Ordination of the Priesthood

(Exodus 29:1-37)

1The LORD told Moses, 2“Take Aaron, his sons with him, the clothing, the anointing oil, the bull for sin offering, two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread 3and then assemble the entire congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”

4So Moses did just as the LORD had commanded him. He assembled the congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 5Moses told the congregation, “This is what the LORD commanded to be done.”

6Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. 7Then he clothed Aaron with the tunic, girded him with the banda for priests, clothed him with the robe, placed the ephod on him, girded him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and bound it on him. 8He set the breastplate on him, placed the Urim and Thummimb on top of the breastplate, 9then he set the turban on his head. On the turban at the front he set the golden plate, the sacred crown that the LORD had commanded. 10After this, Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tent, consecrating everything that was in it. 11He sprinkled some on the altar seven times, and then anointed the altar, all its vessels, the basin, and its base to consecrate them. 12After doing this, he poured the oil of anointing on Aaron’s head to anoint and consecrate him. 13Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons, clothed them with the tunics, girded them with the bands, and bound turbans on them, just as the LORD had commanded him.c

Moses’ Sin and Whole Offerings

14Next, he brought the bull for a sin offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the bull’s head for a sin offering. 15So Moses slaughtered it, took the blood, and applied some of it at the horns of the altar and around it with his fingers, thus purifying the altar. Then he poured the blood at the base of the altar, thereby sanctifying it as a means to make atonement with it. 16Moses burned on the altar all the fat on the internal organs, the appendage on the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat. 17As to the bull and its fat, skin, and offal, he incinerated them outside the camp, just as the LORD had commanded him.d 18Next, he brought the ram for the whole burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, 19and Moses slaughtered it and poured its blood over and around the altar. 20As to the ram, he cut it into parts at the joints, burned the head, the internal organs, and the fat, 21washed the internal organs and the thigh with water, and then burned the entire ram on the altar as a whole burnt offering, a pleasing aroma of an offering made by fire to the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.e

Moses’ Consecration Offerings

22Moses brought the ram—that is, the second of the rams—for consecration. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23Moses then slaughtered it, took some of its blood, and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe, right thumb, and right great toe. 24Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons, took some of the ram’s blood, put it on their right earlobes, on their right thumbs, and on their right great toes, and then poured the blood on the altar and all around it. 25Then he took the fat from the tail, all the fat on the internal organs, the appendage of the liver, the two kidneys with the fat, and the right thigh. 26From the basket of unleavened bread that is in the LORD’S presence he took one piece of unleavened bread, one cake spread with olive oil, and one wafer, which he placed over the fat and the right thigh. 27He put all of these things in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and they all waved them in a raised offering to the LORD. 28After this, Moses took those things from their hands and burned them on the altar over the whole burnt offering for consecration. They served as a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. 29Moses took the breast and waved it as a raised offering in the LORD’s presence as the portion that belonged to Moses from the ram of consecration, just as the LORD had commanded him.f

Moses’ Oil of Anointing

30Moses took some anointing oil and blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his clothes, on his sons, and on their clothes, consecrating Aaron, his clothes, his sons, and their clothes. 31Then he told Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. You may eat it there, along with the bread that is in the basket for consecration, just as I’ve commanded when I told him, ‘Aaron and his sons may eat of it, 32but the leftover meat and bread is to be incinerated.’ 33Furthermore, you are not to go out past the entrance to the Tent of Meeting until the days of your ordination have been completed, since it will take seven days to ordain you. 34What has been done todayg has been commanded by the LORD to make atonement for you. 35Stay seven days and nights at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and attend to the service of the LORD, so that you won’t die, because this is what I’ve commanded.”

36So Aaron and his sons did everything that the LORD had commanded throughh Moses.