Exodus 28

• 1. "Your brother, Aaron, and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, will be set apart from the common people. They will be my priests and will minister to me.
• 2. Make special clothing for Aaron to show his separation to God--beautiful garments that will lend dignity to his work.
• 3. Instruct all those who have special skills as tailors to make the garments that will set Aaron apart from everyone else, so he may serve me as a priest.
• 4. They are to make a chestpiece, an ephod, a robe, an embroidered tunic, a turban, and a sash. They will also make special garments for Aaron's sons to wear when they serve as priests before me.
• 5. These items must be made of fine linen cloth and embroidered with gold thread and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn.
• 6. "The ephod must be made of fine linen cloth and skillfully embroidered with gold thread and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn.
• 7. It will consist of two pieces, front and back, joined at the shoulders with two shoulder-pieces.
• 8. And the sash will be made of the same materials: fine linen cloth embroidered with gold thread and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn.
• 9. Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the tribes of Israel.
• 10. Six names will be on each stone, naming all the tribes in the order of their ancestors' births.
• 11. Engrave these names in the same way a gemcutter engraves a seal. Mount the stones in gold settings.
• 12. Fasten the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the people of Israel. Aaron will carry these names before the LORD as a constant reminder.
• 13. The settings are to be made of gold filigree,
• 14. and two cords made of pure gold will be attached to the settings on the shoulders of the ephod.
• 15. "Then, with the most careful workmanship, make a chestpiece that will be used to determine God's will. Use the same materials as you did for the ephod: fine linen cloth embroidered with gold thread and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn.
• 16. This chestpiece will be made of two folds of cloth, forming a pouch nine inches square.
• 17. Four rows of gemstones will be attached to it. The first row will contain a red carnelian, a chrysolite, and an emerald.
• 18. The second row will contain a turquoise, a sapphire, and a white moonstone.
• 19. The third row will contain a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst.
• 20. The fourth row will contain a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. All these stones will be set in gold.
• 21. Each stone will represent one of the tribes of Israel, and the name of that tribe will be engraved on it as though it were a seal.
• 22. "To attach the chestpiece to the ephod, make braided cords of pure gold.
• 23. Then make two gold rings and attach them to the top corners of the chestpiece.
• 24. The two gold cords will go through the rings on the chestpiece,
• 25. and the ends of the cords will be tied to the gold settings on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod.
• 26. Then make two more gold rings, and attach them to the two lower inside corners of the chestpiece next to the ephod.
• 27. And make two more gold rings and attach them to the ephod near the sash.
• 28. Then attach the bottom rings of the chestpiece to the rings on the ephod with blue cords. This will hold the chestpiece securely to the ephod above the beautiful sash.
• 29. In this way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of Israel on the chestpiece over his heart when he goes into the presence of the LORD in the Holy Place. Thus, the LORD will be reminded of his people continually.
• 30. Insert into the pocket of the chestpiece the Urim and Thummim, to be carried over Aaron's heart when he goes into the LORD's presence. Thus, Aaron will always carry the objects used to determine the LORD's will for his people whenever he goes in before the LORD.
• 31. "Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth,
• 32. with an opening for Aaron's head in the middle of it. The opening will be reinforced by a woven collar so it will not tear.
• 33. Make pomegranates out of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and attach them to the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them.
• 34. The gold bells and pomegranates are to alternate all the way around the hem.
• 35. Aaron will wear this robe whenever he enters the Holy Place to minister to the LORD, and the bells will tinkle as he goes in and out of the LORD's presence. If he wears it, he will not die.
• 36. "Next make a medallion of pure gold. Using the techniques of an engraver, inscribe it with these words: SET APART AS HOLY TO THE LORD.
• 37. This medallion will be attached to the front of Aaron's turban by means of a blue cord.
• 38. Aaron will wear it on his forehead, thus bearing the guilt connected with any errors regarding the sacred offerings of the people of Israel. He must always wear it so the LORD will accept the people.
• 39. "Weave Aaron's patterned tunic from fine linen cloth. Fashion the turban out of this linen as well. Also make him an embroidered sash.
• 40. "Then for Aaron's sons, make tunics, sashes, and headdresses to give them dignity and respect.
• 41. Clothe Aaron and his sons with these garments, and then anoint and ordain them. Set them apart as holy so they can serve as my priests.
• 42. Also make linen underclothes for them, to be worn next to their bodies, reaching from waist to thigh.
• 43. These must be worn whenever Aaron and his sons enter the Tabernacle or approach the altar in the Holy Place to perform their duties. Thus they will not incur guilt and die. This law is permanent for Aaron and his descendants.

Exodus 29

• 1. "This is the ceremony for the dedication of Aaron and his sons as priests: Take a young bull and two rams with no physical defects.
• 2. Then using fine wheat flour and no yeast, make loaves of bread, thin cakes mixed with olive oil, and wafers with oil poured over them.
• 3. Place these various kinds of bread in a single basket, and present them at the entrance of the Tabernacle, along with the young bull and the two rams.
• 4. "Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and wash them with water.
• 5. Then put Aaron's tunic on him, along with the embroidered robe of the ephod, the ephod itself, the chestpiece, and the sash.
• 6. And place on his head the turban with the gold medallion.
• 7. Then take the anointing oil and pour it over his head.
• 8. Next present his sons, and dress them in their tunics
• 9. with their woven sashes and their headdresses. They will then be priests forever. In this way, you will ordain Aaron and his sons.
• 10. "Then bring the young bull to the entrance of the Tabernacle, and Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on its head.
• 11. You will then slaughter it in the LORD's presence at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
• 12. Smear some of its blood on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest at the base of the altar.
• 13. Take all the fat that covers the internal organs, also the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and burn them on the altar.
• 14. Then take the carcass (including the skin and the dung) outside the camp, and burn it as a sin offering.
• 15. "Next Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the head of one of the rams
• 16. as it is slaughtered. Its blood will be collected and sprinkled on the sides of the altar.
• 17. Cut up the ram and wash off the internal organs and the legs. Set them alongside the head and the other pieces of the body,
• 18. and burn them all on the altar. This is a burnt offering to the LORD, which is very pleasing to him.
• 19. "Now take the other ram and have Aaron and his sons lay their hands on its head
• 20. as it is slaughtered. Collect the blood and place some of it on the tip of the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons. Also put it on their right thumbs and the big toes of their right feet. Sprinkle the rest of the blood on the sides of the altar.
• 21. Then take some of the blood from the altar and mix it with some of the anointing oil. Sprinkle it on Aaron and his sons and on their clothes. In this way, they and their clothing will be set apart as holy to the LORD.
• 22. "Since this is the ram for the ordination of Aaron and his sons, take the fat of the ram, including the fat tail and the fat that covers the internal organs. Also, take the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys with their fat, and the right thigh.
• 23. Then take one loaf of bread, one cake mixed with olive oil, and one wafer from the basket of yeastless bread that was placed before the LORD.
• 24. Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons to be lifted up as a special gift to the LORD.
• 25. Afterward take the bread from their hands, and burn it on the altar as a burnt offering that will be pleasing to the LORD.
• 26. Then take the breast of Aaron's ordination ram, and lift it up in the LORD's presence as a special gift to him. Afterward keep it for yourself.
• 27. "Set aside as holy the parts of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons. This includes the breast and the thigh that were lifted up before the LORD in the ordination ceremony.
• 28. In the future, whenever the people of Israel offer up peace offerings or thanksgiving offerings to the LORD, these parts will be the regular share of Aaron and his descendants.
• 29. "Aaron's sacred garments must be preserved for his descendants who will succeed him, so they can be anointed and ordained in them.
• 30. Whoever is the next high priest after Aaron will wear these clothes for seven days before beginning to minister in the Tabernacle and the Holy Place.
• 31. "Take the ram used in the ordination ceremony, and boil its meat in a sacred place.
• 32. Aaron and his sons are to eat this meat, along with the bread in the basket, at the Tabernacle entrance.
• 33. They alone may eat the meat and bread used for their atonement in the ordination ceremony. The ordinary people may not eat them, for these things are set apart and holy.
• 34. If any of the ordination meat or bread remains until the morning, it must be burned. It may not be eaten, for it is holy.
• 35. "This is how you will ordain Aaron and his sons to their offices. The ordination ceremony will go on for seven days.
• 36. Each day you must sacrifice a young bull as an offering for the atonement of sin. Afterward make an offering to cleanse the altar. Purify the altar by making atonement for it; make it holy by anointing it with oil.
• 37. Make atonement for the altar every day for seven days. After that, the altar will be exceedingly holy, and whatever touches it will become holy.
• 38. "This is what you are to offer on the altar. Offer two one-year-old lambs each day,
• 39. one in the morning and the other in the evening.
• 40. With one of them, offer two quarts of fine flour mixed with one quart of olive oil; also, offer one quart of wine as a drink offering.
• 41. Offer the other lamb in the evening, along with the same offerings of flour and wine as in the morning. It will be a fragrant offering to the LORD, an offering made by fire.
• 42. "This is to be a daily burnt offering given from generation to generation. Offer it in the LORD's presence at the Tabernacle entrance, where I will meet you and speak with you.
• 43. I will meet the people of Israel there, and the Tabernacle will be sanctified by my glorious presence.
• 44. Yes, I will make the Tabernacle and the altar most holy, and I will set apart Aaron and his sons as holy, that they may be my priests.
• 45. I will live among the people of Israel and be their God,
• 46. and they will know that I am the LORD their God. I am the one who brought them out of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the LORD their God.

Exodus 30

• 1. "Then make a small altar out of acacia wood for burning incense.
• 2. It must be eighteen inches square and three feet high, with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar.
• 3. Overlay the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and run a gold molding around the entire altar.
• 4. Beneath the molding, on opposite sides of the altar, attach two gold rings to support the carrying poles.
• 5. The poles are to be made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold.
• 6. Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain, opposite the Ark's cover--the place of atonement--that rests on the Ark of the Covenant. I will meet with you there.
• 7. "Every morning when Aaron trims the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar.
• 8. And each evening when he tends to the lamps, he must again burn incense in the LORD's presence. This must be done from generation to generation.
• 9. Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or drink offerings.
• 10. "Once a year Aaron must purify the altar by placing on its horns the blood from the offering made for the atonement of sin. This will be a regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the LORD's supremely holy altar."
• 11. And the LORD said to Moses,
• 12. "Whenever you take a census of the people of Israel, each man who is counted must pay a ransom for himself to the LORD. Then there will be no plagues among the people as you count them.
• 13. His payment to the LORD will be one-fifth of an ounce of silver.
• 14. All who have reached their twentieth birthday must give this offering to the LORD.
• 15. When this offering is given to the LORD to make atonement for yourselves, the rich must not give more, and the poor must not give less.
• 16. Use this money for the care of the Tabernacle. It will bring you, the Israelites, to the LORD's attention, and it will make atonement for your lives."
• 17. And the LORD said to Moses,
• 18. "Make a large bronze washbasin with a bronze pedestal. Put it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water.
• 19. Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there
• 20. before they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the LORD and before they approach the altar to burn offerings to the LORD. They must always wash before ministering in these ways, or they will die.
• 21. This is a permanent law for Aaron and his descendants, to be kept from generation to generation."
• 22. Then the LORD said to Moses,
• 23. "Collect choice spices--12 1/2 pounds of pure myrrh, 6 1/4 pounds each of cinnamon and of sweet cane,
• 24. 12 1/2 pounds of cassia, and one gallon of olive oil.
• 25. Blend these ingredients into a holy anointing oil.
• 26. Use this scented oil to anoint the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant,
• 27. the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its accessories, the incense altar,
• 28. the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the large washbasin with its pedestal.
• 29. Sanctify them to make them entirely holy. After this, whatever touches them will become holy.
• 30. Use this oil also to anoint Aaron and his sons, sanctifying them so they can minister before me as priests.
• 31. And say to the people of Israel, `This will always be my holy anointing oil.
• 32. It must never be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you must never make any of it for yourselves. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy.
• 33. Anyone who blends scented oil like it or puts any of it on someone who is not a priest will be cut off from the community.'"
• 34. These were the LORD's instructions to Moses concerning the incense: "Gather sweet spices--resin droplets, mollusk scent, galbanum, and pure frankincense--weighing out the same amounts of each.
• 35. Using the usual techniques of the incense maker, refine it to produce a pure and holy incense.
• 36. Beat some of it very fine and put some of it in front of the Ark of the Covenant, where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle. This incense is most holy.
• 37. Never make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the LORD, and you must treat it as holy.
• 38. Those who make it for their own enjoyment will be cut off from the community."

New Living Translation: 27 of 324 days.