There is to be an opening in its top in the center of it, with an edge all around the opening, the work of a weaver, like the opening of a collar, so that it cannot be torn.


You are to make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet all around its hem and bells of gold between them all around.


The pattern is to be a gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe.


The robe is to be on Aaron as he ministers, and his sound will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he leaves, so that he does not die.


“You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it the way a seal is engraved: “Holiness to the Lord.”


You are to attach to it a blue cord so that it will be on the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban,


It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron will bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the Israelites are to sanctify by all their holy gifts; it will always be on his forehead, for their acceptance before the Lord.


You are to weave the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen, and make the sash the work of an embroiderer.


“For Aaron’s sons you are to make tunics, sashes, and headbands for glory and for beauty.


“You are to clothe them – your brother Aaron and his sons with him – and anoint them and ordain them and set them apart as holy, so that they may minister as my priests.


Make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked bodies; they must cover from the waist to the thighs.


These must be on Aaron and his sons when they enter to the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they bear no iniquity and die. It is to be a perpetual ordinance for him and for his descendants after him.


“Now this is what you are to do for them to consecrate them so that they may minister as my priests. Take a young bull and two rams without blemish;


and bread made without yeast, and perforated cakes without yeast mixed with oil, and wafers without yeast spread with oil – you are to make them using fine wheat flour.


You are to put them in one basket and present them in the basket, along with the bull and the two rams.


“You are to present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the tent of meeting. You are to wash them with water


and take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastpiece; you are to fasten the ephod on him by using the skillfully woven waistband.


You are to put the turban on his head and put the holy diadem on the turban.


You are to take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him.


You are to present his sons and clothe them with tunics


and wrap the sashes around Aaron and his sons and put headbands on them, and so the ministry of priesthood will belong to them by a perpetual ordinance. Thus you are to consecrate Aaron and his sons.


“You are to present the bull at the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons are to put their hands on the head of the bull.


You are to kill the bull before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting


and take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; all the rest of the blood you are to pour out at the base of the altar.


You are to take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the lobe that is above the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar.


But the meat of the bull, its skin, and its dung you are to burn up outside the camp. It is the purification offering.


“You are to take one ram, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on the ram’s head,


and you are to kill the ram and take its blood and splash it all around on the altar.


Then you are to cut the ram into pieces and wash the entrails and its legs and put them on its pieces and on its head


and burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a soothing aroma; it is an offering made by fire to the Lord.


“You are to take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on the ram’s head,


and you are to kill the ram and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, on the tip of the right ear of his sons, on the thumb of their right hand, and on the big toe of their right foot, and then splash the blood all around on the altar.


You are to take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on his sons’ garments with him, so that he may be holy, he and his garments along with his sons and his sons’ garments.


“You are to take from the ram the fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and the right thigh – for it is the ram for consecration –


and one round flat cake of bread, one perforated cake of oiled bread, and one wafer from the basket of bread made without yeast that is before the Lord.


You are to put all these in Aaron’s hands and in his sons’ hands, and you are to wave them as a wave offering before the Lord.


Then you are to take them from their hands and burn them on the altar for a burnt offering, for a soothing aroma before the Lord. It is an offering made by fire to the Lord.


You are to take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration; you are to wave it as a wave offering before the Lord, and it is to be your share.


You are to sanctify the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution, which were waved and lifted up as a contribution from the ram of consecration, from what belongs to Aaron and to his sons.


It is to belong to Aaron and to his sons from the Israelites, by a perpetual ordinance, for it is a contribution. It is to be a contribution from the Israelites from their peace offerings, their contribution to the Lord.


“The holy garments that belong to Aaron are to belong to his sons after him, so that they may be anointed in them and consecrated in them.


The priest who succeeds him from his sons, when he first comes to the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place, is to wear them for seven days.


“You are to take the ram of the consecration and cook its meat in a holy place.


Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that was in the basket at the entrance of the tent of meeting.


They are to eat those things by which atonement was made to consecrate and to set them apart, but no one else may eat them, for they are holy.


If any of the meat from the consecration offerings or any of the bread is left over until morning, then you are to burn up what is left over. It must not be eaten, because it is holy.


“Thus you are to do for Aaron and for his sons, according to all that I have commanded you; you are to consecrate them for seven days.


Every day you are to prepare a bull for a purification offering for atonement. You are to purge the altar by making atonement for it, and you are to anoint it to set it apart as holy.


For seven days you are to make atonement for the altar and set it apart as holy. Then the altar will be most holy. Anything that touches the altar will be holy.


“Now this is what you are to prepare on the altar every day continually: two lambs a year old.


The first lamb you are to prepare in the morning, and the second lamb you are to prepare around sundown.


With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a fourth of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering.


The second lamb you are to offer around sundown; you are to prepare for it the same meal offering as for the morning and the same drink offering, for a soothing aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.


“This will be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you to speak to you there.


There I will meet with the Israelites, and it will be set apart as holy by my glory.


“So I will set apart as holy the tent of meeting and the altar, and I will set apart as holy Aaron and his sons, that they may minister as priests to me.


I will reside among the Israelites, and I will be their God,


and they will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out from the land of Egypt, so that I may reside among them. I am the Lord their God.


“You are to make an altar for burning incense; you are to make it of acacia wood.


Its length is to be a foot and a half and its width a foot and a half; it will be square. Its height is to be three feet, with its horns of one piece with it.


You are to overlay it with pure gold – its top, its four walls, and its horns – and make a surrounding border of gold for it.


You are to make two gold rings for it under its border, on its two flanks; you are to make them on its two sides. The rings will be places for poles to carry it with.


You are to make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.


“You are to put it in front of the curtain that is before the ark of the testimony (before the atonement lid that is over the testimony), where I will meet you.


Aaron is to burn sweet incense on it morning by morning; when he attends to the lamps he is to burn incense.


When Aaron sets up the lamps around sundown he is to burn incense on it; it is to be a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations.


You must not offer strange incense on it, nor burnt offering, nor meal offering, and you must not pour out a drink offering on it.


Aaron is to make atonement on its horns once in the year with some of the blood of the sin offering for atonement; once in the year he is to make atonement on it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“When you take a census of the Israelites according to their number, then each man is to pay a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them.


Everyone who crosses over to those who are numbered is to pay this: a half shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel weighs twenty gerahs). The half shekel is to be an offering to the Lord.


Everyone who crosses over to those numbered, from twenty years old and up, is to pay an offering to the Lord.


The rich are not to increase it, and the poor are not to pay less than the half shekel when giving the offering of the Lord, to make atonement for your lives.


You are to receive the atonement money from the Israelites and give it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord, to make atonement for your lives.”


“You are also to make a large bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. You are to put it between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it,


and Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and their feet from it.


When they enter the tent of meeting, they must wash with water so that they do not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by burning incense as an offering made by fire to the Lord,


they must wash their hands and their feet so that they do not die. And this will be a perpetual ordinance for them and for their descendants throughout their generations.”


“Take choice spices: twelve and a half pounds of free-flowing myrrh, half that – about six and a quarter pounds – of sweet-smelling cinnamon, six and a quarter pounds of sweet-smelling cane,


and twelve and a half pounds of cassia, all weighed according to the sanctuary shekel, and four quarts of olive oil.


You are to make this into a sacred anointing oil, a perfumed compound, the work of a perfumer. It will be sacred anointing oil.


“With it you are to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony,


the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense,


the altar for the burnt offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its base.


So you are to sanctify them, and they will be most holy; anything that touches them will be holy.


“You are to anoint Aaron and his sons and sanctify them, so that they may minister as my priests.


And you are to tell the Israelites: ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil throughout your generations.


It must not be applied to people’s bodies, and you must not make any like it with the same recipe. It is holy, and it must be holy to you.


Whoever makes perfume like it and whoever puts any of it on someone not a priest will be cut off from his people.’”


The Lord said to Moses: “Take spices, gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense of equal amounts


and make it into an incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer. It is to be finely ground, and pure and sacred.


You are to beat some of it very fine and put some of it before the ark of the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; it is to be most holy to you.


And the incense that you are to make, you must not make for yourselves using the same recipe; it is to be most holy to you, belonging to the Lord.


Whoever makes anything like it, to use as perfume, will be cut off from his people.”


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,


and I have filled him with the Spirit of God in skill, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship,


to make artistic designs for work with gold, with silver, and with bronze,


and with cutting and setting stone, and with cutting wood, to work in all kinds of craftsmanship.


Moreover, I have also given him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and I have given ability to all the specially skilled, that they may make everything I have commanded you:


the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the atonement lid that is on it, all the furnishings of the tent,


the table with its utensils, the pure lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense,


the altar for the burnt offering with all its utensils, the large basin with its base,


the woven garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons, to minister as priests,


the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the Holy Place. They will make all these things just as I have commanded you.”


The Lord said to Moses,


“Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.


So you must keep the Sabbath, for it is holy for you. Everyone who defiles it must surely be put to death; indeed, if anyone does any work on it, then that person will be cut off from among his people.


Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; anyone who does work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death.


The Israelites must keep the Sabbath by observing the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.


It is a sign between me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”


He gave Moses two tablets of testimony when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, tablets of stone written by the finger of God.


When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Get up, make us gods that will go before us. As for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him!”


So Aaron said to them, “Break off the gold earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”


So all the people broke off the gold earrings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron.


He accepted the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”


When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow will be a feast to the Lord.”


So they got up early on the next day and offered up burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.


The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go quickly, descend, because your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly.


They have quickly turned aside from the way that I commanded them – they have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.’”


Then the Lord said to Moses: “I have seen this people. Look what a stiff-necked people they are!


So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.”


But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?


Why should the Egyptians say, ‘For evil he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil against your people.


Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.’”


Then the Lord relented over the evil that he had said he would do to his people.


Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. The tablets were written on both sides – they were written on the front and on the back.


Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.


When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “It is the sound of war in the camp!”


Moses said, “It is not the sound of those who shout for victory, nor is it the sound of those who cry because they are overcome, but the sound of singing I hear.”


When he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became extremely angry. He threw the tablets from his hands and broke them to pieces at the bottom of the mountain.


He took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, poured it out on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.


Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought on them so great a sin?”


Aaron said, “Do not let your anger burn hot, my lord; you know these people, that they tend to evil.


They said to me, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’


So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.”


Moses saw that the people were running wild, for Aaron had let them get completely out of control, causing derision from their enemies.


So Moses stood at the entrance of the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” All the Levites gathered around him,


and he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Each man fasten his sword on his side, and go back and forth from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and each one kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”


The Levites did what Moses ordered, and that day about three thousand men of the people died.


Moses said, “You have been consecrated today for the Lord, for each of you was against his son or against his brother, so he has given a blessing to you today.”


The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a very serious sin, but now I will go up to the Lord – perhaps I can make atonement on behalf of your sin.”


So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold.


But now, if you will forgive their sin..., but if not, wipe me out from your book that you have written.”


The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me – that person I will wipe out of my book.


So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. See, my angel will go before you. But on the day that I punish, I will indeed punish them for their sin.”


And the Lord sent a plague on the people because they had made the calf – the one Aaron made.


The Lord said to Moses, “Go up from here, you and the people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’


I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.


Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way.”


When the people heard this troubling word they mourned; no one put on his ornaments.


For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I went up among you for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments, that I may know what I should do to you.’”


So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments by Mount Horeb.


Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, at a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. Anyone seeking the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp.


And when Moses went out to the tent, all the people would get up and stand at the entrance to their tents and watch Moses until he entered the tent.


And whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.


When all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people, each one at the entrance of his own tent, would rise and worship.


The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, the way a person speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his servant, Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent.


Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have been saying to me, ‘Bring this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. But you said, ‘I know you by name, and also you have found favor in my sight.’


Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your way, that I may know you, that I may continue to find favor in your sight. And see that this nation is your people.”


And the Lord said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”


And Moses said to him, “If your presence does not go with us, do not take us up from here.


For how will it be known then that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not by your going with us, so that we will be distinguished, I and your people, from all the people who are on the face of the earth?”


The Lord said to Moses, “I will do this thing also that you have requested, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”


And Moses said, “Show me your glory.”


And the Lord said, “I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will proclaim the Lord by name before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.”


But he added, “You cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live.”


The Lord said, “Here is a place by me; you will station yourself on a rock.


When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and will cover you with my hand while I pass by.


Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back, but my face must not be seen.”


The Lord said to Moses, “Cut out two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you smashed.


Be prepared in the morning, and go up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and station yourself for me there on the top of the mountain.


No one is to come up with you; do not let anyone be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks or the herds may graze in front of that mountain.”


So Moses cut out two tablets of stone like the first; early in the morning he went up to Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had commanded him, and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone.


The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the Lord by name.


The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness,


keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”


Moses quickly bowed to the ground and worshiped


and said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, let my Lord go among us, for we are a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”


He said, “See, I am going to make a covenant before all your people. I will do wonders such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation. All the people among whom you live will see the work of the Lord, for it is a fearful thing that I am doing with you.


“Obey what I am commanding you this day. I am going to drive out before you the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.


Be careful not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it become a snare among you.


Rather you must destroy their altars, smash their images, and cut down their Asherah poles.


For you must not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.


Be careful not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone invites you, you will eat from his sacrifice;


and you then take his daughters for your sons, and when his daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will make your sons prostitute themselves to their gods as well.


You must not make yourselves molten gods.


“You must keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you must eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you; do this at the appointed time of the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out of Egypt.


“Every firstborn of the womb belongs to me, even every firstborn of your cattle that is a male, whether ox or sheep.


Now the firstling of a donkey you may redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then break its neck. You must redeem all the firstborn of your sons. “No one will appear before me empty-handed.


“On six days you may labor, but on the seventh day you must rest; even at the time of plowing and of harvest you are to rest.


“You must observe the Feast of Weeks – the firstfruits of the harvest of wheat – and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year.


At three times in the year all your men must appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel.


For I will drive out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one will covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.


“You must not offer the blood of my sacrifice with yeast; the sacrifice from the feast of Passover must not remain until the following morning.


“The first of the firstfruits of your soil you must bring to the house of the Lord your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”


The Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”


So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.


Now when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand – when he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.


When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to approach him.


But Moses called to them, so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and Moses spoke to them.


After this all the Israelites approached, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken to him on Mount Sinai.


When Moses finished speaking with them, he would put a veil on his face.


But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil until he came out. Then he would come out and tell the Israelites what he had been commanded.


When the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with the Lord.


Moses assembled the whole community of the Israelites and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do.


In six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there must be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of complete rest to the Lord. Anyone who does work on it will be put to death.


You must not kindle a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath day.”


Moses spoke to the whole community of the Israelites, “This is the word that the Lord has commanded:


‘Take an offering for the Lord. Let everyone who has a willing heart bring an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, bronze,


blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, fine linen, goat’s hair,


ram skins dyed red, fine leather, acacia wood,


olive oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense,


onyx stones, and other gems for mounting on the ephod and the breastpiece.


Every skilled person among you is to come and make all that the Lord has commanded:


the tabernacle with its tent, its covering, its clasps, its frames, its crossbars, its posts, and its bases;


the ark, with its poles, the atonement lid, and the special curtain that conceals it;


the table with its poles and all its vessels, and the Bread of the Presence;


the lampstand for the light and its accessories, its lamps, and oil for the light;


and the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense; the hanging for the door at the entrance of the tabernacle;


the altar for the burnt offering with its bronze grating that is on it, its poles, and all its utensils; the large basin and its pedestal;


the hangings of the courtyard, its posts and its bases, and the curtain for the gateway to the courtyard;


tent pegs for the tabernacle and tent pegs for the courtyard and their ropes;


the woven garments for serving in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to minister as priests.”


So the whole community of the Israelites went out from the presence of Moses.


Everyone whose heart stirred him to action and everyone whose spirit was willing came and brought the offering for the Lord for the work of the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments.


They came, men and women alike, all who had willing hearts. They brought brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments, all kinds of gold jewelry, and everyone came who waved a wave offering of gold to the Lord.


Everyone who had blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, fine linen, goats’ hair, ram skins dyed red, or fine leather brought them.


Everyone making an offering of silver or bronze brought it as an offering to the Lord, and everyone who had acacia wood for any work of the service brought it.


Every woman who was skilled spun with her hands and brought what she had spun, blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen,


and all the women whose heart stirred them to action and who were skilled spun goats’ hair.


The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to be mounted for the ephod and the breastpiece,


and spices and olive oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense.


The Israelites brought a freewill offering to the Lord, every man and woman whose heart was willing to bring materials for all the work that the Lord through Moses had commanded them to do.


Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.


He has filled him with the Spirit of God – with skill, with understanding, with knowledge, and in all kinds of work,


to design artistic designs, to work in gold, in silver, and in bronze,


and in cutting stones for their setting, and in cutting wood, to do work in every artistic craft.


And he has put it in his heart to teach, he and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.


He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, as designers, as embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and in fine linen, and as weavers. They are craftsmen in all the work and artistic designers.


So Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person in whom the Lord has put skill and ability to know how to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary are to do the work according to all that the Lord has commanded.”


Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person in whom the Lord had put skill – everyone whose heart stirred him to volunteer to do the work,


and they received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to do the work for the service of the sanctuary, and they still continued to bring him a freewill offering each morning.


So all the skilled people who were doing all the work on the sanctuary came from the work they were doing


and told Moses, “The people are bringing much more than is needed for the completion of the work which the Lord commanded us to do!”


Moses instructed them to take his message throughout the camp, saying, “Let no man or woman do any more work for the offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing any more.


Now the materials were more than enough for them to do all the work.


All the skilled among those who were doing the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet; they were made with cherubim that were the work of an artistic designer.


The length of one curtain was forty-two feet, and the width of one curtain was six feet – the same size for each of the curtains.


He joined five of the curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he joined to one another.


He made loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in the first set; he did the same along the edge of the end curtain in the second set.


He made fifty loops on the first curtain, and he made fifty loops on the end curtain that was in the second set, with the loops opposite one another.


He made fifty gold clasps and joined the curtains together to one another with the clasps, so that the tabernacle was a unit.


He made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains.


The length of one curtain was forty-five feet, and the width of one curtain was six feet – one size for all eleven curtains.


He joined five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves.


He made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in the first set and fifty loops along the edge of the curtain that joined the second set.


He made fifty bronze clasps to join the tent together so that it might be a unit.


He made a covering for the tent out of ram skins dyed red and over that a covering of fine leather.


He made the frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood as uprights.


The length of each frame was fifteen feet, the width of each frame was two and a quarter feet,


with two projections per frame parallel one to another. He made all the frames of the tabernacle in this way.


So he made frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side.


He made forty silver bases under the twenty frames – two bases under the first frame for its two projections, and likewise two bases under the next frame for its two projections,


and for the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty frames


and their forty silver bases, two bases under the first frame and two bases under the next frame.


And for the back of the tabernacle on the west he made six frames.


He made two frames for the corners of the tabernacle on the back.


At the two corners they were doubled at the lower end and finished together at the top in one ring. So he did for both.


So there were eight frames and their silver bases, sixteen bases, two bases under each frame.


He made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle


and five bars for the frames on the second side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle for the back side on the west.


He made the middle bar to reach from end to end in the center of the frames.


He overlaid the frames with gold and made their rings of gold to provide places for the bars, and he overlaid the bars with gold.


He made the special curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen; he made it with cherubim, the work of an artistic designer.


He made for it four posts of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, with gold hooks, and he cast for them four silver bases.


He made a hanging for the entrance of the tent of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer,


and its five posts and their hooks. He overlaid their tops and their bands with gold, but their five bases were bronze.


Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was three feet nine inches, its width two feet three inches, and its height two feet three inches.


He overlaid it with pure gold, inside and out, and he made a surrounding border of gold for it.


He cast four gold rings for it that he put on its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other side.


He made poles of acacia wood, overlaid them with gold,


and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark.


He made an atonement lid of pure gold; its length was three feet nine inches, and its width was two feet three inches.


He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid,


one cherub on one end and one cherub on the other end. He made the cherubim from the atonement lid on its two ends.


The cherubim were spreading their wings upward, overshadowing the atonement lid with their wings. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the atonement lid.


He made the table of acacia wood; its length was three feet, its width one foot six inches, and its height two feet three inches.


He overlaid it with pure gold, and he made a surrounding border of gold for it.


He made a surrounding frame for it about three inches wide, and he made a surrounding border of gold for its frame.


He cast four gold rings for it and attached the rings at the four corners where its four legs were.


The rings were close to the frame to provide places for the poles to carry the table.


He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table.


He made the vessels which were on the table out of pure gold, its plates, its ladles, its pitchers, and its bowls, to be used in pouring out offerings.


He made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered metal; its base and its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its blossoms were from the same piece.


Six branches were extending from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side of it, and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it.


Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on the first branch, and three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on the next branch, and the same for the six branches that were extending from the lampstand.


On the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms,


with a bud under the first two branches from it, and a bud under the next two branches from it, and a bud under the third two branches from it; according to the six branches that extended from it.


Their buds and their branches were of one piece; all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold.


He made its seven lamps, its trimmers, and its trays of pure gold.


He made the lampstand and all its accessories with seventy-five pounds of pure gold.


He made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a foot and a half and its width a foot and a half – a square – and its height was three feet. Its horns were of one piece with it.


He overlaid it with pure gold – its top, its four walls, and its horns – and he made a surrounding border of gold for it.


He also made two gold rings for it under its border, on its two sides, on opposite sides, as places for poles to carry it with.


He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.


He made the sacred anointing oil and the pure fragrant incense, the work of a perfumer.


He made the altar for the burnt offering of acacia wood seven feet six inches long and seven feet six inches wide – it was square – and its height was four feet six inches.


He made its horns on its four corners; its horns were part of it, and he overlaid it with bronze.


He made all the utensils of the altar – the pots, the shovels, the tossing bowls, the meat hooks, and the fire pans – he made all its utensils of bronze.


He made a grating for the altar, a network of bronze under its ledge, halfway up from the bottom.


He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating, to provide places for the poles.


He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.


He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made the altar hollow, out of boards.


He made the large basin of bronze and its pedestal of bronze from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting.


He made the courtyard. For the south side the hangings of the courtyard were of fine twisted linen, one hundred fifty feet long,


with their twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, with the hooks of the posts and their bands of silver.


For the north side the hangings were one hundred fifty feet, with their twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, with the hooks of the posts and their bands of silver.


For the west side there were hangings seventy-five feet long, with their ten posts and their ten bases, with the hooks of the posts and their bands of silver.


For the east side, toward the sunrise, it was seventy-five feet wide,


with hangings on one side of the gate that were twenty-two and a half feet long, with their three posts and their three bases,


and for the second side of the gate of the courtyard, just like the other, the hangings were twenty-two and a half feet long, with their three posts and their three bases.


All the hangings around the courtyard were of fine twisted linen.


The bases for the posts were bronze. The hooks of the posts and their bands were silver, their tops were overlaid with silver, and all the posts of the courtyard had silver bands.


The curtain for the gate of the courtyard was of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer. It was thirty feet long, and like the hangings in the courtyard, it was seven and a half feet high,


with four posts and their four bronze bases. Their hooks and their bands were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver.


All the tent pegs of the tabernacle and of the courtyard all around were bronze.


This is the inventory of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, which was counted by the order of Moses, being the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.


Now Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord had commanded Moses;


and with him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an artisan, a designer, and an embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen.


All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work of the sanctuary (namely, the gold of the wave offering) was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.


The silver of those who were numbered of the community was one hundred talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel,


one beka per person, that is, a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, for everyone who crossed over to those numbered, from twenty years old or older, 603,550 in all.


The one hundred talents of silver were used for casting the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the special curtain – one hundred bases for one hundred talents, one talent per base.


From the remaining 1,775 shekels he made hooks for the posts, overlaid their tops, and made bands for them.


The bronze of the wave offering was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels.


With it he made the bases for the door of the tent of meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze grating for it, and all the utensils of the altar,


the bases for the courtyard all around, the bases for the gate of the courtyard, all the tent pegs of the tabernacle, and all the tent pegs of the courtyard all around.


From the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn they made woven garments for serving in the sanctuary; they made holy garments that were for Aaron, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twisted linen.


They hammered the gold into thin sheets and cut it into narrow strips to weave them into the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and into the fine linen, the work of an artistic designer.


They made shoulder pieces for it, attached to two of its corners, so it could be joined together.


The artistically woven waistband of the ephod that was on it was like it, of one piece with it, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


They set the onyx stones in gold filigree settings, engraved as with the engravings of a seal with the names of the sons of Israel.


He put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as stones of memorial for the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


He made the breastpiece, the work of an artistic designer, in the same fashion as the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine twisted linen.


It was square – they made the breastpiece doubled, nine inches long and nine inches wide when doubled.


They set on it four rows of stones: a row with a ruby, a topaz, and a beryl – the first row;


and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald;


and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;


and the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in gold filigree settings.


The stones were for the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, corresponding to the number of their names. Each name corresponding to one of the twelve tribes was like the engravings of a seal.


They made for the breastpiece braided chains like cords of pure gold,


and they made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and they attached the two rings to the upper two ends of the breastpiece.


They attached the two gold chains to the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece;


the other two ends of the two chains they attached to the two settings, and they attached them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it.


They made two rings of gold and put them on the other two ends of the breastpiece on its edge, which is on the inner side of the ephod.


They made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the juncture above the waistband of the ephod.


They tied the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod by blue cord, so that it was above the waistband of the ephod, so that the breastpiece would not be loose from the ephod, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


He made the robe of the ephod completely blue, the work of a weaver.


There was an opening in the center of the robe, like the opening of a collar, with an edge all around the opening so that it could not be torn.


They made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and twisted linen around the hem of the robe.


They made bells of pure gold and attached the bells between the pomegranates around the hem of the robe between the pomegranates.


There was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe, to be used in ministering, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


They made tunics of fine linen – the work of a weaver, for Aaron and for his sons –


and the turban of fine linen, the headbands of fine linen, and the undergarments of fine twisted linen.


The sash was of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, the work of an embroiderer, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


They made a plate, the holy diadem, of pure gold and wrote on it an inscription, as on the engravings of a seal, “Holiness to the Lord.”


They attached to it a blue cord, to attach it to the turban above, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


So all the work of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed, and the Israelites did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses – they did it exactly so.


They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings, clasps, frames, bars, posts, and bases;


and the coverings of ram skins dyed red, the covering of fine leather, and the protecting curtain;


the ark of the testimony and its poles, and the atonement lid;


the table, all its utensils, and the Bread of the Presence;


the pure lampstand, its lamps, with the lamps set in order, and all its accessories, and oil for the light;


and the gold altar, and the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense; and the curtain for the entrance to the tent;


the bronze altar and its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils; the large basin with its pedestal;


the hangings of the courtyard, its posts and its bases, and the curtain for the gateway of the courtyard, its ropes and its tent pegs, and all the furnishings for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting;


the woven garments for serving in the sanctuary, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to minister as priests.


The Israelites did all the work according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses.


Moses inspected all the work – and they had done it just as the Lord had commanded – they had done it exactly – and Moses blessed them.


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“On the first day of the first month you are to set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting.


You are to place the ark of the testimony in it and shield the ark with the special curtain.


You are to bring in the table and set out the things that belong on it; then you are to bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps.


You are to put the gold altar for incense in front of the ark of the testimony and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.


You are to put the altar for the burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting.


You are to put the large basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it.


You are to set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the gate of the courtyard.


And take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and sanctify it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy.


Then you are to anoint the altar for the burnt offering with all its utensils; you are to sanctify the altar, and it will be the most holy altar.


You must also anoint the large basin and its pedestal, and you are to sanctify it.


“You are to bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water.


Then you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments and anoint him and sanctify him so that he may minister as my priest.


You are to bring his sons and clothe them with tunics


and anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may minister as my priests; their anointing will make them a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.”


This is what Moses did, according to all the Lord had commanded him – so he did.


So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month, in the second year.


When Moses set up the tabernacle and put its bases in place, he set up its frames, attached its bars, and set up its posts.


Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.


He took the testimony and put it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark, and then put the atonement lid on the ark.


And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung the protecting curtain, and shielded the ark of the testimony from view, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


And he put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain.


And he set the bread in order on it before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


And he put the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.


Then he set up the lamps before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


And he put the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain,


and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


Then he put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.


He also put the altar for the burnt offering by the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


Then he put the large basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing.


Moses and Aaron and his sons would wash their hands and their feet from it.


Whenever they entered the tent of meeting, and whenever they approached the altar, they would wash, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


And he set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar, and put the curtain at the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.


Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.


Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.


But when the cloud was lifted up from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on all their journeys;


but if the cloud was not lifted up, then they would not journey further until the day it was lifted up.


For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, but fire would be on it at night, in plain view of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.


Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Meeting Tent:


“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When someone among you presents an offering to the Lord, you must present your offering from the domesticated animals, either from the herd or from the flock.


“‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd he must present it as a flawless male; he must present it at the entrance of the Meeting Tent for its acceptance before the Lord.


He must lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf.


Then the one presenting the offering must slaughter the bull before the Lord, and the sons of Aaron, the priests, must present the blood and splash the blood against the sides of the altar which is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent.


Next, the one presenting the offering must skin the burnt offering and cut it into parts,


and the sons of Aaron, the priest, must put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire.


Then the sons of Aaron, the priests, must arrange the parts with the head and the suet on the wood that is in the fire on the altar.


Finally, the one presenting the offering must wash its entrails and its legs in water and the priest must offer all of it up in smoke on the altar – it is a burnt offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord.


“‘If his offering is from the flock for a burnt offering – from the sheep or the goats – he must present a flawless male,


and must slaughter it on the north side of the altar before the Lord, and the sons of Aaron, the priests, will splash its blood against the altar’s sides.


Next, the one presenting the offering must cut it into parts, with its head and its suet, and the priest must arrange them on the wood which is in the fire, on the altar.


Then the one presenting the offering must wash the entrails and the legs in water, and the priest must present all of it and offer it up in smoke on the altar – it is a burnt offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord.


“‘If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering from the birds, he must present his offering from the turtledoves or from the young pigeons.


The priest must present it at the altar, pinch off its head and offer the head up in smoke on the altar, and its blood must be drained out against the side of the altar.


Then the priest must remove its entrails by cutting off its tail feathers, and throw them to the east side of the altar into the place of fatty ashes,


and tear it open by its wings without dividing it into two parts. Finally, the priest must offer it up in smoke on the altar on the wood which is in the fire – it is a burnt offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord.


“‘When a person presents a grain offering to the Lord, his offering must consist of choice wheat flour, and he must pour olive oil on it and put frankincense on it.


Then he must bring it to the sons of Aaron, the priests, and the priest must scoop out from there a handful of its choice wheat flour and some of its olive oil in addition to all of its frankincense, and the priest must offer its memorial portion up in smoke on the altar – it is a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord.


The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and to his sons – it is most holy from the gifts of the Lord.


“‘When you present an offering of grain baked in an oven, it must be made of choice wheat flour baked into unleavened loaves mixed with olive oil or unleavened wafers smeared with olive oil.


If your offering is a grain offering made on the griddle, it must be choice wheat flour mixed with olive oil, unleavened.


Crumble it in pieces and pour olive oil on it – it is a grain offering.


If your offering is a grain offering made in a pan, it must be made of choice wheat flour deep fried in olive oil.


“‘You must bring the grain offering that must be made from these to the Lord. Present it to the priest, and he will bring it to the altar.


Then the priest must take up from the grain offering its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar – it is a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord.


“‘No grain offering which you present to the Lord can be made with yeast, for you must not offer up in smoke any yeast or honey as a gift to the Lord.


You can present them to the Lord as an offering of first fruit, but they must not go up to the altar for a soothing aroma.


Moreover, you must season every one of your grain offerings with salt; you must not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be missing from your grain offering – on every one of your grain offerings you must present salt.


“‘If you present a grain offering of first ripe grain to the Lord, you must present your grain offering of first ripe grain as soft kernels roasted in fire – crushed bits of fresh grain.


And you must put olive oil on it and set frankincense on it – it is a grain offering.


Then the priest must offer its memorial portion up in smoke – some of its crushed bits, some of its olive oil, in addition to all of its frankincense – it is a gift to the Lord.


“‘Now if his offering is a peace offering sacrifice, if he presents an offering from the herd, he must present before the Lord a flawless male or a female.


He must lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and the sons of Aaron, the priests, must splash the blood against the altar’s sides.


Then the one presenting the offering must present a gift to the Lord from the peace offering sacrifice: He must remove the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that surrounds the entrails,


the two kidneys with the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he is to remove along with the kidneys).


Then the sons of Aaron must offer it up in smoke on the altar atop the burnt offering that is on the wood in the fire as a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord.


“‘If his offering for a peace offering sacrifice to the Lord is from the flock, he must present a flawless male or female.


If he presents a sheep as his offering, he must present it before the Lord.


He must lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it before the Meeting Tent, and the sons of Aaron must splash its blood against the altar’s sides.


Then he must present a gift to the Lord from the peace offering sacrifice: He must remove all the fatty tail up to the end of the spine, the fat covering the entrails, and all the fat on the entrails,


Then the priest must offer it up in smoke on the altar as a food gift to the Lord.


“‘If his offering is a goat he must present it before the Lord,


lay his hand on its head, and slaughter it before the Meeting Tent, and the sons of Aaron must splash its blood against the altar’s sides.


Then he must present from it his offering as a gift to the Lord: the fat which covers the entrails and all the fat on the entrails,


Then the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar as a food gift for a soothing aroma – all the fat belongs to the Lord.


This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all the places where you live: You must never eat any fat or any blood.’”


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“Tell the Israelites, ‘When a person sins by straying unintentionally from any of the Lord’s commandments which must not be violated, and violates any one of them –


“‘If the high priest sins so that the people are guilty, on account of the sin he has committed he must present a flawless young bull to the Lord for a sin offering.


He must bring the bull to the entrance of the Meeting Tent before the Lord, lay his hand on the head of the bull, and slaughter the bull before the Lord.


Then that high priest must take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to the Meeting Tent.


The priest must dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord toward the front of the veil-canopy of the sanctuary.


The priest must put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the Meeting Tent, and all the rest of the bull’s blood he must pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent.


“‘Then he must take up all the fat from the sin offering bull: the fat covering the entrails and all the fat surrounding the entrails,


the two kidneys with the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he is to remove along with the kidneys)


– just as it is taken from the ox of the peace offering sacrifice – and the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering.


But the hide of the bull, all its flesh along with its head and its legs, its entrails, and its dung –


all the rest of the bull – he must bring outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place, to the fatty ash pile, and he must burn it on a wood fire; it must be burned on the fatty ash pile.


“‘If the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter is not noticed by the assembly, and they violate one of the Lord’s commandments, which must not be violated, so they become guilty,


the assembly must present a young bull for a sin offering when the sin they have committed becomes known. They must bring it before the Meeting Tent,


the elders of the congregation must lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord, and someone must slaughter the bull before the Lord.


Then the high priest must bring some of the blood of the bull to the Meeting Tent,


and that priest must dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord toward the front of the veil-canopy.


He must put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the Lord in the Meeting Tent, and all the rest of the blood he must pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent.


“‘Then the priest must take all its fat and offer the fat up in smoke on the altar.


He must do with the rest of the bull just as he did with the bull of the sin offering; this is what he must do with it. So the priest will make atonement on their behalf and they will be forgiven.


He must bring the rest of the bull outside the camp and burn it just as he burned the first bull – it is the sin offering of the assembly.


“‘Whenever a leader, by straying unintentionally, sins and violates one of the commandments of the Lord his God which must not be violated, and he pleads guilty,


or his sin that he committed is made known to him, he must bring a flawless male goat as his offering.


He must lay his hand on the head of the male goat and slaughter it in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the Lord – it is a sin offering.


Then the priest must take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and he must pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.


Then the priest must offer all of its fat up in smoke on the altar like the fat of the peace offering sacrifice. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin and he will be forgiven.


“‘If an ordinary individual sins by straying unintentionally when he violates one of the Lord’s commandments which must not be violated, and he pleads guilty


or his sin that he committed is made known to him, he must bring a flawless female goat as his offering for the sin that he committed.


He must lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter the sin offering in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered.


Then the priest must take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and he must pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.


Then he must remove all of its fat (just as fat was removed from the peace offering sacrifice) and the priest must offer it up in smoke on the altar for a soothing aroma to the Lord. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf and he will be forgiven.


“‘But if he brings a sheep as his offering, for a sin offering, he must bring a flawless female.


He must lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it for a sin offering in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered.


Then the priest must take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and he must pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.


Then the one who brought the offering must remove all its fat (just as the fat of the sheep is removed from the peace offering sacrifice) and the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar on top of the other gifts of the Lord. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed and he will be forgiven.


“‘When a person sins in that he hears a public curse against one who fails to testify and he is a witness (he either saw or knew what had happened ) and he does not make it known, then he will bear his punishment for iniquity.


Or when there is a person who touches anything ceremonially unclean, whether the carcass of an unclean wild animal, or the carcass of an unclean domesticated animal, or the carcass of an unclean creeping thing, even if he did not realize it, but he himself has become unclean and is guilty;


or when he touches human uncleanness with regard to anything by which he can become unclean, even if he did not realize it, but he himself has later come to know it and is guilty;


or when a person swears an oath, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips, whether to do evil or to do good, with regard to anything which the individual might speak thoughtlessly in an oath, even if he did not realize it, but he himself has later come to know it and is guilty with regard to one of these oaths –


when an individual becomes guilty with regard to one of these things he must confess how he has sinned,


and he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord for his sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, whether a female sheep or a female goat, for a sin offering. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin.


“‘If he cannot afford an animal from the flock, he must bring his penalty for guilt for his sin that he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, to the Lord, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering.


He must bring them to the priest and present first the one that is for a sin offering. The priest must pinch its head at the nape of its neck, but must not sever the head from the body.


Then he must sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the wall of the altar, and the remainder of the blood must be squeezed out at the base of the altar – it is a sin offering.


The second bird he must make a burnt offering according to the standard regulation. So the priest will make atonement on behalf of this person for his sin which he has committed, and he will be forgiven.


“‘If he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he must bring as his offering for his sin which he has committed a tenth of an ephah of choice wheat flour for a sin offering. He must not place olive oil on it and he must not put frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering.


He must bring it to the priest and the priest must scoop out from it a handful as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar on top of the other gifts of the Lord – it is a sin offering.


So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed by doing one of these things, and he will be forgiven. The remainder of the offering will belong to the priest like the grain offering.’”


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“When a person commits a trespass and sins by straying unintentionally from the regulations about the Lord’s holy things, then he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord, a flawless ram from the flock, convertible into silver shekels according to the standard of the sanctuary shekel, for a guilt offering.


And whatever holy thing he violated he must restore and must add one fifth to it and give it to the priest. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf with the guilt offering ram and he will be forgiven.”


“If a person sins and violates any of the Lord’s commandments which must not be violated (although he did not know it at the time, but later realizes he is guilty), then he will bear his punishment for iniquity


and must bring a flawless ram from the flock, convertible into silver shekels, for a guilt offering to the priest. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his error which he committed (although he himself had not known it) and he will be forgiven.


It is a guilt offering; he was surely guilty before the Lord.”


“When a person sins and commits a trespass against the Lord by deceiving his fellow citizen in regard to something held in trust, or a pledge, or something stolen, or by extorting something from his fellow citizen,


or has found something lost and denies it and swears falsely concerning any one of the things that someone might do to sin –


when it happens that he sins and he is found guilty, then he must return whatever he had stolen, or whatever he had extorted, or the thing that he had held in trust, or the lost thing that he had found,


or anything about which he swears falsely. He must restore it in full and add one fifth to it; he must give it to its owner when he is found guilty.


Then he must bring his guilt offering to the Lord, a flawless ram from the flock, convertible into silver shekels, for a guilt offering to the priest.


So the priest will make atonement on his behalf before the Lord and he will be forgiven for whatever he has done to become guilty.”


“Command Aaron and his sons, ‘This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering is to remain on the hearth on the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar must be kept burning on it.


Then the priest must put on his linen robe and must put linen leggings over his bare flesh, and he must take up the fatty ashes of the burnt offering that the fire consumed on the altar, and he must place them beside the altar.


Then he must take off his clothes and put on other clothes, and he must bring the fatty ashes outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place,


but the fire which is on the altar must be kept burning on it. It must not be extinguished. So the priest must kindle wood on it morning by morning, and he must arrange the burnt offering on it and offer the fat of the peace offering up in smoke on it.


A continual fire must be kept burning on the altar. It must not be extinguished.


“‘This is the law of the grain offering. The sons of Aaron are to present it before the Lord in front of the altar,


and the priest must take up with his hand some of the choice wheat flour of the grain offering and some of its olive oil, and all of the frankincense that is on the grain offering, and he must offer its memorial portion up in smoke on the altar as a soothing aroma to the Lord.


Aaron and his sons are to eat what is left over from it. It must be eaten unleavened in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Meeting Tent.


It must not be baked with yeast. I have given it as their portion from my gifts. It is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering.


Every male among the sons of Aaron may eat it. It is a perpetual allotted portion throughout your generations from the gifts of the Lord. Anyone who touches these gifts must be holy.’”


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“This is the offering of Aaron and his sons which they must present to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of choice wheat flour as a continual grain offering, half of it in the morning and half of it in the evening.


It must be made with olive oil on a griddle and you must bring it well soaked, so you must present a grain offering of broken pieces as a soothing aroma to the Lord.


The high priest who succeeds him from among his sons must do it. It is a perpetual statute; it must be offered up in smoke as a whole offering to the Lord.


Every grain offering of a priest must be a whole offering; it must not be eaten.”


“Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is the law of the sin offering. In the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered the sin offering must be slaughtered before the Lord. It is most holy.


The priest who offers it for sin is to eat it. It must be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the Meeting Tent.


Anyone who touches its meat must be holy, and whoever spatters some of its blood on a garment, you must wash whatever he spatters it on in a holy place.


Any clay vessel it is boiled in must be broken, and if it was boiled in a bronze vessel, then that vessel must be rubbed out and rinsed in water.


Any male among the priests may eat it. It is most holy.


But any sin offering from which some of its blood is brought into the Meeting Tent to make atonement in the sanctuary must not be eaten. It must be burned up in the fire.


“‘This is the law of the guilt offering. It is most holy.


In the place where they slaughter the burnt offering they must slaughter the guilt offering, and the officiating priest must splash the blood against the altar’s sides.


Then the one making the offering must present all its fat: the fatty tail, the fat covering the entrails,


the two kidneys and the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he must remove along with the kidneys).


Then the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar as a gift to the Lord. It is a guilt offering.


Any male among the priests may eat it. It must be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.


The law is the same for the sin offering and the guilt offering; it belongs to the priest who makes atonement with it.


“‘As for the priest who presents someone’s burnt offering, the hide of that burnt offering which he presented belongs to him.


Every grain offering which is baked in the oven or made in the pan or on the griddle belongs to the priest who presented it.


Every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, belongs to all the sons of Aaron, each one alike.


“‘This is the law of the peace offering sacrifice which he is to present to the Lord.


If he presents it on account of thanksgiving, along with the thank offering sacrifice he must present unleavened loaves mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers smeared with olive oil, and well soaked ring-shaped loaves made of choice wheat flour mixed with olive oil.


He must present this grain offering in addition to ring-shaped loaves of leavened bread which regularly accompany the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offering.


He must present one of each kind of grain offering as a contribution offering to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the peace offering.


The meat of his thanksgiving peace offering must be eaten on the day of his offering; he must not set any of it aside until morning.


“‘If his offering is a votive or freewill sacrifice, it may be eaten on the day he presents his sacrifice, and also the leftovers from it may be eaten on the next day,


but the leftovers from the meat of the sacrifice must be burned up in the fire on the third day.


If some of the meat of his peace offering sacrifice is ever eaten on the third day it will not be accepted; it will not be accounted to the one who presented it, since it is spoiled, and the person who eats from it will bear his punishment for iniquity.


The meat which touches anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten; it must be burned up in the fire. As for ceremonially clean meat, everyone who is ceremonially clean may eat the meat.


The person who eats meat from the peace offering sacrifice which belongs to the Lord while his uncleanness persists will be cut off from his people.


When a person touches anything unclean (whether human uncleanness, or an unclean animal, or an unclean detestable creature) and eats some of the meat of the peace offering sacrifice which belongs to the Lord, that person will be cut off from his people.’”


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“Tell the Israelites, ‘You must not eat any fat of an ox, sheep, or goat.


Moreover, the fat of an animal that has died of natural causes and the fat of an animal torn by beasts may be used for any other purpose, but you must certainly never eat it.


If anyone eats fat from the animal from which he presents a gift to the Lord, that person will be cut off from his people.


And you must not eat any blood of the birds or the domesticated land animals in any of the places where you live.


Any person who eats any blood – that person will be cut off from his people.’”


“Tell the Israelites, ‘The one who presents his peace offering sacrifice to the Lord must bring his offering to the Lord from his peace offering sacrifice.


With his own hands he must bring the Lord’s gifts. He must bring the fat with the breast to wave the breast as a wave offering before the Lord,


and the priest must offer the fat up in smoke on the altar, but the breast will belong to Aaron and his sons.


The right thigh you must give as a contribution offering to the priest from your peace offering sacrifices.


The one from Aaron’s sons who presents the blood of the peace offering and fat will have the right thigh as his share,


for the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution offering I have taken from the Israelites out of their peace offering sacrifices and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons from the people of Israel as a perpetual allotted portion.’”


This is the allotment of Aaron and the allotment of his sons from the Lord’s gifts on the day Moses presented them to serve as priests to the Lord.


This is what the Lord commanded to give to them from the Israelites on the day Moses anointed them – a perpetual allotted portion throughout their generations.


This is the law for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering, and the peace offering sacrifice,


which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to present their offerings to the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai.


“Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, the anointing oil, the sin offering bull, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread,


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


So Moses did just as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation assembled at the entrance of the Meeting Tent.


Then Moses said to the congregation: “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.”


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


Then he put the tunic on Aaron, wrapped the sash around him, and clothed him with the robe. Next he put the ephod on him and placed on him the decorated band of the ephod, and fastened the ephod closely to him with the band.


He then set the breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim into the breastpiece.


Finally, he set the turban on his head and attached the gold plate, the holy diadem, to the front of the turban just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them.


Next he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times and so anointed the altar, all its vessels, and the wash basin and its stand to consecrate them.


He then poured some of the anointing oil on the head of Aaron and anointed him to consecrate him.


Moses also brought forward Aaron’s sons, clothed them with tunics, wrapped sashes around them, and wrapped headbands on them just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


Then he brought near the sin offering bull and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the sin offering bull,


and he slaughtered it. Moses then took the blood and put it all around on the horns of the altar with his finger and decontaminated the altar, and he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and so consecrated it to make atonement on it.


Then he took all the fat on the entrails, the protruding lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat, and Moses offered it all up in smoke on the altar,


but the rest of the bull – its hide, its flesh, and its dung – he completely burned up outside the camp just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


Then he presented the burnt offering ram and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram,


and he slaughtered it. Moses then splashed the blood against the altar’s sides.


Then he cut the ram into parts, and Moses offered the head, the parts, and the suet up in smoke,


but the entrails and the legs he washed with water, and Moses offered the whole ram up in smoke on the altar – it was a burnt offering for a soothing aroma, a gift to the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


Then he presented the second ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram


and he slaughtered it. Moses then 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.


Next he brought Aaron’s sons forward, and Moses put some of the blood on their right earlobes, on their right thumbs, and on the big toes of their right feet, and Moses splashed the rest of the blood against the altar’s sides.


Then he took the fat (the fatty tail, all the fat on the entrails, the protruding lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat ) and the right thigh,


and from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened loaf, one loaf of bread mixed with olive oil, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat parts and on the right thigh.


He then put all of them on the palms of Aaron and his sons, who waved them as a wave offering before the Lord.


Moses then took them from their palms and offered them up in smoke on the altar on top of the burnt offering – they were an ordination offering for a soothing aroma; it was a gift to the Lord.


Finally, Moses took the breast and waved it as a wave offering before the Lord from the ram of ordination. It was Moses’ share just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons’ garments with him. So he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.


Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and there you are to eat it and the bread which is in the ordination offering basket, just as I have commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it,’


but the remainder of the meat and the bread you must burn with fire.


And you must not go out from the entrance of the Meeting Tent for seven days, until the day when your days of ordination are completed, because you must be ordained over a seven-day period.


What has been done on this day the Lord has commanded to be done to make atonement for you.


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


So Aaron and his sons did all the things the Lord had commanded through Moses.


On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel,


and said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both flawless, and present them before the Lord.


Then tell the Israelites: ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering and a calf and lamb, both a year old and flawless, for a burnt offering,


and an ox and a ram for peace offerings to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with olive oil, for today the Lord is going to appear to you.’”


So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the Meeting Tent and the whole congregation presented them and stood before the Lord.


Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.”


Moses then said to Aaron, “Approach the altar and make your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement on behalf of yourself and on behalf of the people; and also make the people’s offering and make atonement on behalf of them just as the Lord has commanded.”


So Aaron approached the altar and slaughtered the sin offering calf which was for himself.


Then Aaron’s sons presented the blood to him and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar, and the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar.


The fat and the kidneys and the protruding lobe of the liver from the sin offering he offered up in smoke on the altar just as the Lord had commanded Moses,


but the flesh and the hide he completely burned up outside the camp.


He then slaughtered the burnt offering, and his sons handed the blood to him and he splashed it against the altar’s sides.


The burnt offering itself they handed to him by its parts, including the head, and he offered them up in smoke on the altar,


and he washed the entrails and the legs and offered them up in smoke on top of the burnt offering on the altar.


Then he presented the people’s offering. He took the sin offering male goat which was for the people, slaughtered it, and performed a decontamination rite with it like the first one.


He then presented the burnt offering, and did it according to the standard regulation.


Next he presented the grain offering, filled his hand with some of it, and offered it up in smoke on the altar in addition to the morning burnt offering.


Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram – the peace offering sacrifices which were for the people – and Aaron’s sons handed the blood to him and he splashed it against the altar’s sides.


As for the fat parts from the ox and from the ram (the fatty tail, the fat covering the entrails, the kidneys, and the protruding lobe of the liver),


they set those on the breasts and he offered the fat parts up in smoke on the altar.


Finally Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the Lord just as Moses had commanded.


Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them and descended from making the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering.


Moses and Aaron then entered into the Meeting Tent. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.


Then fire went out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar, and all the people saw it, so they shouted loudly and fell down with their faces to the ground.


Then Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his fire pan and put fire in it, set incense on it, and presented strange fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them to do.


So fire went out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them so that they died before the Lord.


Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke: ‘Among the ones close to me I will show myself holy, and in the presence of all the people I will be honored.’” So Aaron kept silent.


Moses then called to Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, Aaron’s uncle, and said to them, “Come near, carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.”


So they came near and carried them away in their tunics to a place outside the camp just as Moses had spoken.


Then Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his other two sons, “Do not dishevel the hair of your heads and do not tear your garments, so that you do not die and so that wrath does not come on the whole congregation. Your brothers, all the house of Israel, are to mourn the burning which the Lord has caused,


but you must not go out from the entrance of the Meeting Tent lest you die, for the Lord’s anointing oil is on you.” So they acted according to the word of Moses.


Then the Lord spoke to Aaron,


“Do not drink wine or strong drink, you and your sons with you, when you enter into the Meeting Tent, so that you do not die, which is a perpetual statute throughout your generations,


as well as to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean,


and to teach the Israelites all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.”


Then Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his remaining sons, “Take the grain offering which remains from the gifts of the Lord and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy.


You must eat it in a holy place because it is your allotted portion and the allotted portion of your sons from the gifts of the Lord, for this is what I have been commanded.


Also, the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution offering you must eat in a ceremonially clean place, you and your sons and daughters with you, for they have been given as your allotted portion and the allotted portion of your sons from the peace offering sacrifices of the Israelites.


The thigh of the contribution offering and the breast of the wave offering they must bring in addition to the gifts of the fat parts to wave them as a wave offering before the Lord, and it will belong to you and your sons with you for a perpetual statute just as the Lord has commanded.”


Later Moses sought diligently for the sin offering male goat, but it had actually been burnt. So he became angry at Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, saying,


“Why did you not eat the sin offering in the sanctuary? For it is most holy and he gave it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement on their behalf before the Lord.


See here! Its blood was not brought into the holy place within! You should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary just as I commanded!”


But Aaron spoke to Moses, “See here! Just today they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord and such things as these have happened to me! If I had eaten a sin offering today would the Lord have been pleased?”


When Moses heard this explanation, he was satisfied.


The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them,


“Tell the Israelites: ‘This is the kind of creature you may eat from among all the animals that are on the land.


You may eat any among the animals that has a divided hoof (the hooves are completely split in two ) and that also chews the cud.


However, you must not eat these from among those that chew the cud and have divided hooves: The camel is unclean to you because it chews the cud even though its hoof is not divided.


The rock badger is unclean to you because it chews the cud even though its hoof is not divided.


The hare is unclean to you because it chews the cud even though its hoof is not divided.


The pig is unclean to you because its hoof is divided (the hoof is completely split in two ), even though it does not chew the cud.


You must not eat from their meat and you must not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.


“‘These you can eat from all creatures that are in the water: Any creatures in the water that have both fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat.


But any creatures that do not have both fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the streams, from all the swarming things of the water and from all the living creatures that are in the water, are detestable to you.


Since they are detestable to you, you must not eat their meat and their carcass you must detest.


Any creature in the water that does not have both fins and scales is detestable to you.


“‘These you are to detest from among the birds – they must not be eaten, because they are detestable: the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,


the kite, the buzzard of any kind,


every kind of crow,


the eagle owl, the short-eared owl, the long-eared owl, the hawk of any kind,


the little owl, the cormorant, the screech owl,


the white owl, the scops owl, the osprey,


the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.


“‘Every winged swarming thing that walks on all fours is detestable to you.


However, this you may eat from all the winged swarming things that walk on all fours, which have jointed legs to hop with on the land.


These you may eat from them: the locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind, the grasshopper of any kind.


But any other winged swarming thing that has four legs is detestable to you.


“‘By these you defile yourselves; anyone who touches their carcass will be unclean until the evening,


and anyone who carries their carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until the evening.


“‘All animals that divide the hoof but it is not completely split in two and do not chew the cud are unclean to you; anyone who touches them becomes unclean.


All that walk on their paws among all the creatures that walk on all fours are unclean to you. Anyone who touches their carcass will be unclean until the evening,


and the one who carries their carcass must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you.


“‘Now this is what is unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm on the land: the rat, the mouse, the large lizard of any kind,


the Mediterranean gecko, the spotted lizard, the wall gecko, the skink, and the chameleon.


These are the ones that are unclean to you among all the swarming things. Anyone who touches them when they die will be unclean until evening.


Also, anything they fall on when they die will become unclean – any wood vessel or garment or article of leather or sackcloth. Any such vessel with which work is done must be immersed in water and will be unclean until the evening. Then it will become clean.


As for any clay vessel they fall into, everything in it will become unclean and you must break it.


Any food that may be eaten which becomes soaked with water will become unclean. Anything drinkable in any such vessel will become unclean.


Anything their carcass may fall on will become unclean. An oven or small stove must be smashed to pieces; they are unclean, and they will stay unclean to you.


However, a spring or a cistern which collects water will be clean, but one who touches their carcass will be unclean.


Now, if such a carcass falls on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean,


but if water is put on the seed and such a carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.


“‘Now if an animal that you may eat dies, whoever touches its carcass will be unclean until the evening.


One who eats from its carcass must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening, and whoever carries its carcass must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.


Every swarming thing that swarms on the land is detestable; it must not be eaten.


You must not eat anything that crawls on its belly or anything that walks on all fours or on any number of legs of all the swarming things that swarm on the land, because they are detestable.


Do not make yourselves detestable by any of the swarming things. You must not defile yourselves by them and become unclean by them,


for I am the Lord your God and you are to sanctify yourselves and be holy because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any of the swarming things that creep on the ground,


for I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God, and you are to be holy because I am holy.


This is the law of the land animals, the birds, all the living creatures that move in the water, and all the creatures that swarm on the land,


to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between the living creatures that may be eaten and the living creatures that must not be eaten.’”


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Tell the Israelites, ‘When a woman produces offspring and bears a male child, she will be unclean seven days, as she is unclean during the days of her menstruation.


On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin must be circumcised.