Exodus 29

Chapter 29

Dedication of the Priests

1 “This is the ceremony you must follow when you consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams with no defects.2 Then, using choice wheat flour and no yeast, make loaves of bread, thin cakes mixed with olive oil, and wafers spread with oil.

3 Place them all in a single basket, and present them at the entrance of the Tabernacle, along with the young bull and the two rams.
4 “Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the Tabernacle,t and wash them with water.5 Dress Aaron in his priestly garments—the tunic, the robe worn with the ephod, the ephod itself, and the chestpiece. Then wrap the decorative sash of the ephod around him.6 Place the turban on his head, and fasten the sacred medallion to the turban.7 Then anoint him by pouring the anointing oil over his head.8 Next present his sons, and dress them in their tunics.

9 Wrap the sashes around the waists of Aaron and his sons, and put their special head coverings on them. Then the right to the priesthood will be theirs by law forever. In this way, you will ordain Aaron and his sons.
10 “Bring the young bull to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on its head.11 Then slaughter the bull in the LORD’s presence at the entrance of the Tabernacle.12 Put some of its blood on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest at the base of the altar.13 Take all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, and burn it all on the altar.

14 Then take the rest of the bull, including its hide, meat, and dung, and burn it outside the camp as a sin offering.
15 “Next Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the head of one of the rams.16 Then slaughter the ram, and splatter its blood against all sides of the altar.17 Cut the ram into pieces, and wash off the internal organs and the legs. Set them alongside the head and the other pieces of the body,

18 then burn the entire animal on the altar. This is a burnt offering to the LORD; it is a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the LORD.
19 “Now take the other ram, and have Aaron and his sons lay their hands on its head.20 Then slaughter it, and apply some of its blood to the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons. Also put it on the thumbs of their right hands and the big toes of their right feet. Splatter the rest of the blood against all sides of the altar.

21 Then take some of the blood from the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his sons and on their garments. In this way, they and their garments will be set apart as holy.
22 “Since this is the ram for the ordination of Aaron and his sons, take the fat of the ram, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, along with the right thigh.23 Then take one round loaf of bread, one thin cake mixed with olive oil, and one wafer from the basket of bread without yeast that was placed in the LORD’s presence.24 Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons to be lifted up as a special offering to the LORD.25 Afterward take the various breads from their hands, and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering. It is a pleasing aroma to the LORD, a special gift for him.

26 Then take the breast of Aaron’s ordination ram, and lift it up in the LORD’s presence as a special offering to him. Then keep it as your own portion.
27 “Set aside the portions of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons. This includes the breast and the thigh that were lifted up before the LORD as a special offering.

28 In the future, whenever the people of Israel lift up a peace offering, a portion of it must be set aside for Aaron and his descendants. This is their permanent right, and it is a sacred offering from the Israelites to the LORD.
29 “Aaron’s sacred garments must be preserved for his descendants who succeed him, and they will wear them when they are anointed and ordained.

30 The descendant who succeeds him as high priest will wear these clothes for seven days as he ministers in the Tabernacle and the Holy Place.
31 “Take the ram used in the ordination ceremony, and boil its meat in a sacred place.32 Then Aaron and his sons will eat this meat, along with the bread in the basket, at the Tabernacle entrance.33 They alone may eat the meat and bread used for their purificationt in the ordination ceremony. No one else may eat them, for these things are set apart and holy.

34 If any of the ordination meat or bread remains until the morning, it must be burned. It may not be eaten, for it is holy.
35 “This is how you will ordain Aaron and his sons to their offices, just as I have commanded you. The ordination ceremony will go on for seven days.36 Each day you must sacrifice a young bull as a sin offering to purify them, making them right with the LORD.t Afterward, cleanse the altar by purifying itt; make it holy by anointing it with oil.

37 Purify the altar, and consecrate it every day for seven days. After that, the altar will be absolutely holy, and whatever touches it will become holy.
38 “These are the sacrifices you are to offer regularly on the altar. Each day, offer two lambs that are a year old,39 one in the morning and the other in the evening.40 With one of them, offer two quarts of choice flour mixed with one quart of pure oil of pressed olives; also, offer one quart of winet as a liquid offering.

41 Offer the other lamb in the evening, along with the same offerings of flour and wine as in the morning. It will be a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the LORD.
42 “These burnt offerings are to be made each day from generation to generation. Offer them in the LORD’s presence at the Tabernacle entrance; there I will meet with you and speak with you.43 I will meet the people of Israel there, in the place made holy by my glorious presence.44 Yes, I will consecrate the Tabernacle and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests.45 Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God,

46 and they will know that I am the LORD their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the LORD their God.

Exodus 30

Chapter 30

Plans for the Incense Altar

1 “Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense.2 Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high,t with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself.3 Overlay the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and run a gold molding around the entire altar.4 Make two gold rings, and attach them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles.5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

6 Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant,t in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant.t I will meet with you there.
7 “Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar.8 And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the LORD’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation.

9 Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.

10 “Once a year Aaron must purifyt the altar by smearing its horns with blood from the offering made to purify the people from their sin. This will be a regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the LORD’s most holy altar.”

Money for the Tabernacle

11 Then the LORD said to Moses,12 “Whenever you take a census of the people of Israel, each man who is counted must pay a ransom for himself to the LORD. Then no plague will strike the people as you count them.13 Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the LORD. (This payment is half a shekel,t based on the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.)14 All who have reached their twentieth birthday must give this sacred offering to the LORD.15 When this offering is given to the LORD to purify your lives, making you right with him,t the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less.

16 Receive this ransom money from the Israelites, and use it for the care of the Tabernacle.t It will bring the Israelites to the LORD’s attention, and it will purify your lives.”

Plans for the Washbasin

17 Then the LORD said to Moses,18 “Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze stand. Place it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water.19 Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there.20 They must wash with water whenever they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the LORD and when they approach the altar to burn up their special gifts to the LORD—or they will die!

21 They must always wash their hands and feet, or they will die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and his descendants, to be observed from generation to generation.”

The Anointing Oil

22 Then the LORD said to Moses,23 “Collect choice spices—121/2 pounds of pure myrrh, 61/4 pounds of fragrant cinnamon, 61/4 pounds of fragrant calamus,t24 and 121/2 pounds of cassiat—as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. Also get one gallon of olive oil.t25 Like a skilled incense maker, blend these ingredients to make a holy anointing oil.26 Use this sacred oil to anoint the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant,27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its accessories, the incense altar,28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the washbasin with its stand.

29 Consecrate them to make them absolutely holy. After this, whatever touches them will also become holy.
30 “Anoint Aaron and his sons also, consecrating them to serve me as priests.31 And say to the people of Israel, ‘This holy anointing oil is reserved for me from generation to generation.32 It must never be used to anoint anyone else, and you must never make any blend like it for yourselves. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy.

33 Anyone who makes a blend like it or anoints someone other than a priest will be cut off from the community.’”

The Incense

34 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Gather fragrant spices—resin droplets, mollusk shell, and galbanum—and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense, weighed out in equal amounts.35 Using the usual techniques of the incense maker, blend the spices together and sprinkle them with salt to produce a pure and holy incense.36 Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder and put it in front of the Ark of the Covenant,t where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle. You must treat this incense as most holy.37 Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the LORD, and you must treat it as holy.

38 Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community.”

Exodus 31

Chapter 31

Craftsmen: Bezalel and Oholiab

1 Then the LORD said to Moses,2 “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.3 I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts.4 He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze.

5 He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!

6 “And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make:
7 the Tabernacle;t
the Ark of the Covenant;t
the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement;
all the furnishings of the Tabernacle;8 the table and its utensils;
the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories;
the incense altar;9 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils;
the washbasin with its stand;10 the beautifully stitched garments—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests;

11 the anointing oil;
the fragrant incense for the Holy Place.
The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you.”

Instructions for the Sabbath

12 The LORD then gave these instructions to Moses:13 “Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.14 You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community.15 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the LORD. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death.16 The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time.

17 It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.’”

18 When the LORD finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant,t written by the finger of God.