aaron

⁴Neither does anyone take up this honor himself, but rather he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. ⁵Thus, even Christ did not glorify himself, so as to become High Priest, but instead, it was God who said to him: “You are my Son. Today I have begotten you.” ⁶And similarly, he says in another place: “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” ⁷It is Christ who, in the days of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears, offered prayers and supplications to the One who was able to save him from death, and who was heard because of his reverence. ⁸And although, certainly, he is the Son of God, he learned obedience by the things that he suffered. ⁹And having reached his consummation, he was made, for all who are obedient to him, the cause of eternal salvation,

¹“Also, join to yourself your brother Aaron, with his sons from the midst of the sons of Israel, so that they may exercise the priesthood for me: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

¹⁴The Lord, being angry at Moses, said: “Aaron the Levite is your brother. I know that he is eloquent. Behold, he is going out to meet you, and seeing you, he will rejoice in heart. ¹⁵Speak to him, and put my words in his mouth. And I will be in your mouth and in his mouth, and I will reveal to you what you must do. ¹⁶He will speak for you to the people, and he will be your mouth. But you will be with him in those things that pertain to God.

¹⁶And they provoked Moses in the camp, and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.

¹And the Lord said to Moses: “Behold, I have appointed you as the god of Pharaoh. And Aaron, your brother, will be your prophet.

²⁰Now Amram took as a wife Jochebed, his paternal aunt, who bore for him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven.

¹¹Therefore, if consummation had occurred through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), then what further need would there be for another Priest to rise up according to the order of Melchizedek, one who was not called according to the order of Aaron?

⁶Then the sons of Israel moved their camp, from Beeroth among the sons of Jaakan, into Moserah, where Aaron died and was buried, and where his son Eleazar was installed in the priesthood in his place.

¹⁴The Lord, being angry at Moses, said: “Aaron the Levite is your brother. I know that he is eloquent. Behold, he is going out to meet you, and seeing you, he will rejoice in heart.

¹And the Lord said to Moses: “Behold, I have appointed you as the god of Pharaoh. And Aaron, your brother, will be your prophet. ²You will speak to him all that I command you. And he will speak to Pharaoh, so that he may release the sons of Israel from his land.

²³where the Lord spoke to Moses: ²⁴“Let Aaron,” he said, “go to his people. For he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because he did not believe my mouth at the Waters of Contradiction. ²⁵Take Aaron, and his son with him, and lead them on to mount Hor. ²⁶And when you have stripped the father of his vestments, you shall put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron shall be gathered and shall die there.” ²⁷Moses did just as the Lord had instructed. And they ascended mount Hor, in the sight of the entire multitude. ²⁸And when he had despoiled Aaron of his vestments, he clothed his son Eleazar with them.

¹Then the people, seeing that Moses made a delay in descending from the mountain, gathered together against Aaron, and said: “Rise up, make us gods, who may go before us. But as for this man Moses, who led us away from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has befallen him.” ²And Aaron said to them, “Take the golden earrings from the ears of your wives, and your sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” ³And the people did what he had commanded, carrying the earrings to Aaron. ⁴And when he had received them, he formed these by the work of a casting furnace, and he made from these a molten calf. And they said: “These are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt.” ⁵And when Aaron had seen it, he built an altar before it, and he cried out with a voice of proclamation, saying, “Tomorrow is the solemnity of the Lord.” ⁶And rising up in the morning, they offered holocausts, and peace victims, and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and they rose up to play.

¹And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ²“Speak to the sons of Israel, and receive from each of them a rod by their kinships, from all the leaders of the tribes, twelve rods, and write the name of each one on his rod. ³But the name of Aaron shall be for the tribe of Levi, and one rod separately shall contain all their families. ⁴And you shall place these in the tabernacle of the covenant before the testimony, where I will speak to you. ⁵Whomever of these I will choose, his rod will germinate, and so shall I restrain the complaints of the sons of Israel before me, by which they murmur against you.” ⁶And Moses spoke to the sons of Israel. And all the leaders gave him rods, one for each tribe. And there were twelve rods, aside from the rod of Aaron.

¹Then the people, seeing that Moses made a delay in descending from the mountain, gathered together against Aaron, and said: “Rise up, make us gods, who may go before us. But as for this man Moses, who led us away from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has befallen him.” ²And Aaron said to them, “Take the golden earrings from the ears of your wives, and your sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” ³And the people did what he had commanded, carrying the earrings to Aaron. ⁴And when he had received them, he formed these by the work of a casting furnace, and he made from these a molten calf. And they said: “These are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt.”

¹And the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, picking up their censers, placed fire in them and incense upon them, offering in the sight of the Lord a strange fire, such as was not instructed of them. ²And fire coming out from the Lord destroyed them, and they died in the sight of the Lord. ³And Moses said to Aaron: “This is what the Lord has spoken: ‘I will be sanctified in those who approach me, and I will be glorified in the sight of all the people.’ ” And upon hearing this, Aaron was silent.