45 dearly loved by God
and human beings—
Moses, who is remembered
with blessing.
2 The Lord made Moses’ glory
equal to that of the holy ones,
and he made Moses great
so that Moses’ enemies would fear him.
3 By Moses’ words,
he brought signs to a halt;
the Lord glorified Moses
in the presence of kings.
The Lord gave Moses commandments
for his people,
and he showed Moses his glory.
4 The Lord ordained Moses
because of his faithfulness
and gentleness;
he chose him out of all human beings.
5 The Lord let Moses hear his voice;
he led him into the deep darkness,
and he gave Moses commandments
face-to-face,
an instruction for life,
and knowledge to teach the covenant
to Jacob and his laws to Israel.
Aaron
6 The Lord exalted Aaron,
a holy person like Moses,
his brother from the tribe of Levi.
7 The Lord established
an eternal covenant with him
and gave him the priesthood
of the people.
He blessed Aaron with dignity,
and wrapped him in a glorious cloak.
8 The Lord clothed him
with unrivaled praise,
and honored him
with objects of power—
leggings, a full-length robe,
and the priestly vest.
9 He encircled Aaron with pomegranates,
with a great number of gold bells
all around,
in order to create a sound
when he stepped,
to make a sound that would be heard
in the temple,
as a reminder for the children
of the Lord’s people.
10 He clothed Aaron with the priestly vest,
with gold, blue, and purple,
the work of an embroiderer,
with the oracle of judgment
for making the truth known;
11 with braided scarlet,
the work of a craftsperson;
with the precious stones
of an engraved seal
in a gold setting,
the work of a jeweler,
as a memorial in engraved writing
according to the number
of the tribes of Israel.
12 He set a gold crown
upon his turban,
carved with a sacred seal,
an item worthy of praise,
a work of strength,
desirable objects to look at,
richly adorned.
13 Before Aaron, such beautiful things
had not existed.
No stranger will ever wear them,
but only his sons and his descendants
for all time.
14 His sacrifices will be entirely burned up
twice daily, for all time.
15 Moses ordained Aaron
and anointed him with holy oil;
it became an everlasting covenant
for him
and for his descendants
for as long as heaven lasts,
to minister to God,
to be a priest at the same time,
and to bless his people in his name.
16 Moses chose him
out of all who were alive
to offer fruitful sacrifices to the Lord,
incense and a pleasing aroma
as a remembrance,
to secure reconciliation for the people.
17 By his commandments,
the Lord gave him authority
over covenants for judgment,
to teach Jacob the testimonies,
and to enlighten Israel with his Law.
18 Strangers conspired against Aaron,
and they were jealous of him
in the wilderness;
those who were with
Dathan and Abiram
and the company of Korah
assembled in anger and fury.
19 The Lord saw it and wasn’t pleased,
and they were destroyed
in his furious anger;
he performed wonders among them,
consuming them in a blazing fire.
20 He added to Aaron’s glory
and gave him an inheritance;
he gave him as his share
the initial portion of the early produce;
he prepared in abundance
bread from the early produce.
21 They also will eat the sacrifices
of the Lord,
which he gave to him
and to his descendants.
22 But he has no inheritance
in the land of the people,
and he has no portion among the people;
for the Lord is your portion
and inheritance.
Phinehas
23 Phinehas, Eleazar’s son,
comes third in glory,
since he was on fire
with the fear of the Lord,
and since he stood firm
when the people turned away,
in the goodness and readiness
of his spirit;
thus he secured reconciliation for Israel.
24 Therefore, a covenant of peace
was established with Phinehas,
that he should preside
over the holy places
and over his people,
so that he and his descendants
might have the splendor
of the priesthood forever.
25 The Lord also made a covenant
with David,
Jesse’s son, from the tribe of Judah;
the king’s inheritance
that passes from son to son only;
Aaron’s inheritance
is also for his descendants.
26 May the Lord grant you peace
in your heart,
to judge his people justly,
so that the good things they have
might not vanish
and so that their glory might extend
to generations to come.
Footnotes
- Sirach 45:3
- Sirach 45:8
- Sirach 45:12
- Sirach 45:26
