8
Aaron and His Sons Made Priests
(Exodus 29:1–45)
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “Take Aaron and his sons, the priests’ clothes, the anointing oil, the bull that will be the offering for sin, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread. 3 Gather the whole congregation at the entrance to the tent of meeting.”
4 Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation gathered at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 5 Moses told the congregation, “The Lord has commanded that this is what you must do.”
6 Moses had Aaron and his sons come forward, and he washed them. 7 He put the linen robe on Aaron and fastened the belt around him. He also dressed him in the robe that is worn with the ephod.* He fastened the ephod to it. 8 Then he put the breastplate on him, and into it he placed the Urim and Thummim.† 9 He put the turban on him and fastened the gold medallion (the holy crown) to the front of the turban as the Lord had commanded Moses.
10 Moses took the anointing oil to anoint the tent and everything in it and dedicate them. 11 He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times and anointed the altar, all the utensils, and the basin with its stand to dedicate them.
12 He also poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to set him apart for his holy duties.
13 Moses had Aaron’s sons come forward. He put linen robes on them, fastened their belts around them, and put turbans on them as the Lord had commanded Moses.
14 He brought the bull that was the offering for sin. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. 15 When it was slaughtered, Moses took the blood and put it on the horns of the altar all around with his finger and cleansed the altar from sins. He poured the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar and declared it holy so that priests could use it to make peace with the Lord. 16 Moses took all the fat that was on the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and he burned them on the altar. 17 He burned the rest of the bull, its skin, meat, and excrement outside the camp, as the Lord commanded him.
18 He brought forward the ram for the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the ram’s head. 19 Moses slaughtered it and threw the blood against the altar on all sides. 20 When the ram was cut into pieces, Moses burned the head with the other pieces and the fat. 21 He washed the internal organs and the legs. Then Moses burned the whole ram on the altar as the Lord commanded him. It was a burnt offering, a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.
22 He brought forward the second ram for the ordination offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the ram’s head. 23 Moses slaughtered it, took some of the blood, and put it on Aaron’s right ear lobe, on his right thumb, and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Moses also brought Aaron’s sons forward. He put some of the blood on their right ear lobes, on their right thumbs, and on the big toes of their right feet. Moses threw the rest of the blood against all the sides of the altar. 25 He took the fat, the fat from the tail, all the fat on the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys with their fat, and the right thigh. 26 He took a loaf of unleavened bread, a ring of bread made with olive oil, and a wafer from the basket of unleavened bread which was in the Lord’s presence. He put them on the fat and the right thigh. 27 Then he placed all these things in the hands of Aaron and his sons. Moses presented all these things to the Lord as an offering. 28 Then he took them from their hands and burned them on top of the burnt offering on the altar. These were ordination offerings, offerings by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord. 29 Moses also took the breast from the ram of the ordination offering and presented it to the Lord. It was Moses’ share, as the Lord had commanded.
30 Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar, sprinkled it on Aaron and his clothes and on his sons and their clothes. In this way he dedicated Aaron, his clothes, his sons, and their clothes.
31 Moses told Aaron and his sons: “Cook the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Take the meat and the bread in the basket of the ordination offering. Eat them there as I commanded when I said, ‘Aaron and his sons will eat it.’ 32 You must burn any meat or bread that is left over. 33 You will not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, not until the last day of your ordination is over. It will take seven days to ordain you. 34 I did today what the Lord commanded me to make peace with the Lord for you. 35 You will stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and serve as the Lord tells you. Then you will not die. This is what I was commanded.”
36 So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses.
* 8:7 Ephod is a technical term for part of the priest’s clothes. Its exact usage and shape are unknown. † 8:8 The Urim and Thummim were used by the chief priest to determine God’s answer to questions.