and he spoketo Korahand allhis company,saying,"Tomorrowmorningthe LORDwill showwhois His, and who is holy,and will bring[him] nearto Himself; even the one whomHe will choose,He will bringnearto Himself.
He sentMosesHis servant,[And] Aaron,whomHe had chosen.
O houseof Aaron,trustin the LORD;He is their helpand their shield.
How blessedis the one whom You chooseand bringnear[to You] To dwellin Your courts.We will be satisfiedwith the goodnessof Your house,Your holytemple.
"Then bringnearto yourself Aaronyour brother,and his sonswith him, from amongthe sonsof Israel,to ministeras priestto Me-- Aaron,Nadaband Abihu,Eleazarand Ithamar,Aaron'ssons.
"You shall putthem on Aaronyour brotherand on his sonswith him; and you shall anointthem and ordainthem and consecratethem, that they may serveMe as priests.
"They shall be on Aaronand on his sonswhen they enterthe tentof meeting,orwhen they approachthe altarto ministerin the holyplace, so that they do not incurguiltand die.It [shall be] a statuteforeverto him and to his descendantsafterhim.
Their leadershall be one of them, And their rulershall comeforthfrom their midst;And I will bringhim nearand he shall approachMe; For whowould dareto riskhis lifeto approachMe?' declaresthe LORD.
"Behold,one will comeup like a lionfrom the thicketsof the Jordanagainsta perenniallywatered pasture;for in an instantI will make him runaway from it, and whoeveris chosenI shall appointoverit. For whois likeMe, and whowill summonMe [into court]? And whothenis the shepherdwhocan standagainstMe?"
"Behold,one will comeup like a lionfrom the thicketof the Jordanto a perenniallywatered pasture;for in an instantI will make them runawayfrom it, and whoeveris chosenI will appointoverit. For whois likeMe, and whowill summonMe [into court]? And whothenis the shepherdwhocan standbeforeMe?"
but the chamberwhichfacestowardthe northis for the priestswho keepchargeof the altar.Theseare the sonsof Zadok,who from the sonsof Levicomenearto the LORDto ministerto Him."
You shall giveto the Leviticalpriestswhoare from the offspringof Zadok,who drawnearto Me to ministerto Me,' declaresthe LordGOD,a youngbullfor a sinoffering.
"It shall be the holyportionof the land;it shall be for the priests,the ministersof the sanctuary,who comenearto ministerto the LORD,and it shall be a placefor their housesand a holyplacefor the sanctuary.
Then Mosessaidto Aaron,"It is whatthe LORDspoke,saying,By those who comenearMe I will be treatedas holy,And beforeallthe peopleI will be honored.'"So Aaron,therefore, keptsilent.
"TakeAaronand his sonswith him, and the garmentsand the anointingoiland the bullof the sinoffering,and the tworamsand the basketof unleavenedbread,
So you will againdistinguishbetweenthe righteousand the wicked,betweenone who servesGodand one whodoes not serveHim.
They assembledtogether againstMosesand Aaron,and saidto them, "You have gone farenough,for allthe congregationare holy,everyoneof them, and the LORDis in their midst;so whydo you exaltyourselves abovethe assemblyof the LORD?"
"Dothis:takecensersfor yourselves, Korahand allyour company,
"It will comeabout that the rodof the manwhomI choosewill sprout.Thus I will lessenfrom upon Myself the grumblingsof the sonsof Israel,whoare grumblingagainstyou."
Now on the nextdayMoseswentinto the tentof the testimony;and behold,the rodof Aaronfor the houseof Levihad sproutedand putforthbudsand producedblossoms,and it boreripealmonds.
"You did not chooseMe but I choseyou, and appointedyou that you would goand bearfruit,and [that] your fruitwould remain,sothat whateveryou askof the Fatherin My nameHe may giveto you.
untilthe daywhen He was takenup [to heaven], after He had by the HolySpiritgiven ordersto the apostleswhomHe had chosen.
And they prayedand said,"You, Lord,who know the heartsof all men,showwhichoneof thesetwoYou have chosen
While they were ministeringto the Lordand fasting,the HolySpiritsaid,"Set apartfor Me Barnabasand Saulfor the workto whichI have calledthem."
After there had beenmuchdebate,Peterstoodup and saidto them, "Brethren,you knowthat in the earlydaysGodmade a choiceamongyou, that by my mouththe Gentileswould hearthe wordof the gospeland believe.
"And he said,The Godof our fathershas appointedyou to knowHis willand to seethe Righteous Oneand to hearan utterancefrom His mouth.
But nowin ChristJesusyou whoformerlywere far offhave been broughtnearby the bloodof Christ.
Nevertheless,the firmfoundationof Godstands,havingthisseal,"The Lordknowsthosewho are His," and, "Everyonewho namesthe nameof the Lordis to abstainfrom wickedness."
Pursuepeacewith all men,and the sanctificationwithoutwhichno onewill seethe Lord.
and He has madeus [to be] a kingdom,prieststo His Godand Father--to Him [be] the gloryand the dominionforever and ever.Amen.
Did I [not] choosethem from allthe tribesof Israelto be My priests,to goup to My altar,to burnincense,to carryan ephodbeforeMe; and did I [not] giveto the houseof your fatherallthe fire[offerings] of the sonsof Israel?
