Caring for the Lamps
(Exodus 27.20Exodus 21)1 The Lord told Moses 2 to say to the community of Israel:
You must supply the purest olive oil for the lamps in the sacred tent, so they will keep burning. 3-4 Aaron will set up the gold lampstand in the holy place of the sacred tent. Then he will light the seven lamps that must be kept burning there in my presence, every night from now on. This law will never change.
The Sacred Bread
The Lord said:
5 Use your finest flour to bake twelve loaves of bread about two kilograms each, 6 then take them into the sacred tent and lay them on the gold table in two rows of six loaves. 7 Alongside each row put some pure incense that will be sent up by fire in place of the bread as an offering to me. 8 Aaron must lay fresh loaves on the table each Sabbath, and priests in all generations must continue this practice as part of Israel's agreement with me. 9 This bread will always belong to Aaron and his family; it is very holy because it was offered to me, and it must be eaten in a holy place.
Punishment for Cursing the Lord
10-11 Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri from the tribe of Dan, had married an Egyptian, and they had a son. One day their son got into a fight with an Israelite man in camp and cursed the name of the Lord. So the young man was dragged off to Moses, 12 who had him guarded while everyone waited for the Lord to tell them what to do.
13 Finally, the Lord said to Moses:
14 This man has cursed me! Take him outside the camp and tell the witnesses to lay their hands on his head. Then command the whole community of Israel to stone him to death. 15-16 And warn the others that everyone else who curses me will die in the same way, whether they are Israelites by birth or foreigners living among you.
17 Death is also the penalty for murder, 18 but the killing of an animal that belongs to someone else requires only that the animal be replaced. 19 Personal injuries to others must be dealt with in keeping with the crime— 20 a broken bone for a broken bone, an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth. 21 It's possible to pay the owner for an animal that has been killed, but death is the penalty for murder. 22 I am the Lord your God, and I demand equal justice both for you Israelites and for those foreigners who live among you.
23 When Moses finished speaking, the people did what the Lord had told Moses, and they stoned to death the man who had cursed the Lord.
1 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 2 Commande the children of Israel that they bring vnto thee pure oyle oliue beaten, for the light, to cause ye lampes to burne continually. 3 Without the vaile of the Testimonie, in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, shall Aaron dresse them, both euen and morning before the Lord alwayes: this shalbe a lawe for euer through your generations. 4 He shall dresse the lampes vpon the pure Candlesticke before the Lord perpetually. 5 Also thou shalt take fine floure, and bake twelue cakes thereof: two tenth deales shalbe in one cake. 6 And thou shalt set them in two rowes, six in a rowe vpon the pure table before the Lord. 7 Thou shalt also put pure incense vpon the rowes, that in steade of the bread it may bee for a remembrance, and an offering made by fire to the Lord. 8 Euery Sabbath hee shall put them in rowes before the Lord euermore, receiuing them of the children of Israel for an euerlasting couenant. 9 And the bread shalbe Aarons and his sonnes, and they shall eate it in the holie place: for it is most holie vnto him of the offrings of the Lord made by fire by a perpetuall ordinance. 10 And there went out among the children of Israel the sonne of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian: and this sonne of the Israelitish woman, and a man of Israel stroue together in the hoste. 11 So the Israelitish womans sonne blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed, and they brought him vnto Moses (his mothers name also was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan) 12 And they put him in warde, till he tolde them the minde of the Lord. 13 Then the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 14 Bring the blasphemer without the hoste, and let all that heard him, put their handes vpon his head, and let all the Congregation stone him. 15 And thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoeuer curseth his God, shall beare his sinne. 16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shalbe put to death: all the Congregation shall stone him to death: aswell the stranger, as he that is borne in the lande: when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, let him beslaine. 17 He also that killeth any man, he shall be put to death. 18 And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it, beast for beast. 19 Also if a man cause any blemish in his neighbour: as he hath done, so shall it be done to him. 20 Breache for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: such a blemish as he hath made in any, such shalbe repayed to him. 21 And he that killeth a beast shall restore it: but he that killeth a man shall be slaine. 22 Ye shall haue one lawe: it shalbe aswel for the stranger as for one borne in the countrey: for I am the Lord your God. 23 Then Moses tolde the children of Israel, and they brought the blasphemer out of the hoste, and stoned him with stones: so the children of Israel did as the Lord had commanded Moses.