New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Ordinances for the People

1 “Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them:

2 “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment.

3 If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him.

4 If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone.

5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’

6 then his master shall bring him toGod, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.

7 “If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do.

8 If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people because of his unfairness to her.

9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters.

10 If he takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights.

11 If he will not do these threethingsfor her, then she shall go out for nothing, withoutpayment ofmoney.

Personal Injuries

12 “He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.

13 But if he did not lie in waitfor him,but God lethimfall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee.

14 If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him craftily, you are to take himevenfrom My altar, that he may die.

15 “He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

16 “He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.

17 “He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

18 “If men have a quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or withhisfist, and he does not die but remains in bed,

19 if he gets up and walks around outside on his staff, then he who struck him shall go unpunished; he shall only pay for his loss of time, and shall take care of him until he is completely healed.

20 “If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished.

21 If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.

22 “If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judgesdecide.

23 But if there isany furtherinjury, then you shall appointas a penaltylife for life,

24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

26 “If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave, and destroys it, he shall let him go free on account of his eye.

27 And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth.

28 “If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished.

29 If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death.

30 If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him.

31 Whether it gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule.

32 If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give hisor hermaster thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

33 “If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

34 the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give money to its owner, and the deadanimalshall become his.

35 “If one man’s ox hurts another’s so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide its price equally; and also they shall divide the deadox.

36 Orifit is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confined it, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the deadanimalshall become his.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/EXO/21-e11de8e3b893b99da2fb5797020afe08.mp3?version_id=100—

Property Rights

1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.

2 “If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account.

3 Butif the sun has risen on him, there will be bloodguiltiness on his account. He shall surely make restitution; if he owns nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.

4 If what he stole is actually found alive in his possession, whether an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.

5 “If a man lets a field or vineyard be grazedbareand lets his animal loose so that it grazes in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.

6 “If a fire breaks out and spreads to thorn bushes, so that stacked grain or the standing grain or the fielditselfis consumed, he who started the fire shall surely make restitution.

7 “If a man gives his neighbor money or goods to keepfor himand it is stolen from the man’s house, if the thief is caught, he shall pay double.

8 If the thief is not caught, then the owner of the house shall appear before the judges,todetermine whether he laid his hands on his neighbor’s property.

9 For every breach of trust,whether it isfor ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing,orfor any lost thing about which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come before the judges; he whom the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor.

10 “If a man gives his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keepfor him,and it dies or is hurt or is driven away while no one is looking,

11 an oath before the Lordshall be made by the two of them that he has not laid hands on his neighbor’s property; and its owner shall acceptit,and he shall not make restitution.

12 But if it is actually stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner.

13 If it is all torn to pieces, let him bring it as evidence; he shall not make restitution for what has been torn to pieces.

14 “If a man borrowsanythingfrom his neighbor, and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he shall make full restitution.

15 If its owner is with it, he shall not make restitution; if it is hired, it came for its hire.

Sundry Laws

16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for herto behis wife.

17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the dowry for virgins.

18 “You shall not allow a sorceress to live.

19 “Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.

20 “He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the Lordalone, shall be utterly destroyed.

21 “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

22 You shall not afflict any widow or orphan.

23 If you afflict him at all,andif he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry;

24 and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

25 “If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest.

26 If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets,

27 for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hearhim,for I am gracious.

28 “You shall not curse God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

29 “You shall not delaythe offering fromyour harvest and your vintage. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me.

30 You shall do the same with your oxenandwith your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me.

31 “You shall be holy men to Me, therefore you shall not eatanyflesh torn to pieces in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/EXO/22-a5e12b637beb64cd61de0dd42b3d485a.mp3?version_id=100—

Sundry Laws

1 “You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.

2 You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervertjustice;

3 nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute.

4 “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him.

5 If you see the donkey of one who hates you lyinghelplessunder its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely releaseitwith him.

6 “You shall not pervert the justicedueto your needybrotherin his dispute.

7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty.

8 “You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just.

9 “You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for youalsowere strangers in the land of Egypt.

The Sabbath and Land

10 “You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield,

11 butonthe seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the beast of the field may eat. You are to do the same with your vineyardandyour olive grove.

12 “Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall ceasefrom laborso that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves.

13 Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard; and do not mention the name of other gods, nor letthembe heard from your mouth.

Three National Feasts

14 “Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me.

15 You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed.

16 Alsoyou shall observethe Feast of the Harvestofthe first fruits of your laborsfromwhat you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather inthe fruit ofyour labors from the field.

17 Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord God.

18 “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; nor is the fat of My feast to remain overnight until morning.

19 “You shall bring the choice first fruits of your soil into the house of the Lordyour God.

“You are not to boil a young goat in the milk of its mother.

Conquest of the Land

20 “Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.

21 Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him.

22 But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

23 For My angel will go before you and bring you in tothe land ofthe Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them.

24 You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their deeds; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break theirsacredpillars in pieces.

25 But you shall serve the Lordyour God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst.

26 There shall be no one miscarrying or barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.

27 I will send My terror ahead of you, and throw into confusion all the people among whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turntheirbacks to you.

28 I will send hornets ahead of you so that they will drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you.

29 I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.

30 I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land.

31 I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the RiverEuphrates;for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.

32 You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.

33 They shall not live in your land, because they will make you sin against Me; forifyou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/EXO/23-0022b8bdc4a71eb262f97911be813fb7.mp3?version_id=100—

People Affirm Their Covenant with God

1 Then He said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you shall worship at a distance.

2 Moses alone, however, shall come near to the Lord, but they shall not come near, nor shall the people come up with him.”

3 Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the Lordand all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lordhas spoken we will do!”

4 Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.

5 He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord.

6 Moses took half of the blood and putitin basins, and theotherhalf of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.

7 Then he took the book of the covenant and readitin the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the Lordhas spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”

8 So Moses took the blood and sprinklediton the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lordhas made with you in accordance with all these words.”

9 Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,

10 and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.

11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.

12 Now the Lordsaid to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.”

13 So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.

14 But to the elders he said, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them.”

15 Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.

16 The glory of the Lordrested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud.

17 And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the Lordwas like a consuming fire on the mountain top.

18 Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/EXO/24-c3f1e6fd8f21751da7b22821c70e1de4.mp3?version_id=100—

Offerings for the Sanctuary

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution.

3 This is the contribution which you are to raise from them: gold, silver and bronze,

4 blue, purple and scarletmaterial,fine linen, goathair,

5 rams’ skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood,

6 oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense,

7 onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece.

8 Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.

9 According to all that I am going to show you,asthe pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall constructit.

Ark of the Covenant

10 “They shall construct an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high.

11 You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make a gold molding around it.

12 You shall cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet, and two rings shall be on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it.

13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

14 You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them.

15 The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it.

16 You shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you.

17 “You shall make amercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide.

18 You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat.

19 Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubimof one piecewith the mercy seat at its two ends.

20 The cherubim shall havetheirwings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to beturnedtoward the mercy seat.

21 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you.

22 There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.

The Table of Showbread

23 “You shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long and one cubit wide and one and a half cubits high.

24 You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a gold border around it.

25 You shall make for it a rim of a handbreadth aroundit;and you shall make a gold border for the rim around it.

26 You shall make four gold rings for it and put rings on the four corners which are on its four feet.

27 The rings shall be close to the rim as holders for the poles to carry the table.

28 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, so that with them the table may be carried.

29 You shall make its dishes and its pans and its jars and its bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold.

30 You shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times.

The Golden Lampstand

31 “Then you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstandandits base and its shaft are to be made of hammered work; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers shall beof one piecewith it.

32 Six branches shall go out from its sides; three branches of the lampstand from its one side and three branches of the lampstand from its other side.

33 Three cupsshall beshaped like almondblossomsin the one branch, abulb and a flower, and three cups shaped like almondblossomsin the other branch, a bulb and a flower-so for six branches going out from the lampstand;

34 and in the lampstand four cups shaped like almondblossoms,its bulbs and its flowers.

35 A bulb shall be under thefirstpair of branchescomingout of it, and a bulb under thesecondpair of branchescomingout of it, and a bulb under thethirdpair of branchescomingout of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand.

36 Their bulbs and their branchesshall be of one piecewith it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold.

37 Then you shall make its lamps sevenin number;and they shall mount its lamps so as to shed light on the space in front of it.

38 Its snuffers and their traysshall beof pure gold.

39 It shall be made from a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils.

40 See that you makethemafter the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/EXO/25-0835e7e6445e27dac313f146542db6f1.mp3?version_id=100—

Curtains of Linen

1 “Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen andblue and purple and scarletmaterial;you shall make them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.

2 The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall have the same measurements.

3 Five curtains shall be joined to one another, andthe otherfive curtainsshall bejoined to one another.

4 You shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in thefirstset, and likewise you shall makethemon the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set.

5 You shall make fifty loops in the one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite each other.

6 You shall make fifty clasps of gold, and join the curtains to one another with the clasps so that thetabernacle will be a unit.

Curtains of Goats’ Hair

7 “Then you shall make curtains of goats’hairfor a tent over the tabernacle; you shall make eleven curtains in all.

8 The length of each curtainshall bethirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains shall have the same measurements.

9 You shall join five curtains by themselves and theothersix curtains by themselves, and you shall double over the sixth curtain at the front of the tent.

10 You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in thefirstset, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtainthat is outermost inthe second set.

11 “You shall make fifty clasps ofbronze, and you shall put the clasps into the loops and join the tent together so that it will be a unit.

12 The overlapping part that is left over in the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that is left over, shall lap over the back of the tabernacle.

13 The cubit on one side and the cubit on the other, of what is left over in the length of the curtains of the tent, shall lap over the sides of the tabernacle on one side and on the other, to cover it.

14 You shall make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red and a covering of porpoise skins above.

Boards and Sockets

15 “Then you shall make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright.

16 Ten cubitsshall bethe length of each board and one and a half cubits the width of each board.

17 There shall betwo tenons for each board, fitted to one another; thus you shall do for all the boards of the tabernacle.

18 You shall make the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side.

19 You shall make fortysockets of silver under the twenty boards, two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two sockets under another board for its two tenons;

20 and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, twenty boards,

21 and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board.

22 For the rear of the tabernacle, to the west, you shall make six boards.

23 You shall make two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear.

24 They shall be double beneath, and together they shall be complete to its top to the first ring; thus it shall be with both of them: they shall form the two corners.

25 There shall be eight boards with their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board.

26 “Then you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle,

27 and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle for the rearsideto the west.

28 The middle bar in the center of the boards shall pass through from end to end.

29 You shall overlay the boards with gold and make their rings of goldasholders for the bars; and you shall overlay the bars with gold.

30 Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to its plan which you have been shown in the mountain.

The Veil and Screen

31 “You shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarletmaterialand fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.

32 You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, their hooksalso being ofgold, on four sockets of silver.

33 You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil; and the veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies.

34 You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the holy of holies.

35 You shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand opposite the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south; and you shall put the table on the north side.

36 “You shall make a screen for the doorway of the tent of blue and purple and scarletmaterialand fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver.

37 You shall make five pillars of acacia for the screen and overlay them with gold, their hooksalso being ofgold; and you shall cast five sockets of bronze for them.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/EXO/26-d1742289ce83f1b17e61b66a0565825b.mp3?version_id=100—

The Bronze Altar

1 “And you shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits.

2 You shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze.

3 You shall make its pails for removing its ashes, and its shovels and its basins and its forks and its firepans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze.

4 You shall make for it a grating of network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners.

5 You shall put it beneath, under the ledge of the altar, so that the net will reach halfway up the altar.

6 You shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.

7 Its poles shall be inserted into the rings, so that the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when it is carried.

8 You shall make it hollow with planks; as it was shown to you in the mountain, so they shall makeit.

Court of the Tabernacle

9 “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south sidethere shall behangings for the court of fine twisted linen one hundred cubits long for one side;

10 and its pillarsshall betwenty, with their twenty sockets of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bandsshall beof silver.

11 Likewise for the north side in lengththere shall behangings one hundredcubitslong, and its twenty pillars with their twenty sockets of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bandsshall beof silver.

12 Forthe width of the court on the west sideshall behangings of fifty cubitswiththeir ten pillars and their ten sockets.

13 The width of the court on the east sideshall befifty cubits.

14 The hangings for theonesideof the gate shall befifteen cubitswiththeir three pillars and their three sockets.

15 And for the other sideshall behangings of fifteen cubitswiththeir three pillars and their three sockets.

16 For the gate of the courtthere shall bea screen of twenty cubits, of blue and purple and scarletmaterialand fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver,withtheir four pillars and their four sockets.

17 All the pillars around the court shall be furnished with silver bandswiththeir hooks of silver and their sockets of bronze.

18 The length of the courtshall beone hundred cubits, and the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits of fine twisted linen, and their sockets of bronze.

19 All the utensils of the tabernacleusedin all its service, and all its pegs, and all the pegs of the court,shall beof bronze.

20 “You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually.

21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the Lord;it shall bea perpetual statute throughout their generations for the sons of Israel.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/EXO/27-9413dcd686493b59a3aee6f991f281a0.mp3?version_id=100—

Garments of the Priests

1 “Then bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to minister as priest to Me-Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.

2 You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.

3 You shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me.

4 These are the garments which they shall make: abreastpiece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of checkered work, a turban and a sash, and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister as priest to Me.

5 They shall take the gold and the blue and the purple and the scarletmaterialand the fine linen.

6 “They shall also make the ephod of gold, of blue and purpleandscarletmaterialand fine twisted linen, the work of the skillful workman.

7 It shall have two shoulder pieces joined to its two ends, that it may be joined.

8 The skillfully woven band, which is on it, shall be like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold, of blue and purple and scarletmaterialand fine twisted linen.

9 You shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,

10 six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to their birth.

11 As a jeweler engraves a signet, you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel; you shall set them in filigreesettingsof gold.

12 You shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod,asstones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lordon his two shoulders for a memorial.

13 You shall make filigreesettingsof gold,

14 and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them of twisted cordage work, and you shall put the corded chains on the filigreesettings.

15 “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, of blue and purple and scarletmaterialand fine twisted linen you shall make it.

16 It shall be squareandfolded double, a span in length and a span in width.

17 You shall mount on it four rows of stones; the first rowshall bea row of ruby, topaz and emerald;

18 and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond;

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

20 and the fourth row a beryl and an onyx and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree.

21 The stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, according to their names; they shall belikethe engravings of a seal, each according to his name for the twelve tribes.

22 You shall make on the breastpiece chains of twisted cordage work in pure gold.

23 You shall make on the breastpiece two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece.

24 You shall put the two cords of gold on the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece.

25 You shall put theothertwo ends of the two cords on the two filigreesettings,and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, at the front of it.

26 You shall make two rings of gold and shall place them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on the edge of it, which is toward the inner side of the ephod.

27 You shall make two rings of gold and put them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it close to the place where it is joined, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.

28 They shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it will be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece will not come loose from the ephod.

29 Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, for a memorial before the Lordcontinually.

30 You shall put in the breastpiece of judgment theUrim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the Lordcontinually.

31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.

32 There shall be an opening at its top in the middle of it; around its opening there shall be a binding of woven work, like the opening of a coat of mail, so that it will not be torn.

33 You shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and scarletmaterial,all around on its hem, and bells of gold between them all around:

34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe.

35 It shall be on Aaron when he ministers; and its tinkling shall be heard when he enters and leaves the holy place before the Lord, so that he will not die.

36 “You shall also make a plate of pure gold and shall engrave on it, like the engravings of a seal, ‘Holy to the Lord.’

37 You shall fasten it on a blue cord, and it shall be on the turban; it shall be at the front of the turban.

38 It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall take away the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate, with regard to all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

39 “You shall weave the tunic of checkered work of fine linen, and shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash, the work of a weaver.

40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics; you shall also make sashes for them, and you shall make caps for them, for glory and for beauty.

41 You shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve Me as priests.

42 You shall make for them linen breeches to covertheirbare flesh; they shall reach from the loins even to the thighs.

43 They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. Itshall bea statute forever to him and to his descendants after him.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/EXO/28-2b3c4feb336302573b3ce4191a0ce791.mp3?version_id=100—

Consecration of the Priests

1 “Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them to minister as priests to Me: take one young bull and two rams without blemish,

2 and unleavened bread and unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil; you shall make them of fine wheat flour.

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

4 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water.

5 You shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the tunic and the robe of the ephod and the ephod and the breastpiece, and gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod;

6 and you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban.

7 Then you shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him.

8 You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them.

9 You shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and bind caps on them, and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute. So you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

The Sacrifices

10 “Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull.

11 You shall slaughter the bull before the Lordat the doorway of the tent of meeting.

12 You shall take some of the blood of the bull and putiton the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out all the blood at the base of the altar.

13 You shall take all the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and offer them up in smoke on the altar.

14 But the flesh of the bull and its hide and its refuse, you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.

15 “You shall also take the one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram;

16 and you shall slaughter the ram and shall take its blood and sprinkle it around on the altar.

17 Then you shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and putthemwith its pieces and its head.

18 You shall offer up in smoke the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the Lord: it is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.

19 “Then you shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.

20 You shall slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and putiton the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the lobes of his sons’ right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet, and sprinkle therest of theblood around on the altar.

21 Then you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkleiton Aaron and on his garments and on his sons and on his sons’ garments with him; so he and his garments shall be consecrated, as well as his sons and his sons’ garments with him.

22 “You shall also take the fat from the ram and the fat tail, and the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination),

23 and one cake of bread and one cake of breadmixed withoil and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread which issetbefore the Lord;

24 and you shall put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord.

25 You shall take them from their hands, and offer them up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering for a soothing aroma before the Lord; it is an offering by fire to the Lord.

26 “Then you shall take the breast of Aaron’s ram of ordination, and wave it as a wave offering before the Lord; and it shall be your portion.

27 You shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering which was waved and which was offered from the ram of ordination, from the one which was for Aaron and from the one which was for his sons.

28 It shall be for Aaron and his sons astheirportion forever from the sons of Israel, for it is a heave offering; and it shall be a heave offering from the sons of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings,eventheir heave offering to the Lord.

29 “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, that in them they may be anointed and ordained.

30 For seven days the one of his sons who is priest in his stead shall put them on when he enters the tent of meeting to minister in the holy place.

Food of the Priests

31 “You shall take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place.

32 Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket, at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

33 Thus they shall eat those things by which atonement was made at their ordinationandconsecration; but a layman shall not eatthem,because they are holy.

34 If any of the flesh of ordination or any of the bread remains until morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire; it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

35 “Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you; you shall ordain them through seven days.

36 Each day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement, and you shall purify the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to consecrate it.

37 For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it; then the altar shall be most holy,andwhatever touches the altar shall be holy.

38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two one year old lambs each day, continuously.

39 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;

40 and thereshall beone-tenthof an ephahof fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering with one lamb.

41 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it the same grain offering and the same drink offering as in the morning, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.

42 It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the doorway of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there.

43 I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be consecrated by My glory.

44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to minister as priests to Me.

45 I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God.

46 They shall know that I am the Lordtheir God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lordtheir God.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/EXO/29-f92cd53bf3d91c604fbbeb7ac777a223.mp3?version_id=100—

The Altar of Incense

1 “Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.

2 Its lengthshall bea cubit, and its width a cubit, it shall be square, and its heightshall betwo cubits; its hornsshall beof one piece with it.

3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it.

4 You shall make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall makethemon its two side walls-on opposite sides-and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it.

5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

6 You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is overthe ark ofthe testimony, where I will meet with you.

7 Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps.

8 When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense.There shall beperpetual incense before the Lordthroughout your generations.

9 You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it.

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

11 The Lordalso spoke to Moses, saying,

12 “When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them.

13 This is what everyone who is numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a contribution to the Lord.

14 Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the contribution to the Lord.

15 The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the Lordto make atonement for yourselves.

16 You shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.”

17 The Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

18 “You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it.

19 Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it;

20 when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, so that they will not die; or when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up in smoke a firesacrificeto the Lord.

21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they will not die; and it shall be a perpetual statute for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations.”

The Anointing Oil

22 Moreover, the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

23 “Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundredshekels,and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty,

24 and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin.

25 You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.

26 With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony,

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

28 and the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand.

29 You shall also consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy.

30 You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister as priests to Me.

31 You shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations.

32 It shall not be poured on anyone’s body, nor shall you makeanylike it in the same proportions; it is holy,andit shall be holy to you.

33 Whoever shall mixanylike it or whoever puts any of it on a layman shall be cut off from his people.'”

The Incense

34 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each.

35 With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure,andholy.

36 You shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you.

37 The incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the Lord.

38 Whoever shall makeanylike it, to use as perfume, shall be cut off from his people.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/EXO/30-7ea13f9121fe4854d3ce6c95bd5f62b6.mp3?version_id=100—