In Praise of Moses

¹From Jacob’s descendants the Lord brought forth a godly man,

who gained everyone’s favor.

This man was Moses, who was beloved by God and people

and blessed whenever people remember him.

²The Lord made Moses’ glory equal to that of the holy ones.

He made him great, terrifying his enemies.

³With his words Moses put a stop to the miracles of others,

and the Lord glorified him in the sight of kings.

The Lord gave Moses commandments for his people

and revealed to him his glory.

⁴Because of Moses’ faithfulness and meekness, the Lord set him apart as holy,

choosing him from among all people.

⁵The Lord allowed him to hear his voice

and led him into the dark cloud.

He gave him the commandments face to face,

the law of life and knowledge,

so that he might teach Jacob the covenant

and Israel his decrees.

In Praise of Aaron

⁶The Lord exalted Aaron, a holy man like Moses.

Moses was Aaron’s brother and came from the tribe of Levi.

⁷The Lord made an everlasting covenant with Aaron,

and he made him and his descendants priests over the people.

He honored and adorned him,

giving him a glorious robe.

⁸He clothed him with majestic attire

and established him with the symbols of authority—

the linen undergarments, the long robe, and the ephod.

⁹The Lord encircled Aaron’s attire with pomegranates,

along with many gold bells.

These would sound with every step,

ringing throughout the Temple

as a reminder to his people.

¹⁰He gave Aaron a sacred garment of gold, blue, and purple,

the work of an embroiderer.

The Lord gave him the oracle of judgment, Urim and Thummim,

¹¹with twisted scarlet, the work of an artisan.

He gave Aaron precious stones engraved like signets

and set in gold, the work of a jeweler.

These stones contained inscriptions

that denoted each of the tribes of Israel.

¹²The Lord also gave Aaron a gold crown to put over his turban.

It was engraved like a signet with the word Holiness.

The crown was an ornament of honor, the work of an expert

and a richly adorned delight to the eyes.

¹³Before Aaron’s time none of these beautiful things existed,

and no stranger was ever clothed with them.

Only Aaron’s sons and his descendants would ever be allowed to wear them.

¹⁴Aaron’s sacrifices were to be completely consumed with fire,

twice every day forever.

¹⁵Moses ordained Aaron

and anointed him with holy oil.

This was an everlasting covenant for him

and for his descendants as long as the heavens endure.

He was supposed to serve the Lord as priest

and bless his people in the name of the Lord.

¹⁶The Lord chose Aaron out of all the living

to offer sacrifice to the Lord.

He chose him to offer incense and a pleasing aroma as a memorial offering

to make atonement for his people.

¹⁷The Lord entrusted Aaron with his commandments

and with the authority of law and judgment.

He instructed Aaron to teach Jacob his decrees

and enlighten Israel concerning his law.

¹⁸Strangers conspired against Aaron

and envied him in the wilderness.

Dathan and Abiram and their followers,

along with the company of Korah, acted in anger against him.

¹⁹The Lord saw their actions and was displeased,

so he destroyed them in anger.

He performed wonders against them

and consumed them in flaming fire.

²⁰He increased Aaron’s glory

and gave him an inheritance.

He prescribed that Aaron should receive the best of the firstfruits

so that he would have plenty of bread.

²¹For the priests eat the sacrifices of the Lord,

which he gave to Aaron and his descendants.

²²But Aaron did not receive any of the land as an inheritance.

He was allotted no portion among the people,

for the Lord himself was his portion and inheritance.

In Praise of Phinehas

²³Phinehas son of Eleazar ranks third in glory

because of his zeal in fearing the Lord.

He stood firm when the people turned away.

He acted with noble courage

and made atonement for Israel.

²⁴Therefore, the Lord made a covenant of peace with him.

He made him the leader of the sanctuary and of his people,

and Phinehas and his descendants were given

the honor of the priesthood forever.

²⁵In the covenant that was given to David,

who was the son of Jesse and a descendant of Judah,

royalty passed only from son to son.

In the same way, Aaron’s priestly inheritance was for his descendants alone.

²⁶May the Lord grant you wisdom of mind

to judge his people with justice

so that their prosperity may never fade

and their glory may endure for all generations.