Today's Reading

¹"This is the thing that you shall do to them to make them holy, to minister to me in the priest's office: take one young bull and two rams without blemish,

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

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

⁴You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall wash them with water.

⁵You shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the coat, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and dress him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod;

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

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

⁸You shall bring his sons, and put coats on them.

⁹You shall dress them with belts, Aaron and his sons, and bind headbands on them: and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute: and you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.

¹⁰"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.

¹¹You shall kill the bull before the Lord, at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

¹²You shall take of the blood of the bull, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out all the blood at the base of the altar.

¹³You shall take all the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar.

¹⁴But the flesh of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside of 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.

¹⁶You shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood, and sprinkle it around on the altar.

¹⁷You shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its innards, and its legs, and put them with its pieces, and with its head.

¹⁸You shall burn the whole ram on the altar: it is a burnt offering to the Lord; it is a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

¹⁹"You shall take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.

²⁰Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood, and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the big toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood around on the altar.

²¹You shall take of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron, and on his garments, and on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be made holy, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.

²²Also you shall take some of the ram's fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration),

²³and one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the Lord.

²⁴You shall put all of this in Aaron's hands, and in his sons' hands, and shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord.

²⁵You shall take them from their hands, and burn them on the altar on the burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma before the Lord: it is an offering made by fire to the Lord.

²⁶"You shall take the breast of Aaron's ram of consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the Lord: and it shall be your portion.

²⁷You shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the thigh of the wave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:

²⁸and it shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel; for it is a wave offering: and it shall be a wave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, even their wave offering to the Lord.

²⁹"The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them.

³⁰Seven days shall the son who is priest in his place put them on, when he comes into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the holy place.

³¹"You shall take the ram of consecration, and boil its flesh in a holy place.

³²Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

³³They shall eat those things with which atonement was made, to consecrate and sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat of it, because they are holy.

³⁴If anything of the flesh of the consecration, or of the bread, remains to the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

³⁵"You shall do so to Aaron, and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. You shall consecrate them seven days.

³⁶Every day you shall offer the bull of sin offering for atonement: and you shall cleanse the altar, when you make atonement for it; and you shall anoint it, to sanctify it.

³⁷Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar, and sanctify it: and the altar shall be most holy; whatever touches the altar shall be holy.

³⁸"Now this is that which you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day continually.

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

⁴⁰and with the one lamb a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mixed with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil, and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering.

⁴¹The other lamb you shall offer at evening, and shall do to it according to the meal offering of the morning, and according to its drink offering, for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

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

⁴³There I will meet with the children of Israel; and the place shall be sanctified by my glory.

⁴⁴I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar: Aaron also and his sons I will sanctify, to minister to me in the priest's office.

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

⁴⁶They shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them: I am the Lord their God.

¹"You shall make an altar to burn incense on. You shall make it of acacia wood.

²Its length shall be a cubit, and its breadth a cubit. It shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.

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

⁴You shall make two golden rings for it under its molding; on its two ribs, on its two sides you shall make them; and they shall be for places for poles with which to bear it.

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

⁶You shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you.

⁷Aaron shall burn incense of sweet spices on it every morning. When he tends the lamps, he shall burn it.

⁸When Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.

⁹You shall offer no strange incense on it, nor burnt offering, nor meal offering; and you shall pour no drink offering on it.

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

¹¹The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

¹²"When you take a census of the children of Israel, according to those who are numbered among them, then each man shall give a ransom for his soul to the Lord, when you number them; that there be no plague among them when you number them.

¹³They shall give this, everyone who passes over to those who are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary; (the shekel is twenty gerahs;) half a shekel for an offering to the Lord.

¹⁴Everyone who passes over to those who are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering to the Lord.

¹⁵The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of the Lord, to make atonement for your souls.

¹⁶You shall take the atonement money from the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the Tent of Meeting; that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for your souls."

¹⁷The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

¹⁸"You shall also make a basin of brass, and its base of brass, in which to wash. You shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it.

¹⁹Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in it.

²⁰When they go into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, that they not die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord.

²¹So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they not die: and it shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his descendants throughout their generations."

²²Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

²³"Also take fine spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels; and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty; and of fragrant cane, two hundred and fifty;

²⁴and of cassia five hundred, after the shekel of the sanctuary; and a hin of olive oil.

²⁵You shall make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.

²⁶You shall use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the testimony,

²⁷the table and all its articles, the menorah and its accessories, the altar of incense,

²⁸the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its base.

²⁹You shall sanctify them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.

³⁰You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest's office.

³¹You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'This shall be a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations.

³²It shall not be poured on man's flesh, neither shall you make any like it, according to its composition: it is holy. It shall be holy to you.

³³Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.'"

³⁴The Lord said to Moses, "Take to yourself sweet spices, gum resin, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be an equal weight;

³⁵and you shall make incense of it, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy:

³⁶and you shall beat some of it very small, and put some of it before the testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be to you most holy.

³⁷The incense which you shall make, according to its composition you shall not make for yourselves: it shall be to you holy for the Lord.

³⁸Whoever shall make any like that, to smell of it, he shall be cut off from his people."

¹The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

²"Behold, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

³and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

⁴to devise skillful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

⁵and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all manner of workmanship.

⁶I, behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of all who are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you:

⁷the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the testimony, the mercy seat that is on it, all the furniture of the Tent,

⁸the table and its vessels, the pure menorah with all its vessels, the altar of incense,

⁹the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels, the basin and its base,

¹⁰the finely worked garments-the holy garments for Aaron the priest-the garments of his sons to minister in the priest's office,

¹¹the anointing oil, and the incense of sweet spices for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded you they shall do."

¹²The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

¹³"Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, 'Most certainly you shall 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.

¹⁴You shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

¹⁵Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death.

¹⁶Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

¹⁷It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.'"

¹⁸He gave to Moses, when he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets, written with God's finger.

¹Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

²and they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to Pilate, the governor.

³Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, felt remorse, and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

⁴saying, "I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? You see to it."

⁵He threw down the pieces of silver in the sanctuary, and departed. He went away and hanged himself.

⁶The chief priests took the pieces of silver, and said, "It's not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is the price of blood."

⁷They took counsel, and bought the potter's field with them, to bury strangers in.

⁸Therefore that field was called "The Field of Blood" to this day.

⁹Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, "They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him upon whom a price had been set, whom some of the sons of Israel priced,

¹⁰and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me."

¹¹Now Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said to him, "So you say."

¹²When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

¹³Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?"

¹⁴He gave him no answer, not even one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

¹⁵Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the multitude one prisoner, whom they desired.

¹⁶They had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

¹⁷When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called the Messiah?"

¹⁸For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up.

¹⁹While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him."

²⁰Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

²¹But the governor answered them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They said, "Barabbas!"

²²Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do to Jesus, who is called the Messiah?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!"

²³But he said, "Why? What evil has he done?" But they shouted all the louder, saying, "Let him be crucified!"

²⁴So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this man. You see to it."

²⁵All the people answered, "May his blood be on us, and on our children!"

²⁶Then he released to them Barabbas, but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified.

²⁷Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered the whole garrison together against him.

²⁸They stripped him, and put a scarlet robe on him.

²⁹They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

³⁰They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.

³¹When they had mocked him, they took the robe off of him, and put his clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.

³²As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they compelled him to go with them, that he might carry his cross.

³³They came to a place called "Golgotha," that is to say, "The place of a skull."

³⁴They gave him wine to drink mixed with gall. When he had tasted it, he would not drink.

³⁵When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots,

³⁶and they sat and watched him there.

³⁷They set up over his head the accusation against him written, "THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS."

³⁸Then there were two robbers crucified with him, one on his right hand and one on the left.

³⁹Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads,

⁴⁰and saying, "You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!"

⁴¹Likewise the chief priests also mocking, with the scribes, and the elders, said,

⁴²"He saved others, but he cannot save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.

⁴³He trusts in God. Let God deliver him now, if he wants him; for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

⁴⁴The robbers also who were crucified with him cast on him the same reproach.

⁴⁵Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.

⁴⁶About the ninth hour Jesus called out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" That is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

⁴⁷Some of them who stood there, when they heard it, said, "This man is calling Elijah."

⁴⁸Immediately one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him a drink.

⁴⁹The rest said, "Let him be. Let us see whether Elijah comes to save him."

⁵⁰Jesus shouted again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit.

⁵¹Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.

⁵²The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

⁵³and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.

⁵⁴Now the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God."

⁵⁵Many women were there watching from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, serving him.

⁵⁶Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jacob and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

⁵⁷When evening had come, a rich man from Arimathaea, named Joseph, who himself was also Jesus' disciple came.

⁵⁸This man went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given up.

⁵⁹Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

⁶⁰and placed it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out in the rock, and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed.

⁶¹Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

⁶²Now on the next day, which was the day after the Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together to Pilate,

⁶³saying, "Sir, we remember what that deceiver said while he was still alive: 'After three days I will rise again.'

⁶⁴Command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He is risen from the dead;' and the last deception will be worse than the first."

⁶⁵Pilate said to them, "You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can."

⁶⁶So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone.

¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?

²When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell.

³Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident.

⁴One thing I have asked of the Lord, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to see the Lord's beauty, and to inquire in his temple.

⁵For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion. In the covert of his tabernacle he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock.

⁶Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me. I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tent. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

⁷Hear, Lord, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy also on me, and answer me.

⁸When you said, "Seek my face," my heart said to you, "I will seek your face, Lord."

⁹Do not hide your face from me. Do not put your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Do not abandon me, neither forsake me, God of my salvation.

¹⁰When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.

¹¹Teach me your way, Lord. Lead me in a straight path, because of my enemies.

¹²Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe out cruelty.

¹³I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

¹⁴Wait for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord.

¹Do not boast about tomorrow; for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

²Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

³A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.

⁴Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?

⁵Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

⁶Faithful are the wounds of a friend; although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

⁷A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.

⁸As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.

⁹Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man's friend.

¹⁰Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend. Do not go to your brother's house in the day of your disaster: better is a neighbor who is near than a distant brother.

¹¹Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.

¹²A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

¹³Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!

¹⁴He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him.

¹⁵A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike:

¹⁶restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.

¹⁷Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend's countenance.

¹⁸Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored.

¹⁹As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man.

²⁰Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man's eyes are never satisfied.

²¹The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.

²²Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.

²³Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds:

²⁴for riches are not forever, nor does even the crown endure to all generations.

²⁵The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.

²⁶The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.

²⁷There will be plenty of goats' milk for your food, for your family's food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.