And after [the Levites left,] those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the LORD God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers.

So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

'Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth [is] Mine.

'And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These [are] the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."

I will bring the [one-third] through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This [is] My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD [is] my God.' "

"And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests: Take one young bull and two rams without blemish,

"You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, with the bull and the two rams.

"Then you shall take the garments, put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the intricately woven band of the ephod.

"And you shall take the anointing oil, pour [it] on his head, and anoint him.

"And you shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and put the hats on them. The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute. So you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.

"Then you shall kill the bull before the LORD, [by] the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

"And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe [attached] to the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that [is] on them, and burn [them] on the altar.

" You shall also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram;

"Then you shall cut the ram in pieces, wash its entrails and its legs, and put [them] with its pieces and with its head.

" You shall also take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram.

"And you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle [it] on Aaron and on his garments, on his sons and on the garments of his sons with him; and he and his garments shall be hallowed, and his sons and his sons' garments with him.

"one loaf of bread, one cake [made with] oil, and one wafer from the basket of the unleavened bread that [is] before the LORD;

"You shall receive them back from their hands and burn [them] on the altar as a burnt offering, as a sweet aroma before the LORD. It [is] an offering made by fire to the LORD.

"And from the ram of the consecration you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering which is waved, and the thigh of the heave offering which is raised, of [that] which [is] for Aaron and of [that] which is for his sons.

" And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons' after him, to be anointed in them and to be consecrated in them.

" And you shall take the ram of the consecration and boil its flesh in the holy place.

"They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate [and] to sanctify them; but an outsider shall not eat [them,] because they [are] holy.

" Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Seven days you shall consecrate them.

"Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it. And the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar must be holy.

[to be] a memorial to the children of Israel that no outsider, who [is] not a descendant of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the LORD, that he might not become like Korah and his companions, just as the LORD had said to him through Moses.

Then the LORD said to Aaron: "You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear the iniquity [related to] the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity [associated with] your priesthood.

"They shall attend to your needs and all the needs of the tabernacle; but they shall not come near the articles of the sanctuary and the altar, lest they die -- they and you also.

"And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and the duties of the altar, that there [may] be no more wrath on the children of Israel.

"Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything at the altar and behind the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood [to you] as a gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death."