¹⁷ Now they began ^[a]the consecration ^(A)on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they entered the porch of the Lord. Then they consecrated the house of the Lord in eight days, and finished on the sixteenth day of the first month.

³⁴ But the priests were too few, so that they were unable to skin all the burnt offerings; ^(A)therefore their brothers the Levites helped them until the work was finished and the other priests had consecrated themselves. For ^(B)the Levites were more ^[a]conscientious to consecrate themselves than the priests.