Study Desk

"If one man's ox injures another's so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the proceeds equally; they shall also divide the dead ox [between them].

"If you harm or oppress them in any way, and they cry at all to Me [for help], I will most certainly hear their cry;

but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie uncultivated, so that the poor among your people may eat [what the land grows naturally]; whatever they leave the animals of the field may eat. You shall do the same with your vineyard and olive grove.

Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD.

Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people; and they said, "Everything that the LORD has said we will do, and we will be obedient."

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

Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the Israelites; and they saw [the manifestation of the presence of] God, and ate and drank.

"They shall make an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high.

"They shall be joined together underneath, and joined together on top with one ring. So shall it be for both of them; they shall form the two [rear] corners.

"Tell all the skilled and talented people whom I have endowed with a spirit of wisdom, that they are to make Aaron's garments to sanctify him and set him apart to serve as a priest for Me.

"These are the garments which they shall make: a breastpiece and an ephod [for the breastpiece] and a robe and a tunic of checkered work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make sacred garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, so that he may serve as a priest to Me.

"They are to use the gold and the blue and the purple and the scarlet fabric and fine twisted linen [from the people],

and they shall make the ephod of gold and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric and fine twisted linen, skillfully woven and [beautifully] worked.

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

"In the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim (Lights) and the Thummim (Perfections) [to be used for determining God's will in a matter]. They shall be over Aaron's heart whenever he goes before the LORD, and Aaron shall always carry the judgment (verdict, judicial decisions) of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD.

"It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall take away the guilt from the holy things which the sons of Israel dedicate, with regard to all their holy gifts. It shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be accepted before the LORD.

"You shall put the various articles of clothing on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain and sanctify them, so that they may serve Me as priests.

"The various articles of clothing shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the Tent of Meeting, or when they approach the altar [of incense] to minister in the Holy Place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. It shall be a statute forever to Aaron and to his descendants after him.

"This is what you shall do to consecrate Aaron and his sons so that they may serve Me as priests: take one young bull and two rams, without blemish,

"They shall eat those things by which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration; but a layman shall not eat them, because they are holy [that is, set apart to the worship of God].