pounds of flour and bake twelve loaves of bread. 6Put the loaves in two rows, six in each row, on the table covered with pure gold, which is in the Lord's presence. 7Put some pure incense on each row, as a token food offering to the Lord to take the place of the bread. 8Every Sabbath, for all time to come, the bread must be placed in the presence of the Lord. This is Israel's duty forever. 9 The bread belongs to Aaron and his descendants, and they shall eat it in a holy place, because this is a very holy part of the food offered to the Lord for the priests.

An Example of Just and Fair Punishment

10-11There was a man whose father was an Egyptian and whose mother was an Israelite named Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri from the tribe of Dan. There in the camp this man quarreled with an Israelite. During the quarrel he cursed the Lord, so they took him to Moses, 12put him under guard, and waited for the Lord to tell them what to do with him.

13The Lord said to Moses, 14“Take that man out of the camp. Everyone who heard him curse shall put his hands on the man's head to testify that he is guilty, and then the whole community shall stone him to death. 15Then tell the people of Israel that anyone who curses God must suffer the consequences 16and be put to death. Any Israelite or any foreigner living in Israel who curses the Lord shall be stoned to death by the whole community.

17 “Any who commit murder shall be put to death, 18and any who kill an animal belonging to someone else must replace it. The principle is a life for a life.

19“If any of you injure another person, whatever you have done shall be done to you. 20 If you break a bone, one of your bones shall be broken; if you put out an eye, one of your eyes shall be put out; if you knock out a tooth, one of your teeth shall be knocked out. Whatever injury you cause another person shall be done to you in return. 21Whoever kills an animal shall replace it, but whoever kills a human being shall be put to death. 22 This law applies to all of you, to Israelites and to foreigners living among you, because I am the Lord your God.”

23When Moses had said this to the people of Israel, they took the man outside the camp and stoned him to death. In this way the people of Israel did what the Lord had commanded Moses.