Chapter 16

29:3. And thou shalt put them in a basket, and offer them: and the calf and the two rams.

29:4. And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony. And when thou hast washed the father and his sons with water,

29:5. Thou shalt clothe Aaron with his vestments, that is, with the linen garment and the tunic, and the ephod and the rational, which thou shalt gird with the girdle.

29:6. And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and the holy plate upon the mitre,

29:7. And thou shalt pour the oil of unction upon his head: and by this rite shall he be consecrated.

29:8. Thou shalt bring his sons also, and shalt put on them the linen tunics, and gird them with a girdle:

29:9. To wit, Aaron and his children, and thou shalt put mitres upon them; and they shall be priests to me by a perpetual ordinance. After thou shalt have consecrated their hands,

29:10. Thou shalt present also the calf before the tabernacle of the testimony. And Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon his head,

29:11. And thou shalt kill him in the sight of the Lord, beside the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.

29:12. And taking some of the blood of the calf, thou shalt put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and the rest of the blood thou shalt pour at the bottom thereof.

29:13. Thou shalt take also all the fat that covereth the entrails, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and shalt offer a burn offering upon the altar:

29:14. But the flesh of the calf, and the hide and the dung, thou shalt burn abroad, without the camp, because it is for sin.

29:15. Thou shalt take also one ram, upon the head whereof Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands.

29:16. And when thou hast killed him, thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and pour round about the altar.

29:17. And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and having washed his entrails and feet, thou shalt put them upon the flesh that is cut in pieces, and upon his head.

29:18. And thou shalt offer the whole ram for a burnt offering upon the altar: it is an oblation to the Lord, a most sweet savour of the victim of the Lord.

29:19. Thou shalt take also the other ram, upon whose head Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands.

29:20. And when thou hast sacrificed him, thou shalt take of his blood, and put upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron and of his sons, and upon the thumbs and great toes of their right hand and foot, and thou shalt pour the blood upon the altar round about.

29:21. And when thou hast taken of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the oil of unction, thou shalt sprinkle Aaron and his vesture, his sons and their vestments. And after they and their vestments are consecrated,

29:22. Thou shalt take the fat of the ram, and the rump, and the fat that covereth the lungs, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder, because it is the ram of consecration:

29:23. And one roll of bread, a cake tempered with oil, a wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread, which is set in the sight of the Lord:

29:24. And thou shalt put all upon the hands of Aaron and of his sons, and shalt sanctify them elevating before the Lord.

29:25. And thou shalt take all from their hands; and shalt burn them upon the altar for a holocaust, a most sweet savour in the sight of the Lord, because it is his oblation.

29:26. Thou shalt take also the breast of the ram, wherewith Aaron was consecrated, and elevating it thou shalt sanctify it before the Lord, and it shall fall to thy share.

29:27. And thou shalt sanctify both the consecrated breast, and the shoulder that thou didst separate of the ram,

29:28. Wherewith Aaron was consecrated and his sons, and they shall fall to Aaron's share, and his sons', by a perpetual right from the children of Israel: because they are the choicest and the beginnings of their peace victims which they offer to the Lord.

29:29. And the holy vesture, which Aaron shall use, his sons shall have after him, that they may be anointed, and their hands consecrated in it.

29:30. He of his sons that shall be appointed high priest in his stead, and that shall enter into the tabernacle of the testimony to minister in the sanctuary, shall wear it seven days.

29:31. And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and shalt boil the flesh thereof in the holy place:

29:32. And Aaron and his sons shall eat it. The loaves also, that are in the basket, they shall eat in the entry of the tabernacle of the testimony,

29:33. That it may be an atoning sacrifice, and the hands of the offerers may be sanctified. A stranger shall not eat of them, because they are holy.

29:34. And if there remain of the consecrated flesh, or of the bread, till the morning, thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: they shall not be eaten, because they are sanctified.

29:35. All that I have commanded thee, thou shalt do unto Aaron and his sons. Seven days shalt thou consecrate their hands:

29:36. And thou shalt offer a calf for sin every day for expiation. And thou shalt cleanse the altar when thou hast offered the victim of expiation, and shalt anoint it to sanctify it.

29:37. Seven days shalt thou expiate the altar and sanctify it, and it shall be most holy. Every one, that shall touch it, shall be holy.

29:38. This is what thou shalt sacrifice upon the altar: Two lambs of a year old every day continually,

29:39. One lamb in the morning, and another in the evening.

29:40. With one lamb a tenth part of flour tempered with beaten oil, of the fourth part of a hin, and wine for libation of the same measure.

29:41. And the other lamb thou shalt offer in the evening, according to the rite of the morning oblation, and according to what we have said, for a savour of sweetness:

29:42. It is a sacrifice to the Lord, by perpetual oblation unto your generations, at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony before the Lord, where I will appoint to speak unto thee.

29:43. And there will I command the children of Israel, and the altar shall be sanctified by my glory.

29:44. I will sanctify also the tabernacle of the testimony with the altar, and Aaron with his sons, to do the office of priesthood unto me.

29:45. And I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel, and will be their God:

29:46. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who have brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might abide among them, I the Lord their God.

Exodus Chapter 30

The altar of incense: money to be gathered for the use of the tabernacle: the brazen laver: the holy oil of unction, and the composition of the perfume.

30:1. Thou shalt make also an altar to burn incense, of setim wood.

An altar to burn incense... This burning of incense was an emblem of prayer, ascending to God from an inflamed heart. See Ps. 140.2; Apoc. 5.8, and 8.4.

30:2. It shall be a cubit in length, and another in breadth, that is, four square, and two in height. Horns shall go out of the same.

30:3. And thou shalt overlay it with the purest gold, as well the grate thereof, as the walls round about, and the horns. And thou shalt make to it a crown of gold round about,

30:4. And two golden rings under the crown on either side, that the bars may be put into them, and the altar be carried.

30:5. And thou shalt make the bars also of setim wood, and shalt overlay them with gold.

30:6. And thou shalt set the altar over against the veil, that hangeth before the ark of the testimony before the propitiatory wherewith the testimony is covered, where I will speak to thee.

30:7. And Aaron shall burn sweet smelling incense upon it in the morning. When he shall dress the lamps, he shall burn it:

30:8. And when he shall place them in the evening, he shall burn an everlasting incense before the Lord throughout your generations.

30:9. You shall not offer upon it incense of another composition, nor oblation, and victim, neither shall you offer libations.

30:10. And Aaron shall pray upon the horns thereof once a year, with the blood of that which was offered for sin; and shall make atonement upon it in your generations. It shall be most holy to the Lord.

30:11. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

30:12. When thou shalt take the sum of the children of Israel, according to their number, every one of them shall give a price for their souls to the Lord, and there shall be no scourge among them, when they shall be reckoned.

30:13. And this shall every one give that passeth at the naming, half a sicle according to the standard of the temple. A sicle hath twenty obols. Half a sicle shall be offered to the Lord.

Half a sicle... A sicle or shekel of silver, (which was also called a stater,) according to the standard or weight of the sanctuary, which was the most just and exact, was half an ounce of silver, that is, about half a crown of English money. The obol, or gerah, was about three halfpence.

30:14. He that is counted in the number from twenty years and upwards, shall give the price.

30:15. The rich man shall not add to half a sicle, and the poor man shall diminish nothing.

30:16. And the money received, which was contributed by the children of Israel, thou shalt deliver unto the uses of the tabernacle of the testimony, that it may be a memorial of them before the Lord, and he may be merciful to their souls.

30:17. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

30:18. Thou shalt make also a brazen laver with its foot to wash in: and thou shalt set it between the tabernacle of the testimony and the altar. And water being put into it:

30:19. Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet in it:

30:20. When they are going into the tabernacle of the testimony, and when they are to come to the altar, to offer on it incense to the Lord,

30:21. Lest perhaps they die. It shall be an everlasting law to him, and to his seed by successions.

30:22. And the Lord spoke to Moses,

30:23. Saying: Take spices, of principal and chosen myrrh five hundred sicles, and of cinnamon half so much; that is, two hundred and fifty sicles, of calamus in like manner two hundred and fifty,

30:24. And of cassia five hundred sicles by the weight of the sanctuary, of oil of olives the measure hin:

30:25. And thou shalt make the holy oil of unction, an ointment compounded after the art of the perfumer,

30:26. And therewith thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the testimony, and the ark of the testament,

30:27. And the table with the vessels thereof, the candlestick and furniture thereof, the altars of incense,

30:28. And of holocaust, and all the furniture that belongeth to the service of them.

30:29. And thou shalt sanctify all, and they shall be most holy: he that shall touch them shall be sanctified.

30:30. Thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and shalt sanctify them, that they may do the office of priesthood unto me.

30:31. And thou shalt say to the children of Israel: This oil of unction shall be holy unto me throughout your generations.

30:32. The flesh of man shall not be anointed therewith, and you shall make none other of the same composition, because it is sanctified, and shall be holy unto you.

30:33. What man soever shall compound such, and shall give thereof to a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.

30:34. And the Lord said to Moses: Take unto thee spices, stacte, and onycha, galbanum of sweet savour, and the clearest frankincense, all shall be of equal weight.

30:35. And thou shalt make incense compounded by the work of the perfumer, well tempered together, and pure, and most worthy of sanctification.

30:36. And when thou hast beaten all into very small powder, thou shalt set of it before the tabernacle of the testimony, in the place where I will appear to thee. Most holy shall this incense be unto you.

30:37. You shall not make such a composition for your own uses, because it is holy to the Lord.

30:38. What man soever shall make the like, to enjoy the smell thereof, he shall perish out of his people.

Exodus Chapter 31

Beseleel and Ooliab are appointed by the Lord to make the tabernacle, and the things belonging thereto. The observation of the sabbath day is again commanded. And the Lord delivereth to Moses two tables written with the finger of God.

31:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

31:2. Behold, I have called by name Beseleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Juda,

31:3. And I have filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom and understanding, and knowledge in all manner of work,

31:4. To devise whatsoever may be artificially made of gold, and silver, and brass,

31:5. Of marble, and precious stones, and variety of wood.

31:6. And I have given him for his companion Ooliab, the son of Achisamech, of the tribe of Dan. And I have put wisdom in the heart of every skilful man, that they may make all things which I have commanded thee,

31:7. The tabernacle of the covenant, and the ark of the testimony, and the propitiatory, that is over it, and all the vessels of the tabernacle,

31:8. And the table and the vessels thereof, the most pure candlestick with the vessels thereof, and the altars of incense,

31:9. And of holocaust, and all their vessels, the laver with its foot,

31:10. The holy vestments in the ministry for Aaron the priest, and for his sons, that they may execute their office, about the sacred things:

31:11. The oil of unction, and the incense of spices in the sanctuary, all things which I have commanded thee, shall they make.

31:12. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

31:13. Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: See that you keep my sabbath; because it is a sign between me and you in your generations that you may know that I am the Lord, who sanctify you.

31:14. keep you my sabbath: for it is holy unto you: he that shall profane it, shall be put to death: he that shall do any work in it, his soul shall perish out of the midst of his people.

31:15. Six days shall you do work: in the seventh day is the sabbath, the rest holy to the Lord. Every one that shall do any work on this day, shall die.

31:16. Let the children of Israel keep the sabbath, and celebrate it in their generations. It is an everlasting covenant.

31:17. Between me and the children of Israel, and a perpetual sign. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and in the seventh he ceased from work.

31:18. And the Lord, when he had ended these words in Mount Sinai, gave to Moses two stone tables of testimony, written with the finger of God.

Exodus Chapter 32

The people fall into idolatry. Moses prayeth for them. He breaketh the tables: destroyeth the idol: blameth Aaron, and causeth many of the idolaters to be slain.

32:1. And the people seeing that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, gathering together against Aaron, said: Arise, make us gods, that may go before us: For as to this Moses, the man that brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has befallen him.

32:2. And Aaron said to them: Take the golden earrings from the ears of your wives, and your sons and daughters, and bring them to me.

32:3. And the people did what he had commanded, bringing the earrings to Aaron.

32:4. And when he had received them, he fashioned them by founders' work, and made of them a molten calf. And they said: These are thy gods, O Israel, that have brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

32:5. And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and made proclamation by a crier's voice, saying To morrow is the solemnity of the Lord.

32:6. And rising in the morning, they offered holocausts, and peace victims, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.

32:7. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Go, get thee down: thy people, which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, hath sinned.

32:8. They have quickly strayed from the way which thou didst shew them: and they have made to themselves a molten calf, and have adored it, and sacrificing victims to it, have said: These are thy gods, O Israel, that have brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

32:9. And again the Lord said to Moses: I see that this people is stiffnecked:

32:10. Let me alone, that my wrath may be kindled against them, and that I may destroy them, and I will make of thee a great nation.

32:11. But Moses besought the Lord his God, saying: Why, O Lord, is thy indignation enkindled against thy people, whom thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, with great power, and with a mighty hand?

32:12. Let not the Egyptians say, I beseech thee: He craftily brought them out, that he might kill them in the mountains, and destroy them from the earth: let thy anger cease, and be appeased upon the wickedness of thy people.

32:13. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou sworest by thy own self, saying: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven: and this whole land that I have spoken of, I will give to your seed, and you shall possess it for ever:

32:14. And the Lord was appeased from doing the evil which he had spoken against his people.

32:15. And Moses returned from the mount, carrying the two tables of the testimony in his hand, written on both sides,

32:16. And made by the work of God; the writing also of God was graven in the tables.

32:17. And Josue hearing the noise of the people shouting, said to Moses: The noise of battle is heard in the camp.

32:18. But he answered: It is not the cry of men encouraging to fight, nor the shout of men compelling to flee: but I hear the voice of singers.

32:19. And when he came nigh to the camp, he saw the calf, and the dances: and being very angry, he threw the tables out of his hand, and broke them at the foot of the mount:

32:20. And laying hold of the calf which they had made, he burnt it, and beat it to powder, which he strewed into water, and gave thereof to the children of Israel to drink.

32:21. And he said to Aaron: What has this people done to thee, that thou shouldst bring upon them a most heinous sin?

32:22. And he answered him: Let not my lord be offended; for thou knowest this people, that they are prone to evil.

32:23. They said to me: make us gods, that may go before us; for as to this Moses, who brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is befallen him.

32:24. And I said to them: Which of you hath any gold? and they took and brought it to me; and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.

32:25. And when Moses saw that the people were naked, (for Aaron had stripped them by occasion of the shame of the filth, and had set them naked among their enemies)

Naked... Having lost not only their gold, and their honour, but what was worst of all, being stripped also of the grace of God, and having lost him.-The shame of the filth... That is, of the idol, which they had taken for their god. It is the usual phrase of the scripture to call idols filth and abominations.

32:26. Then standing in the gate of the camp, he said: If any man be on the Lord's side, let him join with me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him:

32:27. And he said to them: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Put every man his sword upon his thigh: go, and return from gate to gate through the midst of the camp, and let every man kill his brother, and friend, and neighbour.

32:28. And the sons of Levi did according to the words of Moses, and there were slain that day about three and twenty thousand men.

32:29. And Moses said: You have consecrated your hands this day to the Lord, every man in his son and in his brother, that a blessing may be given to you.

32:30. And when the next day was come, Moses spoke to the people: You have sinned a very great sin: I will go up to the Lord, if by any means I may be able to entreat him for your crime.

32:31. And returning to the Lord, he said: I beseech thee: this people hath sinned a heinous sin, and they have made to themselves gods of gold: either forgive them this trespass,

32:32. Or if thou do not, strike me out of the book that thou hast written.

32:33. And the Lord answered him: He that hath sinned against me, him will I strike out of my book:

32:34. But go thou, and lead this people whither I have told thee: my angel shall go before thee. And I in the day of revenge will visit this sin also of theirs.

32:35. The Lord therefore struck the people for the guilt, on occasion of the calf which Aaron had made.

Exodus Chapter 33

The people mourn for their sin. Moses pitcheth the tabernacle without the camp. He converseth familiarly with God. Desireth to see his glory.

33:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Go, get thee up from this place, thou and thy people which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, into the land concerning which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: To thy seed I will give it:

33:2. And I will send an angel before thee, that I may cast out the Chanaanite, and the Amorrhite, and the Hethite, and the Pherezite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite,

33:3. That thou mayst enter into the land that floweth with milk and honey. For I will not go up with thee, because thou art a stiffnecked people; lest I destroy thee in the way.

33:4. And the people hearing these very bad tidings, mourned: and no man put on his ornaments according to custom.

33:5. And the Lord said to Moses: Say to the children of Israel: Thou art a stiffnecked people, once I shall come up in the midst of thee, and shall destroy thee. Now presently lay aside thy ornaments, that I may know what to do to thee.

33:6. So the children of Israel laid aside their ornaments by Mount Horeb.

33:7. Moses also taking the tabernacle, pitched it without the camp afar off, and called the name thereof, The tabernacle of the covenant. And all the people, that had any question, went forth to the tabernacle of the covenant, without the camp.

33:8. And when Moses went forth to the tabernacle, all the people rose up, and every one stood in the door of his pavilion, and they beheld the back of Moses, till he went into the tabernacle.

33:9. And when he was gone into the tabernacle of the covenant, the pillar of the cloud came down, and stood at the door, and he spoke with Moses.

33:10. And all saw that the pillar of the cloud stood at the door of the tabernacle. And they stood and worshipped at the doors of their tent.

33:11. And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man is wont to speak to his friend. And when he returned into the camp, his servant Josue, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not from the tabernacle.

Face to face... That is, in a most familiar manner. Though as we learn from this very chapter, Moses could not see the face of the Lord.

33:12. And Moses said to the Lord: Thou commandest me to lead forth this people; and thou dost not let me know whom thou wilt send with me, especially whereas thou hast said: I know thee by name, and thou hast found favour in my sight.

I know thee by name... In the language of the scriptures, God is said to know such as he approves and loves: and to know by name, those whom he favours in a most singular manner, as he did his servant Moses.

33:13. If therefore I have found favour in thy sight, shew me thy face, that I may know thee, and may find grace before thy eyes: look upon thy people this nation.

33:14. And the Lord said: My face shall go before thee, and I will give thee rest.

33:15. And Moses said: If thou thyself dost not go before, bring us not out of this place.

33:16. For how shall we be able to know, I and thy people, that we have found grace in thy sight, unless thou walk with us, that we may be glorified by all people that dwell upon the earth?

33:17. And the Lord said to Moses: This word also, which thou hast spoken, will I do; for thou hast found grace before me, and thee I have known by name.

33:18. And he said: Shew me thy glory.