Bible in a Year.

On this day, Exodus 27–28 describes the altar and the high priest's garments, full of spiritual significance and sacred beauty. Leviticus 20 reinforces the separation of the holy people, forbidding the abominable practices of the nations. Psalm 119:1–88 celebrates the law of the Lord, a source of comfort, wisdom, and life. Together, these texts remind us that serving God requires purity, reverence, and love for His Word.

Chapter 27

1. Thou shalt make also an altar of setim wood, which shall be five cubits long and as many broad, that is, foursquare, and three cubits high.

2. And there shall be horns at the four corners of the same: and thou shalt cover it with brass.

3. And thou shalt make for the uses thereof pans to receive the ashes, and tongs and fleshhooks, and firepans: all its vessels thou shalt make of brass.

4. And a grate of brass in manner of a net: at the four corners of which shall be four rings of brass,

5. Which thou shalt put under the hearth of the altar: and the grate shall be even to the midst of the altar.

6. Thou shalt make also two bars for the altar of setim wood, which thou shalt cover with plates of brass:

7. And thou shalt draw them through rings, and they shall be on both sides of the altar to carry it.

8. Thou shalt not make it solid, but empty and hollow in the inside, as it was shewn thee in the mount.

9. Thou shalt make also the court of the tabernacle, in the south side whereof southward there shall be hangings of fine twisted linen of a hundred cubits long for one side.

10. And twenty pillars with as many sockets of brass, the heads of which with their engraving of silver.

11. In like manner also on the north side there shall be hangings of a hundred cubits long, twenty pillars, and as many sockets of brass, and their heads with their engraving of silver.

12. But in the breadth of the court, that looketh to the west, there shall be hangings of fifty cubits, and ten pillars, and as many sockets.

13. In that breadth also of the court, which looketh to the east, there shall be fifty cubits.

14. In which there shall be for one side hangings of fifteen cubits, and three pillars and as many sockets.

15. And in the other side there shall be hangings of fifteen cubits, with three pillars and as many sockets.

16. And in the entrance of the court there shall be made a hanging of twenty cubits of violet and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine twisted linen, with embroidered work: it shall have four pillars with as many sockets.

17. All the pillars of the court round about shall be garnished with plates of silver, silver heads and sockets of brass.

18. In length the court shall take up a hundred cubits, in breadth fifty, the height shall be of five cubits, and it shall be made of fine twisted linen, and shall have sockets of brass.

19. All the vessels of the tabernacle for all uses and ceremonies, and the pins both of it, and of the court, thou shalt make of brass.

20. Command the children of Israel that they bring thee the purest oil of the olives, and beaten with a pestle: that a lamp may burn always,

21. In the tabernacle of the testimony without the veil that hangs before the testimony. And Aaron and his sons shall order it, that it may give light before the Lord until the morning. It shall be a perpetual observance throughout their successions among the children of Israel.

Chapter 28

1. Take unto thee also Aaron thy brother with his sons, from among the children of Israel, that they may minister to me in the priest's office: Aaron, Nadab, and Abiu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

2. And thou shalt make a holy vesture for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.

3. And thou shalt speak to all the wise of heart, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's vestments, in which he being consecrated may minister to me.

4. And these shall be the vestments that they shall make: A rational and an ephod, a tunick and a strait linen garment, a mitre and a girdle. They shall make the holy vestments for thy brother Aaron and his sons, that they may do the office of priesthood unto me.

5. And they shall take gold, and violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine linen.

6. And they shall make the ephod of gold, and violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine twisted linen, embroidered with divers colours.

7. It shall have the two edges joined in the top on both sides, that they may be closed together.

8. The very workmanship also and all the variety of the work shall be of gold, and violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine twisted linen.

9. And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and shalt grave on them the names of the children of Israel:

10. Six names on one stone, and the other six on the other, according to the order of their birth.

11. With the work of an engraver and the graving of a jeweller, thou shalt engrave them with the names of the children of Israel, set in gold and compassed about:

12. And thou shalt put them in both sides of the ephod, a memorial for the children of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon both shoulders, for a remembrance.

13. Thou shalt make also hooks of gold.

14. And two little chains of the purest gold linked one to another, which thou shalt put into the hooks.

15. And thou shalt make the rational of judgment with embroidered work of divers colours, according to the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine twisted linen.

16. It shall be foursquare and doubled: it shall be the measure of a span both in length and in breadth.

17. And thou shalt set in it four rows of stones: in the first row shall be a sardius stone, and a topaz, and an emerald:

18. In the second a carbuncle, a sapphire and a jasper.

19. In the third a ligurius, an agate, and an amethyst:

20. In the fourth a chrysolite, an onyx, and a beryl. They shall be set in gold by their rows.

21. And they shall have the names of the children of Israel: with twelve names shall they be engraved, each stone with the name of one according to the twelve tribes.

22. And thou shalt make on the rational chains linked one to another of the purest gold:

23. And two rings of gold, which thou shalt put in the two ends at the top of the rational.

24. And the golden chains thou shalt join to the rings, that are in the ends thereof:

25. And the ends of the chains themselves thou shalt join together with two hooks on both sides of the ephod, which is towards the rational.

26. Thou shalt make also two rings of gold which thou shalt put in the top parts of the rational, in the borders that are over against the ephod, and look towards the back parts thereof.

27. Moreover also other two rings of gold, which are to be set on each side of the ephod beneath, that looketh towards the nether joining, that the rational may be fitted with the ephod,

28. And may be fastened by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a violet fillet, that the joining artificially wrought may continue, and the rational and the ephod may not be loosed one from the other.

29. And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the rational of judgement upon his breast, when he shall enter into the sanctuary, a memorial before the Lord for ever.

30. And thou shalt put in the rational of judgment doctrine and truth, which shall be on Aaron's breast, when he shall go in before the Lord: and he shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel on his breast, in the sight of the Lord always.

31. And thou shalt make the tunick of the ephod all of violet,

32. In the midst whereof above shall be a hole for the head, and a border round about it woven, as is wont to be made in the outmost parts of garments, that it may not easily be broken.

33. And beneath at the feet of the same tunick round about, thou shalt make as it were pomegranates, of violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, with little bells set between:

34. So that there shall be a golden bell and a pomegranate, and again another golden bell and a pomegranate.

35. And Aaron shall be vested with it in the office of his ministry, that the sound may be heard, when he goeth in and cometh out of the sanctuary, in the sight of the Lord, and that he may not die.

36. Thou shalt make also a plate of the purest gold: wherein thou shalt grave with engraver's work, Holy to the Lord.

37. And thou shalt tie it with a violet fillet, and it shall be upon the mitre,

38. Hanging over the forehead of the high priest. And Aaron shall bear the iniquities of those things, which the children of Israel have offered and sanctified, in all their gifts and offerings. And the plate shall be always on his forehead, that the Lord may be well pleased with them.

39. And thou shalt gird the tunick with fine linen, and thou shalt make a fine linen mitre, and a girdle of embroidered work.

40. Moreover for the sons of Aaron thou shalt prepare linen tunicks, and girdles and mitres for glory and beauty:

41. And with all these things thou shalt vest Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him. And thou shalt consecrate the hands of them all, and shalt sanctify them, that they may do the office of priesthood unto me.

42. Thou shalt make also linen breeches, to cover the flesh of their nakedness from the reins to the thighs:

42. And Aaron and his sons shall use them when they shall go in to the tabernacle of the testimony, or when they approach the altar to minister in the sanctuary, lest being guilty of iniquity they die. It shall be a law for ever to Aaron, and to his seed after him.

1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

2. Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: If any man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers, that dwell in Israel, give of his seed to the idol Moloch, dying let him die: the people of the land shall stone him.

3. And I will set my face against him: and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, because he hath given of his seed to Moloch, and hath defiled my sanctuary, and profaned my holy name.

4. And if the people of the land neglecting, and as it were little regarding my commandment, let alone the man that hath given of his seed to Moloch, and will not kill him:

5. I will set my face against that man, and his kindred, and will cut off both him and all that consented with him, to commit fornication with Moloch, out of the midst of their people.

6. The soul that shall go aside after magicians, and soothsayers, and shall commit fornication with them, I will set my face against that soul, and destroy it out of the midst of its people.

7. Sanctify yourselves, and be ye holy because I am the Lord your God.

8. Keep my precepts, and do them. I am the Lord that sanctify you.

9. He that curseth his father, or mother, dying let him die: he hath cursed his father, and mother, let his blood be upon him.

10. If any man commit adultery with the wife of another, and defile his neighbour's wife, let then: be put to death, both the adulterer and the adulteress.

11. If a man lie with his stepmother, and discover the nakedness of his father, let them both be put to death: their blood be upon them.

12. If any man lie with his daughter in law, let both die, because they have done a heinous crime: their blood be upon them.

13. If any one lie with a man se with a woman, both have committed an abomination, let them be put to death: their blood be upon them.

14. If any man after marrying the daughter, marry her mother, he hath done a heinous crime: he shall be burnt alive with them: neither shall so great an abomination remain in the midst of you.

15. He that shall copulate with any beast or cattle, dying let him die, the beast also ye shall kill.

16. The woman that shall lie under any beast, shall be killed together with the same: their blood be upon them.

17. If any man take his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother, and see her nakedness, and she behold her brother's shame: they have committed a crime: they shall be slain, in the sight of their people, because they have discovered one another's nakedness, and they shall bear their iniquity.

18. If any man lie with a woman in her flowers, and uncover her nakedness, and she open the fountain of her blood, both shall be destroyed out of the midst of their people.

19. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy aunt by thy mother, and of thy aunt by thy father: he that doth this, hath uncovered the shame of his own flesh, both shall bear their iniquity.

20. If any mall lie with the wife of his uncle by the father, or of his uncle by the mother, and uncover the shame of his near akin, both shall bear their sin: they shall die without children.

21. He that marrieth his brother's wife, doth an unlawful thing, he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness: they shall be without children.

22. Keep my laws and my judgments, and do them: lest the land into which you are to enter to dwell therein, vomit you also out.

23. Walk not after the laws of the nations, which I will cast out before you. For they have done all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

24. But to you I say: Possess their land which I will give you for an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God, who have separated you from other people.

25. Therefore do you also separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the clean fowl from the unclean: defile not your souls with beasts, or birds, or any things that move on the earth, and which I have shewn you to be unclean.

26. You shall be holy unto me, because I the Lord am holy, and I have separated you from other people, that you should be mine.

27. A man, or woman, in whom there is a pythonical or divining spirit, dying let them die: they shall stone them: their blood be upon them.

1. Aleph

1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.

2. Blessed are they who search his testimonies: that seek him with their whole heart.

3. For they that work iniquity, have not walked in his ways.

4. Thou hast commanded thy commandments to be kept most diligently.

5. O! that my ways may be directed to keep thy justifications.

6. Then shall I not be confounded, when I shall look into all thy commandments.

7. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned the judgments of thy justice.

8. I will keep thy justifications: O! do not thou utterly forsake me. BETH

9. By what doth a young man correct his way? by observing thy words.

10. With my whole heart have I sought after thee: let me not stray from thy commandments.

11. Thy words have I hidden in my heart, that I may not sin against thee.

12. Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy justifications.

13. With my lips I have pronounced all the judgments of thy mouth.

14. I have been delighted in the way of thy testimonies, as in all riches.

15. I will meditate on thy commandments: and I will consider thy ways.

16. I will think of thy justifications: I will not forget thy words. GIMEL

17. Give bountifully to thy servant, enliven me: and I shall keep thy words.

18. Open thou my eyes: and I will consider the wondrous things of thy law.

19. I am a sojourner on the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

20. My soul hath coveted to long for thy justifications, at all times.

21. Thou hast rebuked the proud: they are cursed who decline from thy commandments.

22. Remove from reproach and contempt: because I have sought after thy testimonies.

23. For princes sat, and spoke against me: but thy servant was employed in thy justifications.

24. For thy testimonies are my meditation: and thy justifications my counsel. DALETH

25. My soul hath cleaved to the pavement: quicken thou me according to thy word.

26. I have declared my ways, and thou hast heard me: tech me thy justifications.

27. Make me to understand the way of thy justifications: and I shall be exercised in thy wondrous works.

28. My soul hath slumbered through heaviness: strengthen thou me in thy words.

29. Remove from me the way of iniquity: and out of thy law have mercy on me.

30. I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments I have not forgotten.

31. I have stuck to thy testimonies, O Lord: put me not to shame.

32. I have run the way of thy commandments, when thou didst enlarge my heart. HE

33. Set before me for a law the way of thy justifications, O Lord: and I will always seek after it.

34. Give me understanding, and I will search thy law ; and I will keep it with my whole heart.

35. Lead me into the path of thy commandments; for this same I have desired.

36. Incline my heart into thy testimonies and not to covetousness.

37. Turn away my eyes that they may not behold vanity: quicken me in thy way.

38. Establish thy word to thy servant, in thy fear.

39. Turn away my reproach, which I have apprehended: for thy judgments are delightful.

40. Behold I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy justice. VAU

41. Let thy mercy also come upon me, O Lord: thy salvation according to thy word.

42. So shall I answer them that reproach me in any thing; that I have trusted in thy words.

43. And take not thou the word of truth utterly out of my mouth: for in thy words have I hoped exceedingly.

44. So shall I always keep thy law, for ever and ever.

45. And I walked at large: because I have sought after thy commandments.

46. And I spoke of thy testimonies before kings: and I was not ashamed.

47. I meditated also on thy commandments, which I loved.

48. And I lifted up my hands to thy commandments, which I loved: and I was exercised in thy justifications. ZAIN

49. Be thou mindful of thy word to thy servant, in which thou hast given me hope.

50. This hath comforted me in my humiliation: because thy word hath enlivened me.

51. The proud did iniquitously altogether: but I declined not from thy law.

52. I remembered, O Lord, thy judgments of old: and I was comforted.

53. A fainting hath taken hold of me, because of the wicked that forsake thy law.

54. Thy justifications were the subject of my song, in the place of my pilgrimage.

55. In the night I have remembered thy name, O Lord: and have kept thy law.

56. This happened to me: because I sought after thy justifications. HETH

57. O Lord, my portion, I have said, I would keep the law.

58. I entreated thy face with all my heart: have mercy on me according to thy word.

59. I have thought on my ways: and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.

60. I am ready, and am not troubled: that I may keep thy commandments.

61. The cords of the wicked have encompassed me: but I have not forgotten thy law.

62. I rose at midnight to give praise to thee; for the judgments of thy justification.

63. I am a partaker with all them that fear thee, and that keep thy commandments.

64. The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy justifications. TETH

65. Thou hast done well with thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word.

66. Teach me goodness and discipline and knowledge; for I have believed thy commandments.

67. Before I was humbled I offended; therefore have I kept thy word.

68. Thou art good; and in thy goodness teach me thy justifications.

69. The iniquity of the proud hath been multiplied over me: but I will seek thy commandments with my whole heart.

70. Their heart is curdled like milk: but I have meditated on thy law.

71. It is good for me that thou hast humbled me, that I may learn thy justifications.

72. The law of thy mouth is good to me, above thousands of gold and silver. JOD

73. Thy hands have made me and formed me: give me understanding, and I will learn thy commandments.

74. They that fear thee shall see me, and shall be glad: because I have greatly hoped in thy words.

75. I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are equity: and in thy truth thou hast humbled me.

76. O! let thy mercy be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.

77. Let thy tender mercies come unto me, and I shall live: for thy law is my meditation.

78. Let the proud be ashamed, because they have done unjustly towards me: but I will be employed in thy commandments.

79. Let them that fear thee turn to me" and they that know thy testimonies.

80. Let my heart be undefiled in thy justifications, that I may not be confounded. CAPH

81. My soul hath fainted after thy salvation: and in thy word I have very much hoped.

82. My eyes have failed for thy word, saying: When wilt thou comfort me?

83. For I am become like a bottle in the frost: I have not forgotten thy justifications.

84. How many are the days of thy servant: when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?

85. The wicked have told me fables: but not as thy law.

86. All thy statutes are truth: they have persecuted me unjustly, do thou help me.

87. They had almost made an end of me upon earth: but I have not forsaken thy commandments.

88. Quicken thou me according to thy mercy: and I shall keep the testimonies of thy mouth. LAMED