民數記 8
1 耶和華曉諭摩西說：
The Lord told Moses,
2 「你告訴亞倫說：點燈的時候，七盞燈都要向燈臺前面發光。」
“Tell Aaron, ‘When you place the seven lamps on the lampstand, make sure they shine towards the front.’”
3 亞倫便這樣行。他點燈臺上的燈，使燈向前發光，是照耶和華所吩咐摩西的。
So that's what Aaron did. He placed the lamps facing towards the front of the lampstand, as the Lord had ordered Moses.
4 這燈臺的做法是用金子錘出來的，連座帶花都是錘出來的。摩西製造燈臺，是照耶和華所指示的樣式。
The lampstand was made of hammered gold from its base to the flower decorations on the top, in accordance with the design that the Lord had shown Moses.
5 耶和華曉諭摩西說：
The Lord told Moses,
6 「你從以色列人中選出利未人來，潔淨他們。
“Separate the Levites from the other Israelites and purify them.
7 潔淨他們當這樣行：用除罪水彈在他們身上，又叫他們用剃頭刀刮全身，洗衣服，潔淨自己。
This is how you will purify them. Sprinkle on them the water of purification. They are to shave off all the hair from their bodies and wash their clothes so they will be clean.
8 然後叫他們取一隻公牛犢，並同獻的素祭，就是調油的細麵；你要另取一隻公牛犢作贖罪祭。
Have them bring a young bull with its grain offering of the best flour mixed with olive oil, and you are to bring a second young bull as a sin offering.
9 將利未人奉到會幕前，招聚以色列全會眾。
Take the Levites and have them stand in front of the Tent of Meeting and have all the Israelites gather there.
10 將利未人奉到耶和華面前，以色列人要按手在他們頭上。
When you bring the Levites to the Lord the Israelites are to place their hands upon them.
11 亞倫也將他們奉到耶和華面前，為以色列人當作搖祭，使他們好辦耶和華的事。
Aaron shall present the Levites to the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites so that they can do the Lord's work.
12 利未人要按手在那兩隻牛的頭上；你要將一隻作贖罪祭，一隻作燔祭，獻給耶和華，為利未人贖罪。
The Levites are to place their hands on the heads of the bulls. One is to be sacrificed as a sin offering to the Lord, and the other as a burnt offering to set the Levites right with the Lord.
13 你也要使利未人站在亞倫和他兒子面前，將他們當作搖祭奉給耶和華。
Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and present them to the Lord as a wave offering.
14 「這樣，你從以色列人中將利未人分別出來，利未人便要歸我。
This is how you are to separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and the Levites will belong to me.
15 此後利未人要進去辦會幕的事，你要潔淨他們，將他們當作搖祭奉上；
They can come and serve at the Tent of Meeting once you've purified them and presented them as a wave offering.
16 因為他們是從以色列人中全然給我的，我揀選他們歸我，是代替以色列人中一切頭生的。
The Levites have been completely given over to me by the Israelites. I have accepted them as mine in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites.
17 以色列人中一切頭生的，連人帶牲畜，都是我的。我在埃及地擊殺一切頭生的那天，將他們分別為聖歸我。
Every firstborn male in Israel belongs to me, both human and animal. I reserved them for myself at the time when I killed all the firstborn in Egypt.
18 我揀選利未人代替以色列人中一切頭生的。
I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites.
19 我從以色列人中將利未人當作賞賜給亞倫和他的兒子，在會幕中辦以色列人的事，又為以色列人贖罪，免得他們挨近聖所，有災殃臨到他們中間。」
Of all the Israelites, the Levites are a gift from me to Aaron and his sons to serve the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting, and on their behalf to set them right, so that nothing bad will happen to them when they come to the sanctuary.”
20 摩西、亞倫，並以色列全會眾便向利未人如此行。凡耶和華指着利未人所吩咐摩西的，以色列人就向他們這樣行。
Moses, Aaron, and all the Israelites did everything that the Lord had ordered Moses that they should do regarding the Levites.
21 於是利未人潔淨自己，除了罪，洗了衣服；亞倫將他們當作搖祭奉到耶和華面前，又為他們贖罪，潔淨他們。
The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering to the Lord. Aaron also presented the sacrifice to make them right with the Lord so they would be clean.
22 然後利未人進去，在亞倫和他兒子面前，在會幕中辦事。耶和華指着利未人怎樣吩咐摩西，以色列人就怎樣向他們行了。
Afterwards the Levites came to perform their service at the Tent of Meeting under the direction of Aaron and his sons. They followed all the instructions regarding the Levites that the Lord had given to Moses.
23 耶和華曉諭摩西說：
The Lord told Moses,
24 「利未人是這樣：從二十五歲以外，他們要前來任職，辦會幕的事。
“This rule applies to the Levites. Those twenty-five or older shall serve at the Tent of Meeting.
25 到了五十歲要停工退任，不再辦事，
However, once they reach the age of fifty they need to retire from the work and won't serve any longer.
26 只要在會幕裏，和他們的弟兄一同伺候，謹守所吩咐的，不再辦事了。至於所吩咐利未人的，你要這樣向他們行。」
They can still help their fellow Levites in their assignments, but they are not to do the actual work themselves. These are the arrangements in the case of the Levites.”
