Moses Consecrates Aaron and His Sons

1Then the LORD said to Moses,

2“Take Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull of the purification offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread,

3and assemble the whole congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”

4So Moses did as the LORD had commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

5And Moses said to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded to be done.”

6Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.

7He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him. He tied the woven band of the ephod around him and fastened it to him.

8Then he put the breastpiece on him and placed the Urim and Thummim ¹⁶in the breastpiece.

9Moses also put the turban on Aaron’s head and set the gold plate, the holy diadem, on the front of the turban, as the LORD had commanded him.

10Next, Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it; and so he consecrated them.

11He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them.

12He also poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him.

13Then Moses presented Aaron’s sons, put tunics on them, wrapped sashes around them, and tied headbands on them, just as the LORD had commanded him.

The Priests’ Purification offering

14Moses then brought the bull near for the purification offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.

15Moses slaughtered the bull, took some of the blood, and applied it with his finger to all four horns of the altar, purifying the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it so that purgation could be effected on it.

16Moses also took all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, and both kidneys and their fat, and burned it all on the altar.

17But the bull with its hide, flesh, and dung he burned outside the camp, as the LORD had commanded him.

The Priests’ Ascension Offering

18Then Moses presented the ram for the ascension offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.

19Moses slaughtered the ram and splattered the blood on all sides of the altar.

20He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces, and the fat.

21He washed the entrails and legs with water and burned the entire ram on the altar as an ascension offering, a soothing aroma, a food offering to the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

The Ram of Ordination

22After that, Moses presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.

23Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

24Moses also presented Aaron’s sons and put some of the blood on their right earlobes, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splattered the blood on all sides of the altar.

25And Moses took the fat—the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with their fat—as well as the right thigh.

26And from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD, he took one cake of unleavened bread, one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer, and he placed them on the fat portions and on the right thigh.

27He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the LORD as a wave offering.

28Then Moses took these from their hands and burned them on the altar with the ascension offering. This was an ordination offering, a soothing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.

29He also took the breast—Moses’ portion of the ram of ordination—and waved it before the LORD as a wave offering, as the LORD had commanded him.

30Next, Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, as well as Aaron’s sons and their garments.

31And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it.’

32Then you must burn up the remainder of the meat and bread.

33You must not go outside the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are complete; for it will take seven days to ordain you.

34What has been done today has been commanded by the LORD in order to effect purgation on your behalf.

35You must remain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and keep the LORD’s charge so that you will not die, for this is what I have been commanded.”

36So Aaron and his sons did everything the LORD had commanded through Moses.