Directions for Setting the Priests Apart

29 “Here is what you must do to set Aaron and his sons apart to serve me as priests.

“Get a young bull and two rams. They must not have any flaws. 2Get fine wheat flour that does not have yeast in it. Use the flour to make bread, flat cakes that are mixed with olive oil, and wafers that are spread with oil. 3Put everything in a basket. Offer them along with the bull and the two rams.

4“Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Wash them with water.

5“Take the inner robe, the outer robe of the linen apron, the apron itself and the chest cloth. Dress Aaron in them. Take the skillfully made waistband and tie the apron on him with it. 6Put the turban on his head. Connect the sacred crown to the turban. 7Take the anointing oil and pour it on his head.

8“Bring his sons and dress them in their inner robes. 9Put headbands on them. Tie belts on Aaron and his sons. The work of the priests belongs to them. This is my law that will last for all time to come.

“And that is how you must prepare Aaron and his sons to serve me.

10“Bring the bull to the front of the Tent of Meeting. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on its head. 11Kill it in my sight at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

12“Dip your finger into some of the bull’s blood. Put it on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar. Pour the rest of it out at the base of the altar.

13“Then take all of the fat around the inside parts. Take the covering of the liver. Take both kidneys with the fat on them. And burn all of it on the altar.

14“But burn the bull’s meat, hide and guts outside the camp. It is a sin offering.

15“Get one of the rams. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on its head. 16Kill it. Take the blood and sprinkle it against every side of the altar.

17“Cut the ram into pieces. Wash the inside parts and the legs. Put them with the head and the other pieces. 18Then burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to me. It has a pleasant smell. It is an offering that is made to me with fire.

19“Get the other ram. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on its head. 20Kill it. Put some of its blood on the right ear lobes of Aaron and his sons. Put some on the thumbs of their right hands. Also put some on the big toes of their right feet. Then sprinkle blood against every side of the altar.

21“Get some of the blood from the altar. Also get some of the anointing oil. Sprinkle both of them on Aaron and his clothes and his sons and their clothes. Then he and his sons and their clothes will be set apart to serve me.

22“Here is what you must take from the second ram. Take the fat, the fat tail, the fat around the inside parts, the covering of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. It is the ram you must use when you prepare the priests to serve me. 23Get a loaf, a flat cake that is made with oil, and a wafer. Take them from the basket of bread that was made without yeast. It is the one that is in front of me.

24“Put everything in the hands of Aaron and his sons. Tell them to lift it up and wave it in front of me as a wave offering. 25Then take it from their hands. Burn it on the altar along with the burnt offering. It gives a smell that is pleasant to me. It is an offering that is made to me with fire.

26“Get the breast of the ram that is used when you prepare Aaron to serve me. Wave it in front of me as a wave offering. It will be your share of the meat.

27“Here are the parts of the second ram that belong to Aaron and his sons. You must set apart the breast that was waved and the thigh that was offered. 28It will always be the regular share from the people of Israel for Aaron and his sons. The people must give it to me from their friendship offerings.

29“Aaron’s sacred clothes will belong to his sons who will come after him. Then they can wear them when you anoint them and prepare them to serve me. 30The son who comes after him as priest must wear them seven days. He will come and serve in the Holy Room in the Tent of Meeting.

31“Get the ram that is sacrificed when you prepare Aaron and his sons to serve me. Cook the meat in a sacred place.

32“Aaron and his sons must eat the ram’s meat. And they must eat the bread that is in the basket. They must eat all of it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 33Those are the offerings to pay for their sins. They must eat them. The offerings must be made when Aaron and his sons are set apart and prepared to serve me. No one else can eat them. They are sacred.

34“And if any parts of the ram or bread that are sacrificed when you prepare Aaron and his sons to serve me are left until morning, burn them up. They must not be eaten. They are sacred.

35“Do everything I have commanded you to do for Aaron and his sons. Take seven days when you prepare them to serve me. 36Sacrifice a bull each day. It is a sin offering to pay for their sins.

“Make the altar pure. Pour olive oil on it to set it apart. 37Take seven days to make the altar pure. Set it apart. Then the altar will be a very holy place. Anything that touches it will be holy.

38“Every day offer on the altar two lambs that are a year old. 39Offer one in the morning. Offer the other one when the sun goes down. 40Along with the first lamb, offer eight cups of fine flour. Mix it with a quart of oil that is made from pressed olives. Along with that, offer a quart of wine as a drink offering.

41“Sacrifice the other lamb when the sun goes down. Sacrifice it along with the same grain offering and its drink offering as you do in the morning. It has a pleasant smell. It is an offering that is made to me with fire.

42“For all time to come, the burnt offering must be sacrificed regularly. Sacrifice it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting in my sight. There I will meet you and speak to you. 43There I will also meet with the people of Israel. My glory will make the place holy.

44“So I will set the Tent of Meeting and the altar apart. And I will set Aaron and his sons apart to serve me as priests.

45“Then I will live among the people of Israel. And I will be their God. 46They will know that I am the Lord their God. They will know that I brought them out of Egypt so I could live among them. I am the Lord their God.