Preparing the Priests to Serve the Lord

8 The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ² “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting. Bring their clothes and the anointing oil. Bring the bull for the sin offering. Also bring two rams. And bring the basket with the bread made without yeast. ³ Then gather the whole community at the entrance to the tent of meeting.” ⁴ Moses did just as the Lord had commanded him. All the people gathered together at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

⁵ Moses said to the people, “Here is what the Lord has commanded us to do.” ⁶ Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons to the people. He washed Aaron and his sons with water. ⁷ He put the inner robe on Aaron. He tied the belt around him. He dressed him in the outer robe. He put the linen apron on him. He took the skillfully made waistband and tied the apron on him with it. He wanted to make sure it was securely tied to him. ⁸ Moses placed the chest cloth on Aaron. He put the Urim and Thummim in the chest cloth. ⁹ Then he placed the turban on Aaron’s head. On the front of the turban he put the gold plate. It was a sacred crown. Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.

¹⁰ Then Moses took the anointing oil and poured it on the holy tent. He also poured it on everything in it. That’s how he set apart those things for the Lord. ¹¹ He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times. He poured oil on the altar and all its tools. He poured it on the large bowl and its stand. He did it to set them apart. ¹² He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head. He anointed him to set him apart to serve the Lord. ¹³ Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons to the people. He put the inner robes on them. He tied belts around them. He put caps on their heads. He did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.

¹⁴ Then he brought the bull for the sin offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. ¹⁵ Moses killed the bull. He dipped his finger into some of the blood. He put it on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar. He did it to make the altar pure. He poured out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. So he set it apart to make it pure. ¹⁶ Moses also removed all the fat around the inside parts of the bull. He removed the long part of the liver. He took both kidneys and their fat. Then he burned all of it on the altar. ¹⁷ But he burned the rest of the bull outside the camp. He burned up its hide, its meat and its guts. He did it just as the Lord had commanded him.

¹⁸ Then Moses brought the ram for the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. ¹⁹ Moses killed the ram. He splashed the blood against the sides of the altar. ²⁰ He cut the ram into pieces. He burned the head, the other pieces and the fat. ²¹ He washed the inside parts and the legs with water. He burned the whole ram on the altar as a burnt offering. It had a pleasant smell. It was a food offering presented to the Lord. Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.

²² Then he brought the other ram. It was sacrificed to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. ²³ Moses killed the ram. He put some of its blood on Aaron’s right earlobe. He put some on the thumb of Aaron’s right hand. He also put some on the big toe of Aaron’s right foot. ²⁴ Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons to the people. He put some of the blood on their right earlobes. He put some on the thumbs of their right hands. He also put some on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splashed the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar. ²⁵ He removed the fat, the fat tail and all the fat around the inside parts. He removed the long part of the liver. He removed both kidneys and their fat. And he removed the right thigh. ²⁶ Then he took a thick loaf of bread from the basket of bread made without yeast. The basket was in front of the Lord. Moses took a thick loaf of bread made with olive oil. He also took a thin loaf of bread. He put all of it on the fat parts of the ram and on its right thigh. ²⁷ He put everything in the hands of Aaron and his sons. He told them to lift it up and wave it in front of the Lord as a wave offering. ²⁸ Then Moses took it from their hands. He burned it on the altar on top of the burnt offering. It was the offering that was sacrificed to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. It had a pleasant smell. It was a food offering presented to the Lord. ²⁹ Moses also lifted up the ram’s breast and waved it in front of the Lord as a wave offering. The breast was Moses’ share of the ram that was sacrificed to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.

³⁰ Then Moses took some of the anointing oil. He also took some of the blood from the altar. He sprinkled some of the oil and blood on Aaron and his clothes. He also sprinkled some on Aaron’s sons and their clothes. That’s how he set apart Aaron and his clothes. And that’s how he set apart Aaron’s sons and their clothes.

³¹ Then Moses spoke to Aaron and his sons. He said, “Cook the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Eat it there along with the bread from the basket of the offerings that are brought to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. Do it just as I was commanded. I was told, ‘Aaron and his sons must eat it.’ ³² Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. ³³ Don’t leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days. Don’t leave until the days that are required to prepare you for serving the Lord have been completed. Stay here for the full seven days. ³⁴ The Lord commanded what has been done here today. It was done to pay for your sin. ³⁵ Stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days. Stay here day and night. Do what the Lord requires. Then you won’t die. That’s the command the Lord gave me.”

³⁶ So Aaron and his sons did everything just as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

The Priests Offer Sacrifices

9 On the eighth day Moses sent for Aaron, his sons and the elders of Israel. ² He said to Aaron, “Bring a bull calf for your sin offering. Bring a ram for your burnt offering. They must not have any flaws. Offer them to the Lord. ³ Then speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘Bring a male goat for a sin offering. Bring a calf and a lamb for a burnt offering. Both of them must be a year old. They must not have any flaws. ⁴ Bring an ox and a ram for a friendship offering. Sacrifice all of them to the Lord. Also bring a grain offering. Mix it with olive oil. Today the Lord will appear to you.’ ”

⁵ The people got the things Moses commanded them to get. They took them to the front of the tent of meeting. The whole community came up close to the tent. They stood there in front of the Lord. ⁶ Then Moses said, “You have done what the Lord has commanded. So the glory of the Lord will appear to you.”

⁷ Moses said to Aaron, “Come to the altar. Sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering. Pay for your sin and the sin of the people. Sacrifice the people’s offering. Pay for their sin. Do just as the Lord has commanded.”

⁸ So Aaron came to the altar. He killed the calf as a sin offering for himself. ⁹ His sons brought its blood to him. He dipped his finger into the blood. He put some on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. ¹⁰ He burned the fat and the kidneys on the altar. He also burned the long part of the liver. All these parts were from the sin offering. Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ¹¹ He burned up the meat and the hide outside the camp.

¹² Then he killed the animal for the burnt offering. His sons handed him its blood. He splashed it against the sides of the altar. ¹³ They handed him the burnt offering piece by piece. It included the animal’s head. Aaron burned everything on the altar. ¹⁴ He washed the inside parts and the legs. He burned them on top of the burnt offering on the altar.

¹⁵ Then Aaron brought the people’s offering. He took the goat for their sin offering and killed it. He offered it for a sin offering. He did just as he had done with his own sin offering.

¹⁶ He brought the animal for the burnt offering. He offered it in the way the law requires. ¹⁷ He also brought the grain offering. He took a handful of it and burned it on the altar. It was in addition to that morning’s burnt offering.

¹⁸ Aaron killed the ox and the ram as the friendship offering for the people. His sons handed him the blood. He splashed it against the sides of the altar. ¹⁹ His sons also brought the fat parts of the ox and the ram. They included the fat tail and the layer of fat. They also included the kidneys and the long part of the liver. ²⁰ Aaron’s sons placed everything on the breasts of the animals. Aaron burned the fat on the altar. ²¹ He lifted up the breasts and the right thigh and waved them in front of the Lord as a wave offering. He did it just as Moses had commanded.

²² Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people. He gave them a blessing. He had already sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the friendship offering. So he stepped down from the altar.

²³ Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they gave the people a blessing. The glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. ²⁴ The Lord sent fire on the altar. The fire burned up the burnt offering along with the fat parts. All the people saw it. Then they shouted for joy. They fell with their faces to the ground.

The Lord Kills Nadab and Abihu

10 Nadab and Abihu were two of Aaron’s sons. They got their shallow cups for burning incense. They put fire in them. They added incense to it. They made an offering to the Lord by using fire that wasn’t allowed. They did it against his command. ² So the Lord sent fire on them. It burned them up. They died in front of the Lord. ³ Then Moses spoke to Aaron. He said, “That’s what the Lord was talking about when he said,

So Aaron remained silent.

⁴ Moses sent for Mishael and Elzaphan. They were sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel. Moses said to them, “Come here. Carry the bodies of your cousins outside the camp. Take them away from in front of the Holy Room.” ⁵ So they came and carried them outside the camp. It was just as Moses had ordered. The bodies of Nadab and Abihu still had their inner robes on them.

⁶ Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron’s sons. Moses said, “Don’t let your hair hang loose. Don’t tear your clothes. If you do, you will die. And the Lord will be angry with the whole community. But all the Israelites are allowed to show they are sad. They are your relatives. They may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed with fire. ⁷ Don’t leave the entrance to the tent of meeting. If you do, you will die. That’s because the Lord’s anointing oil has made you holy.” So they did what Moses told them to do.

⁸ Then the Lord spoke to Aaron. He said, ⁹ “You and your sons will go into the tent of meeting. When you do, you must not drink any kind of wine. If you do, you will die. This is a law that will last for all time to come. ¹⁰ This is so that you can tell the difference between what is holy and what is not. You must be able to tell the difference between what is ‘clean’ and what is not. ¹¹ Then you will be able to teach the Israelites all the rules I have given them through Moses.”

¹² Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron’s two remaining sons. Moses said, “Take the grain offering left over from the food offerings presented to the Lord. It is very holy. Make bread without yeast from it. Eat it beside the altar. ¹³ Eat it in the holy area. It’s your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings presented to the Lord. These rules are in keeping with the command the Lord gave me. ¹⁴ But you and your sons and your daughters can eat the breast that was waved. You can also eat the thigh that was offered. Eat them in a ‘clean’ place. They have been given to you and your children. They are your share of the friendship offerings the Israelites bring. ¹⁵ The thigh that was offered must be brought together with the fat parts of the food offerings. The breast that was waved must be brought in the same way. All of it must be lifted up and waved in front of the Lord as a wave offering. It will be the share for you and your children for all time to come. That’s what the Lord has commanded.”

¹⁶ Moses asked about the goat that was brought as the sin offering. He found out that it had been burned up. So he became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron’s two remaining sons. Moses asked them, ¹⁷ “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in a place near the Holy Room? The offering is very holy. It was given to you to take the people’s guilt away. It paid for their sin in the sight of the Lord. ¹⁸ The blood of the offering wasn’t taken into the Holy Room. So you should have eaten the goat in a place near the Holy Room. That’s what I commanded.”

¹⁹ Aaron replied to Moses, “Today the people sacrificed their sin offering to the Lord. They also sacrificed their burnt offerings to him. But a terrible thing has happened to me. Two of my sons have died. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?” ²⁰ When Moses heard that, he was satisfied.