Sirach 45
45
1 #
Ex 6.28—11.10; 20.1-21. he was well loved
by Israel and God.
The man was Moses,
and we still give thanks
whenever we think of him.
2The Lord gave Moses glory
equal to the angels
and power that terrified
his enemies.
* 3When Moses spoke,
miracles happened,
and even the king of Egypt
was forced to honor him.
The Lord chose Moses
to see his glory
and to receive the Law
4because Moses was faithful
and humble.
5He heard the Lord's voice
and saw him face to face,
when the Lord told him
to teach Israel the commands
that give knowledge and life.
Aaron the Priest
6 #
Ex 4.14. Aaron the brother of Moses
was a holy man
from the tribe of Levi,
and the Lord chose him
* 7#Ex 28.1-43. and his descendants
to be Israel's priests
for all time.
The Lord told him to wear
glorious clothing
8with beautiful decorations
and jewelry.
Three things truly showed
Aaron's priestly power—
the linen shorts, the robe,
and the sacred vest.
9Pomegranates#45.9 Pomegranates: A red fruit that looks something like an apple. In ancient times, it was a symbol of life. were embroidered
along the hem of the robe,
and gold bells were sewn there,
so others could hear the ringing
as he walked in the temple.
* 10The vest was embroidered
with blue and purple yarn
and decorated with gold.
11The breastpiece was decorated
with red yarn,
and it held the sacred items
used in getting answers
from God.
On it were precious stones,
set in finely worked gold
and engraved with the names
of Israel's twelve tribes.
12On Aaron's turban
was a beautiful strip of gold
made by an expert
and engraved with the words,
“Dedicated to the Lord.”
13All these things were made
for Aaron the priest,
and since his time,
only his descendants
have ever worn them.
14Twice each day,
these priests offer sacrifices
to please the Lord.
15 #
Lv 8.1-36. Moses ordained Aaron as priest
by pouring sacred olive oil
on his head.
And the Lord promised Aaron
that his descendants would serve
as his priests forever
and bless the people of Israel
in his name.
16The Lord chose only him
to burn sacrifices and incense
with a pleasing smell,
reminding the Lord of his people
and asking him
to forgive their sins.
17Aaron was made a judge
and was given the Law
with instructions to teach it
to Israel.
18 #
Nu 16.1-35. When Israel was in the desert,
some men who were not priests
became jealous of Aaron,
and they rebelled, led by Dathan,
Abiram, and Korah.
19But the Lord wasn't pleased,
and to show he was furious,
he sent down fire
to destroy them.
20The Lord honored Aaron
even more
by giving to him
the offerings of the first part
of the harvest.
And so these offerings
are the priests' inheritance,
21along with other sacrifices
the Lord gave to them.
22 #
Nu 18.20; Dt 12.5-19. Their inheritance is the Lord,
not a piece of ground
among the rest of Israel.
Phinehas the Priest
23 #
Nu 25.7-13. Phinehas son of Eleazar
is almost as famous
as Moses and Aaron.
Phinehas was brave
and eager to obey the Lord,
when the other Israelites
were unfaithful.
And so, because of what he did,
God spared Israel
24and promised to Phinehas
and his descendants
the honor of forever being
leaders of the nation
and priests in the temple.
25According to this promise
made by the Lord,
only a descendant of Aaron
can be a priest,
just as Israel's king must be
from the family of David.
A Short Prayer for the Priests
26Give thanks to the Lord
who has given glory
to you priests.#45.26 Give thanks … you priests: Hebrew; the Greek text does not have these words.
I pray he will give you wisdom
so you will make fair decisions
when you judge his people.
Then they will be successful
and famous forever.
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Sirach 45: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
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