Heroes of Israel's past

6   He raised to a like holy office
Moses' brother Aaron from the tribe of Levi.
7   He made a perpetual covenant with him,
conferring on him the priesthood of the nation.
He honoured him with splendid ornaments
and clothed him in gorgeous vestments.
8   He robed him in perfect splendour
and armed him with the emblems of power,
the breeches, the mantle, and the tunic.
9   Round his robe he placed pomegranates
and a circle of many golden bells,
to make music as he walked,
ringing aloud throughout the temple
as a reminder to his people.
10   He gave him the sacred vestment adorned by an embroiderer
with gold and violet and purple;
the oracle of judgement with the tokens of truth; ^note
11   the scarlet thread spun with a craftsman's art;
the precious stones, engraved like seals,
and placed by the jeweller in a gold setting,
with inscriptions to serve as reminders,
one for each of the tribes of Israel;
12   the gold crown upon his turban,
engraved like a seal with ‘Holy to the Lord’. ^note
What rich adornments to feast the eyes!
What a miracle of art! What a proud honour!
13   Before him no such splendour existed,
and no one outside his family has ever put them on,
no one except his sons
and his descendants in perpetuity.
14   Twice every day without fail
they present his sacrifice of a whole-offering.


15   It was Moses who ordained him
and anointed him with sacred oil,
in token of the perpetual covenant made with him

Heroes of Israel's past
and with his descendants as long as the heavens endure,
that he should be the Lord's minister in the priestly office
and bless his people in his name.
16   He chose him out of all mankind
to bring offerings to the Lord,
incense and the fragrance of memorial sacrifice,
to make atonement for the people.
17   He entrusted to him his commandments,
with authority to pronounce legal decisions,
to teach Jacob his decrees
and enlighten Israel about his law.


18   Upstarts grew jealous of him
and conspired against him in the desert,
Dathan and Abiram with their supporters
and Korah's band in their violent anger.
19   The Lord saw and refused his sanction;
he destroyed them in the heat of his wrath,
and worked a miracle against them
by consuming them in a blazing fire.
20   But he added fresh honours to Aaron
and gave him a special privilege,
allotting to the priests the choicest firstfruits,
to ensure that they above all should have bread in plenty.
21   For they eat the sacrifices of the Lord,
which he gave to Aaron and his descendants.
22   But he was to have no inheritance in the land of his people,
no portion allotted to him among them;
for the Lord himself is his portion, his inheritance.


23   Phinehas son of Eleazar ranks third in renown
for being zealous in his reverence for the Lord,
and for standing firm with noble courage,
when the people were in revolt;
by so doing he made atonement for Israel.
24   Therefore a covenant was established with him,
assuring him command of the sanctuary and of the nation,
conferring on him and his descendants
the high-priesthood for ever.

Heroes of Israel's past
25   Just as a covenant was made with David son of Jesse of the tribe of Judah,
that the royal succession should always pass from father to son,
so the succession was to pass from Aaron to his descendants.
26   May the Lord grant you a wise mind
to judge his people with justice,
so that their prosperity may never vanish
and their glory may be handed on to future generations!

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