4 Mosebog 8

1 Og HERREN talede til Moses og sagde:

Yahweh said to Moses/me,

2 Tal til Aron og sig til ham: Når du sætter Lamperne på, skal du sætte dem således, at de syv Lamper kaster Lyset ud over Pladsen foran Lysestagen!

“Tell Aaron to put the seven lamps on the lampstand and place them in such a way that they shine toward the front of the lampstand.”

3 Det gjorde Aron så; han satte Lamperne på således, at de vendte ud mod Pladsen foran Lysestagen, som HERREN havde pålagt Moses.

So [Moses/I told him what Yahweh said], and he did that.

4 Men Lysestagen var lavet af Guld i drevet Arbejde, fra Foden til Kronerne var den drevet Arbejde; efter det Forbillede, HERREN havde vist ham, havde Moses lavet Lysestagen.

The lampstand had been made from gold that had been hammered [from one large lump of gold], from its base to the decorations at the top [that resembled] flowers. The lampstand was made exactly like Yahweh had told Moses/me that it should be made.

5 HERREN talede fremdeles til Moses og sagde:

Yahweh also said to Moses/me,

6 Udtag Leviterne af Israelitternes Midte og rens dem!

“You must cause the descendants of Levi to be acceptable to me by setting them apart from the other Israeli people.

7 Således skal du gå frem, når du renser dem: Stænk Renselsesvand på dem og lad dem gå hele deres Legeme over med Ragekniv, tvætte deres klæder og rense sig.

Do that by sprinkling them with water [which will symbolize] their being freed/cleansed from [the guilt of] their sins. Then they must shave [off all the hair on] their bodies and wash their clothes.

8 Derpå skal de tage en ung Tyr til Brændoffer med tilhørende Afgrødeoffer af fint Hvedemel, rørt i Olie, og du skal tage en anden ung Tyr til Syndoffer.

Then they must bring to the Sacred Tent one bull and some grain mixed with [olive] oil. [Those things will be burned] as sacrifices. They must also bring another bull [that will enable me to forgive them] for the sins they have committed.

9 Lad så Leviterne træde hen foran Åbenbaringsteltet og kald hele Israelitternes Menighed sammen.

Then you must summon all the Israeli people to come together in front of the Sacred Tent, to [gather around] the descendants of Levi.

10 Når du så har ladet Leviterne træde frem for HERRENs Åsyn, skal Israeliterne lægge deres Hænder på Leviterne.

Then the Israeli people must lay their hands on the descendants of Levi.

11 Derpå skal Aron udføre Svingningen med Leviterne for HERRENs Åsyn som et Offer fra Israeliterne, for at de kan udføre HERRENs Arbejde.

Aaron must then present them to me to be a gift from the Israeli people, in order that they can work for me [at the Sacred Tent].

12 Så skal Leviterne lægge deres Hænder på Tyrenes Hoved, og derefter skal du ofre den ene som Syndoffer og den anden som Brændoffer til HERREN for at skaffe Leviterne Soning.

“After that, the descendants of Levi must place their hands on the heads of the two bulls. Then the bulls will be [killed and] burned on the altar. One will be an offering to enable me [to forgive them for] sins they have committed, and the other will be completely burned [to please me].

13 Derpå skal du stille Leviterne frem for Aron og hans Sønner og udføre Svingningen med dem for HERREN.

The descendants of Levi must stand [at the altar] in front of Aaron and his sons, and you must then dedicate to me the descendants of Levi.

14 Således skal du udskille Leviterne fra Israeliterne, så at Leviterne kommer til at tilhøre mig.

This ritual will show that the descendants of Levi are set apart from the other Israelis and that they belong to me.

15 Derefter skal Leviterne komme og gøre Arbejde ved Åbenbaringsteltet; du skal foretage Renselsen og udføre Svingningen med dem,

“After the descendants of Levi have been made acceptable to me, and presented to me like a special offering, they may start to work at the Sacred Tent.

16 thi de er skænket mig som Gave af Israelitternes Midte; i Stedet for alt hvad der åbner Moders Liv, alle førstefødte hos Israeliterne, har jeg taget mig dem til Ejendom.

They will belong to me. They will work for me as substitutes for the firstborn males of all the Israelis, [who also belong to me].

17 Thi mig tilhører alt det førstefødte hos Israeliterne, både af Mennesker og Kvæg. Dengang jeg slog alle de førstefødte i Ægypten, helligede jeg dem til at være min Ejendom.

All the firstborn males in Israel, both the people and the animals, are mine. When I caused all the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt to die, [I (spared/did not kill) the firstborn males of the Israelis]. I set them apart to belong to me. I said that the firstborn males of all their domestic animals would also belong to me.

18 Jeg tog Leviterne i Stedet for alt det førstefødte hos Israeliterne

But now I have chosen the descendants of Levi to take the places of the firstborn males of other Israelis.

19 og skænkede Leviterne som Gave til Aron og hans Sønner af Israelitternes Midte til at udføre Israelitternes Arbejde ved Åbenbaringsteltet og skaffe Israeliterne Soning, for at ingen Plage skal ramme Israeliterne, om de selv nærmer sig Helligdommen.

I have appointed the descendants of Levi to help Aaron and his sons at the Sacred Tent, as Aaron and his sons offer the sacrifices so that the Israeli people’s sins will be forgiven, and to prevent the Israelis from coming close to the tent with the result that a plague would cause many of them to become sick and die.”

20 Og Moses, Aron og hele Israelitternes Menighed gjorde således med Leviterne; ganske som HERREN havde pålagt Moses med Hensyn til Leviterne, gjorde Israeliterne med dem.

Aaron and Moses/I and the other Israelis helped the descendants of Levi to do everything that Yahweh had commanded.

21 Leviterne lod sig rense for Synd og tvættede deres Klæder, og Aron udførte Svingningen med dem for HERRENs Åsyn, og Aron skaffede dem Soning, så de blev rene.

The descendants of Levi [sprinkled themselves with water to symbolize that] they had been freed/cleansed from [the guilt of] their sins, and they washed their clothes. Then Aaron brought them to [the altar to] present them to Yahweh, and he offered sacrifices to cleanse them from [the guilt of] their sins and cause them to become acceptable to Yahweh.

22 Derpå kom Leviterne for at udføre deres Arbejde ved Åbenbaringsteltet under Arons og hans Sønners Tilsyn; som HERREN havde pålagt Moses med Hensyn til Leviterne, således gjorde de med dem.

After that, the descendants of Levi started to work at the Sacred Tent to assist Aaron and his sons. They did that just as Yahweh had commanded Moses/me.

23 HERREN talede fremdeles til Moses og sagde:

Yahweh also said this to Moses/me:

24 Dette er, hvad der gælder Leviterne: Fra Femogtyveårsalderen og opefter skal de komme og gøre Tjeneste med Arbejdet ved Åbenbaringsteltet.

“The descendants of Levi who are between 25 and 50 years old will work at the Sacred Tent.

25 Men fra Halvtredsårsalderen skal de holde op med at gøre Tjeneste og ikke arbejde mere;

But after they become 50 years old, they must (retire/not do that work any more).

26 de kan gå deres Brødre til Hånde i Åbenbaringsteltet med at tage Vare på, hvad der skal varetages; men Arbejde skal de ikke mere gøre. Således skal du gøre med Leviterne i alt, hvad de har at varetage.

They may help the other descendants of Levi to do their work at the Sacred Tent, but they must not do the work themselves. That is what you must tell them about the work they will do.”