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 that is made without yeast. 3Then gather the whole community at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”

4Moses did just as the Lord had commanded him. All of the people gathered together at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

5Moses said to the people, “Here is what the Lord has commanded us to do.”

6Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons to the people. He washed Aaron and his sons with water. 7He 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.

8Moses placed the chest cloth on Aaron. He put the Urim and Thummim in the chest cloth. 9Then 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.

10Then Moses took the anointing oil and poured it on the holy tent. He also poured it on everything that was in it. That’s how he set those things apart for the Lord. 11He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times. He poured oil on the altar and all of its tools. He poured it on the large bowl and its stand. He did it to set them apart.

12He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head. He anointed him to set him apart to serve the Lord. 13Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons to the people. He put the inner robes on them. He tied belts around them. He put headbands on them. He did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.

14Then he brought the bull for the sin offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. 15Moses killed the bull. He dipped his finger into some of the blood. He put it on all of 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.

16Moses also removed all of the fat that was around the inside parts of the bull. He removed the covering of the liver. He took both kidneys and their fat. Then he burned all of it on the altar.

17But 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.

18Then Moses brought the ram for the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. 19Moses killed the ram. He sprinkled the blood against every side of the altar.

20He cut the ram into pieces. He burned the head, the other pieces and the fat. 21He 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 an offering that was made to the Lord with fire. Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.

22Then 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.

23Moses killed the ram. He put some of its blood on Aaron’s right ear lobe. He put some on the thumb of Aaron’s right hand. He also put some on the big toe of Aaron’s right foot. 24Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons to the people. He put some of the blood on their right ear lobes. He put some on the thumbs of their right hands. He also put some on the big toes of their right feet. Then he sprinkled the rest of the blood against every side of the altar.

25He removed the fat, the fat tail and all of the fat around the inside parts. He removed the covering of the liver. He removed both kidneys and their fat. And he removed the right thigh. 26Then he took a flat cake of bread from the basket of bread that was made without yeast. The basket was in front of the Lord. Moses took a cake of bread that was made with olive oil. He also took a wafer. He put all of it on the fat parts of the ram and on its right thigh.

27He 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.

28Then 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 an offering that was made to the Lord with fire.

29Moses also lifted the ram’s breast up 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.

30Then 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.

31Then 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 commanded you. I said, ‘Aaron and his sons must eat it.’ 32Then 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. 34The Lord commanded what has been done here today. It was done to pay for your sin. 35Stay 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.”

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