Exodus 27–29

The Altar of Burnt Offering

27:1–8pp—Ex 38:1–7

27“Build an altar^q of acacia wood, three cubits^a high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.^{b 2}Make a horn^r at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze. ³Make all its utensils of bronze—its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls,^s meat forks and firepans.^{t 4}Make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network. ⁵Put it under the ledge of the altar so that it is halfway up the altar. ⁶Make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze.^{u 7}The poles are to be inserted into the rings so they will be on two sides of the altar when it is carried.^{v 8}Make the altar hollow, out of boards. It is to be made just as you were shown^w on the mountain.

The Courtyard

27:9–19pp—Ex 38:9–20

⁹“Make a courtyard^x for the tabernacle. The south side shall be a hundred cubits^c long and is to have curtains of finely twisted linen, ¹⁰with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. ¹¹The north side shall also be a hundred cubits long and is to have curtains, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

¹²“The west end of the courtyard shall be fifty cubits^d wide and have curtains, with ten posts and ten bases. ¹³On the east end, toward the sunrise, the courtyard shall also be fifty cubits wide. ¹⁴Curtains fifteen cubits^e long are to be on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, ¹⁵and curtains fifteen cubits long are to be on the other side, with three posts and three bases.

¹⁶“For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtain^y twenty cubits^f long, of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer^z—with four posts and four bases. ¹⁷All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands and hooks, and bronze bases. ¹⁸The courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide,^g with curtains of finely twisted linen five cubits^h high, and with bronze bases. ¹⁹All the other articles used in the service of the tabernacle, whatever their function, including all the tent pegs for it and those for the courtyard, are to be of bronze.

Oil for the Lampstand

27:20–21pp—Lev 24:1–3

²⁰“Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil^a of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. ²¹In the tent of meeting,^b outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law,^c Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps^d burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance^e among the Israelites for the generations to come.

The Priestly Garments

28“Have Aaron^f your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu,^g Eleazar and Ithamar,^h so they may serve me as priests.^{i 2}Make sacred garments^j for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.^{k 3}Tell all the skilled workers^l to whom I have given wisdom^m in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. ⁴These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece,ⁿ an ephod,^o a robe,^p a woven tunic,^q a turban^r and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. ⁵Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.^s

The Ephod

28:6–14pp—Ex 39:2–7

⁶“Make the ephod^t of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the work of skilled hands. ⁷It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. ⁸Its skillfully woven waistband^u is to be like it—of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen.

⁹“Take two onyx stones and engrave^v on them the names of the sons of Israel ¹⁰in the order of their birth—six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. ¹¹Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings ¹²and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders^w as a memorial^x before the Lord. ¹³Make gold filigree settings ¹⁴and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope, and attach the chains to the settings.

The Breastpiece

28:15–28pp—Ex 39:8–21

¹⁵“Fashion a breastpiece^y for making decisions—the work of skilled hands. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. ¹⁶It is to be square—a span^a long and a span wide—and folded double. ¹⁷Then mount four rows of precious stones^z on it. The first row shall be carnelian, chrysolite^a and beryl; ¹⁸the second row shall be turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; ¹⁹the third row shall be jacinth, agate and amethyst; ²⁰the fourth row shall be topaz, onyx and jasper.^b Mount them in gold filigree settings. ²¹There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel,^b each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.^c

²²“For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. ²³Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece. ²⁴Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, ²⁵and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. ²⁶Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. ²⁷Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. ²⁸The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod.

²⁹“Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place,^d he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. ³⁰Also put the Urim and the Thummim^e in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

Other Priestly Garments

28:31–43pp—Ex 39:22–31

³¹“Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, ³²with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar^c around this opening, so that it will not tear. ³³Make pomegranates^f of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. ³⁴The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. ³⁵Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die.

³⁶“Make a plate^g of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord.^{h 37}Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. ³⁸It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guiltⁱ involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptable^j to the Lord.

³⁹“Weave the tunic^k of fine linen and make the turban^l of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer. ⁴⁰Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sons^m to give them dignity and honor.^{n 41}After you put these clothes^o on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint^p and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.^q

⁴²“Make linen undergarments^r as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. ⁴³Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the tent of meeting^s or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place,^t so that they will not incur guilt and die.^u

“This is to be a lasting ordinance^v for Aaron and his descendants.

Consecration of the Priests

29:1–37pp—Lev 8:1–36

29“This is what you are to do to consecrate^w them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect.^{x 2}And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil.^{y 3}Put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and the two rams.^{z 4}Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.^{a 5}Take the garments^b and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband.^{c 6}Put the turban^d on his head and attach the sacred emblem^e to the turban. ⁷Take the anointing oil^f and anoint him by pouring it on his head. ⁸Bring his sons and dress them in tunics^{g 9}and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons.^ah The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance.ⁱ

“Then you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

¹⁰“Bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.^{j 11}Slaughter it in the Lord’s presence^k at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ¹²Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns^l of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar.^{m 13}Then take all the fatⁿ on the internal organs,^o the long lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. ¹⁴But burn the bull’s flesh and its hide and its intestines^p outside the camp.^q It is a sin offering.^b

¹⁵“Take one of the rams,^r and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.^{s 16}Slaughter it and take the blood and splash it…