Holman Christian Standard Bible (27 page)

The Breastpiece

15
 “You are to make an embroidered breastpiece for making decisions. Make it with the same workmanship as the ephod; make it of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen.
16
 It must be square and folded double, nine inches long and nine inches wide. 
17
 Place a setting of gemstones on it, four rows of stones:

They should be adorned with gold filigree in their settings.
21
 The 12 stones are to correspond to the names of Israel's sons. Each stone must be engraved like a seal, with one of the names of the 12 tribes.

22
 “You are to make braided chains of pure gold cord work for the breastpiece.
23
 Fashion two gold rings for the breastpiece and attach them to its two corners.
24
 Then attach the two gold cords to the two gold rings at the corners of the breastpiece.
25
 Attach the other ends of the two cords to the two filigree settings, and in this way attach them to the ephod's shoulder pieces in the front.
26
 Make two other gold rings and put them at the two other corners of the breastpiece on the edge that is next to the inner border of the ephod.
27
 Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the ephod's two shoulder pieces on its front, close to its seam, and above the ephod's woven waistband.
28
 The craftsmen are to tie the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece is above the ephod's waistband and does not come loose from the ephod.

29
 “Whenever he enters the sanctuary, Aaron is to carry the names of Israel's sons over his heart on the breastpiece for decisions, as a continual reminder before the
Lord
.
30
 Place the
•Urim
and Thummim in the breastpiece for decisions, so that they will also be over Aaron's heart whenever he comes before the
Lord
. Aaron will continually carry the means of decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the
Lord
.

The Robe

31
 “You are to make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue yarn.
32
 There should be an opening at its top in the center of it. Around the opening, there should be a woven collar with an opening like that of body armor so that it does not tear.
33
 Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn on its lower hem and all around it. Put gold bells between them all the way around,
34
 so that gold bells and pomegranates alternate around the lower hem of the robe.
35
 The robe must be worn by Aaron whenever he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he enters the sanctuary before the
Lord
and when he exits, so that he does not die.

The Turban

36
 “You are to make a pure gold medallion and engrave it, like the engraving of a seal: 

37
 Fasten it to a cord of blue yarn so it can be placed on the turban; the medallion is to be on the front of the turban.
38
 It will be on Aaron's forehead so that Aaron may bear the
•guilt
 connected with the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate as all their holy gifts. It is always to be on his forehead, so that they may find acceptance with the
Lord
.

Other Priestly Garments

39
 “You are to weave the tunic from fine linen, make a turban of fine linen, and make an embroidered sash.
40
 Make tunics, sashes, and headbands for Aaron's sons to give them glory and beauty. 
41
 Put these on your brother Aaron and his sons; then anoint, ordain, and consecrate them, so that they may serve Me as priests.
42
 Make them linen undergarments to cover their naked bodies; they must extend from the waist to the thighs.
43
 These must be worn by Aaron and his sons whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister in the sanctuary area, so that they do not incur guilt and die. This is to be a permanent statute for Aaron and for his future descendants.

Exodus

Instructions about Consecration

29
“This is what you are to do for them to consecrate them to serve Me as priests. Take a young bull and two unblemished rams,
2
 with unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers coated with oil. Make them out of fine wheat flour, 
3
 put them in a basket, and bring them in the basket, along with the bull and two rams.
4
 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 
5
 Then take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe for the
•ephod
, the ephod itself, and the breastpiece; fasten the ephod on him with its woven waistband. 
6
 Put the turban on his head and place the holy diadem on the turban.
7
 Take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him.
8
 You must also bring his sons, clothe them with tunics.
9
 Tie the sashes on Aaron and his sons and fasten headbands on them. The priesthood is to be theirs by a permanent statute. This is the way you will ordain Aaron and his sons. 

10
 “You are to bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the bull's head. 
11
 Slaughter the bull before the
Lord
at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
12
 Take some of the bull's blood and apply it to the horns of the altar with your finger; then pour out all the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
13
 Take all the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar.
14
 But burn up the bull's flesh, its hide, and its dung outside the camp; it is a
•sin
offering.

15
 “Take one ram, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on the ram's head. 
16
 You are to slaughter the ram, take its blood, and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar.
17
 Cut the ram into pieces. Wash its entrails and shanks, and place them with its head and its pieces on the altar.
18
 Then burn the whole ram on the altar; it is a
•burnt
offering to the
Lord
. It is a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the
Lord
.

19
 “You are to take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the ram's head. 
20
 Slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on Aaron's right earlobe, on his sons' right earlobes, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Sprinkle the remaining blood on all sides of the altar.
21
 Take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle them on Aaron and his garments, as well as on his sons and their garments. In this way, he and his garments will become holy, as well as his sons and their garments.

22
 “Take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, the fatty lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them, and the right thigh (since this is a ram for ordination );
23
 take one loaf of bread, one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread that is before the
Lord
;
24
 and put all of them in the hands of Aaron and his sons and wave them as a presentation offering before the
Lord
. 
25
 Take them from their hands and burn them on the altar on top of the burnt offering, as a pleasing aroma before the
Lord
; it is a fire offering to the
Lord
.

26
 “Take the breast from the ram of Aaron's ordination and wave it as a presentation offering before the
Lord
; it is to be your portion. 
27
 Consecrate for Aaron and his sons the breast of the presentation offering that is waved and the thigh of the contribution that is lifted up from the ram of ordination.
28
 This will belong to Aaron and his sons as a regular portion from the Israelites, for it is a contribution. It will be the Israelites' contribution from their
•fellowship
sacrifices, their contribution to the
Lord
.

29
 “The holy garments that belong to Aaron are to belong to his sons after him, so that they can be anointed and ordained in them. 
30
 Any priest who is one of his sons and who succeeds him and enters the tent of meeting to minister in the sanctuary must wear them for seven days. 

31
 “You are to take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place.
32
 Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 
33
 They must eat those things by which
•atonement
was made at the time of their ordination and consecration. An unauthorized person must not eat them, for these things are holy.
34
 If any of the meat of ordination or any of the bread is left until morning, burn up what is left over. It must not be eaten because it is holy.

35
 “This is what you are to do for Aaron and his sons based on all I have commanded you. Take seven days to ordain them.
36
 Sacrifice a bull as a sin offering each day for atonement. Purify the altar when you make atonement for it, and anoint it in order to consecrate it. 
37
 For seven days you must make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. The altar will become especially holy; whatever touches the altar will become holy. 

38
 “This is what you are to offer regularly on the altar every day: two year-old lambs. 
39
 In the morning offer one lamb, and at twilight offer the other lamb. 
40
 With the first lamb offer two quarts of fine flour mixed with one quart of oil from crushed olives, and a
•drink
offering of one quart of wine.
41
 You are to offer the second lamb at twilight. Offer a
•grain
offering and a drink offering with it, like the one in the morning, as a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the
Lord
.
42
 This will be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the
Lord
, where I will meet you to speak with you. 
43
 I will also meet with the Israelites there, and that place will be consecrated by My glory. 
44
 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve Me as priests.
45
 I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. 
46
 And they will know that I am
•Yahweh
their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, so that I might dwell among them. I am Yahweh their God. 

Exodus

The Incense Altar

30
“You are to make an altar for the burning of incense; make it of acacia wood. 
2
 It must be square, 18 inches long and 18 inches wide; it must be 36 inches high. Its horns must be of one piece. 
3
 Overlay its top, all around its sides, and its horns with pure gold; make a gold molding all around it.
4
 Make two gold rings for it under the molding on two of its sides; put these on opposite sides of it to be holders for the poles to carry it with.
5
 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

6
 “You are to place the altar in front of the veil by the ark of the
•testimony
 — in front of the
•mercy
seat that is over the testimony — where I will meet with you.
7
 Aaron must burn fragrant incense on it; he must burn it every morning when he tends the lamps. 
8
 When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn incense. There is to be an incense offering before the
Lord
throughout your generations.
9
 You must not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a
•burnt
or
•grain
offering; you are not to pour a
•drink
offering on it.

10
 “Once a year Aaron is to perform the purification rite on the horns of the altar. Throughout your generations he is to perform the purification rite for it once a year, with the blood of the
•sin
offering for
•atonement
. The altar is especially holy to the
Lord
.”

The Atonement Money

11
 The
Lord
spoke to Moses:
12
 “When you take a census of the Israelites to register them, each of the men must pay a ransom for himself to the
Lord
as they are registered. Then no plague will come on them as they are registered.
13
 Everyone who is registered must pay half a
•shekel
 according to the sanctuary shekel (20
gerahs
to the shekel). This half shekel is a contribution to the
Lord
. 
14
 Each man who is registered, 20 years old or more, must give this contribution to the
Lord
.
15
 The wealthy may not give more and the poor may not give less than half a shekel when giving the contribution to the
Lord
to atone for your lives.
16
 Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will serve as a reminder for the Israelites before the
Lord
to atone for your lives.”