Leviticus 8

God Commands the Ordination Ceremony

1 The Lord told Moses.

2 Bring Aaron and his sons, the priestly garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread.

3 Gather the whole community at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

4 Moses did exactly what the Lord commanded, and everybody assembled at the Tabernacle entrance.

5 Moses told them, this is what the Lord commanded to be done.

Moses Dresses Aaron in Priestly Garments

6 Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water.

7 He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, put the robe on him, and fastened the ephod with its waistband.

8 He placed the breastplate on him and put the Urim and Thummim inside it.

9 Then he put the turban on Aaron’s head and attached the gold plate, the holy crown, just as the Lord commanded.

Moses Anoints the Tabernacle & Aaron

10 Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and everything in it, making them holy.

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

12 He poured some anointing oil on Aaron’s head to set him apart.

13 Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons forward, dressed them in tunics, tied sashes around them, and put headbands on them, just as the Lord commanded.

The Sin Offering (Bull)

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

15 Moses slaughtered it, took the blood, and put it on the altar’s horns with his finger to purify it. He poured the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and made atonement for it.

16 He burned the fat, kidneys, and liver lobe on the altar, just as the Lord commanded.

17 But the rest of the bull, its hide, meat, and dung, was burned outside the camp.

The Burnt Offering (Ram)

18 Then Moses brought the first ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.

19 Moses slaughtered it and splashed its blood on all sides of the altar.

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

21 He washed the insides and legs with water, then burned the whole ram on the altar as a burnt offering, just as the Lord commanded.

The Ordination Offering (Second Ram)

22 Moses brought the second ram, the ordination offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.

23 Moses slaughtered it, took some blood, and put it on Aaron’s right ear, right thumb, and right big toe.

24 Then he did the same to Aaron’s sons, putting blood on their right ears, thumbs, and big toes. He splashed the rest of the blood on all sides of the altar.

25 He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat covering the organs, the kidneys, and the liver lobe.

26 From the basket of unleavened bread before the Lord, he took one round loaf, one loaf made with oil, and one wafer and placed them on the fat and the right thigh.

27 He put all these in Aaron’s and his sons’ hands and lifted them as a special offering before the Lord.

28 Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar as a fire offering to ordain them.

29 Moses took the breast and lifted it as a special offering before the Lord. This was his portion of the ordination ram, just as the Lord commanded.

30 Moses took some of the anointing oil and blood from the altar, sprinkled it on Aaron and his sons, and on their garments to consecrate them.

31 Then Moses told Aaron and his sons, cook the meat at the entrance of the Tabernacle and eat it with the bread in the ordination basket, just as the Lord commanded.

32 Burn up any leftover meat and bread.

33 Stay at the entrance of the Tabernacle for seven days, until your ordination period is complete, because that is how long it takes to be set apart.

34 Everything happening today was commanded by the Lord to make atonement for you.

35 You must stay at the Tabernacle entrance day and night for seven days and do everything the Lord commanded, or you will die.

36 Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses.