Leviticus 8

New International Reader's Version

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.