"The altars you make for me must be simple altars of earth. Offer on such altars your sacrifices to me—your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Build altars in the places where I remind you who I am, and I will come and bless you there.

If you follow this advice, and if God directs you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace."

Then Moses went back home and talked it over with Jethro, his father-in-law. "With your permission," Moses said, "I would like to go back to Egypt to visit my family. I don't even know whether they are still alive." "Go with my blessing," Jethro replied.

But the breast and thigh that were lifted up may be eaten in any place that is ceremonially clean. These parts have been given to you and to your sons and daughters as your regular share of the peace offerings presented by the people of Israel.

Meanwhile, the fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire and arrange the daily whole burnt offering on it. He must then burn the fat of the peace offerings on top of this daily whole burnt offering.

"These are the instructions regarding the different kinds of peace offerings that may be presented to the Lord.

"If you present a peace offering to the Lord from the flock, you may bring either a goat or a sheep. It may be either male or female, and it must have no physical defects.

Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord meant when he said, 'I will show myself holy among those who are near me. I will be glorified before all the people.' " And Aaron was silent.

Part of this peace offering must be presented to the Lord as an offering made by fire. This includes the fat of the entire tail cut off near the backbone, the fat around the internal organs,

"If you want to present a peace offering from the herd, use either a bull or a cow. The animal you offer to the Lord must have no physical defects.