Taking Care of the Lamps

(Ex 27:20–21)

24 The Lord told Moses 2to give the following orders to the people of Israel: Bring pure olive oil of the finest quality for the lamps in the Tent, so that a light may be kept burning regularly. 3Each evening Aaron shall light them and keep them burning until morning, there in the Lord’s presence outside the curtain in front of the Covenant Box, which is in the Most Holy Place. This regulation is to be observed for all time to come. 4Aaron shall take care of the lamps on the lamp-stand of pure gold and must see that they burn regularly in the Lord’s presence.

The Bread Offered to God

5 *Take twelve kilogrammes of flour and bake twelve loaves of bread. 6*Put the loaves in two rows, six in each row, on the table covered with pure gold, which is in the Lord’s presence. 7Put some pure incense on each row, as a token food offering to the Lord to take the place of the bread. 8Every Sabbath, for all time to come, the bread must be placed in the presence of the Lord. This is Israel’s duty for ever. 9*The bread belongs to Aaron and his descendants, and they shall eat it in a holy place, because this is a very holy part of the food offered to the Lord for the priests.

An Example of Just and Fair Punishment

10–11 There was a man whose father was an Egyptian and whose mother was an Israelite named Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri from the tribe of Dan. There in the camp this man quarrelled with an Israelite. During the quarrel he cursed God, so they took him to Moses, 12put him under guard, and waited for the Lord to tell them what to do with him.

13 The Lord said to Moses, 14“Take that man out of the camp. Everyone who heard him curse shall put his hands on the man’s head to testify that he is guilty, and then the whole community shall stone him to death. 15Then tell the people of Israel that anyone who curses God must suffer the consequences 16and be put to death. Any Israelite or any foreigner living in Israel who curses the Lord shall be stoned to death by the whole community.

17 *“Anyone who commits murder shall be put to death, 18and anyone who kills an animal belonging to someone else must replace it. The principle is a life for a life.

19 “If anyone injures another person, whatever he has done shall be done to him. 20*If he breaks a bone, one of his bones shall be broken; if he blinds him in one eye, one of his eyes shall be blinded; if he knocks out a tooth, one of his teeth shall be knocked out. Whatever injury he causes another person shall be done to him in return. 21Whoever kills an animal shall replace it, but whoever kills a human being shall be put to death. 22*This law applies to all of you, to Israelites and to foreigners living among you, because I am the Lord your God.”

23 When Moses had said this to the people of Israel, they took the man outside the camp and stoned him to death. In this way the people of Israel did what the Lord had commanded Moses.