Numbers 8

1 Then the LORD said to Moses,

Adonai spoke to Moses [Drawn out], saying,

2 “Speak to Aaron and tell him: ‘When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand.’”

“Speak to Aaron [Light-bringer], and tell him, ‘When you light the menorah ·lamp· candles, the seven menorah ·lamp· candles shall give light in front of the menorah ·lamp·.’”

3 And Aaron did so; he set up the lamps facing toward the front of the lampstand, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Aaron [Light-bringer] did so. He lit its menorah ·lamp· candles to light the area in front of the menorah ·lamp·, as Adonai enjoined Moses [Drawn out].

4 This is how the lampstand was constructed: it was made of hammered gold from its base to its blossoms, fashioned according to the pattern the LORD had shown Moses.

This was the workmanship of the menorah ·lamp·, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work: according to the pattern which Adonai had shown Moses [Drawn out], so he made the menorah ·lamp·.

5 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Adonai spoke to Moses [Drawn out], saying,

6 “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.

“Take the Levites [Descendants of United with] from among the children of Israel [God prevails], and cleanse them.

7 This is what you must do to cleanse them: Sprinkle them with the water of purification. Have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.

You shall do this to them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of habitual sin ·missing the mark· cleanzing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.

8 Then have them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.

Then let them take a young bull, and its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and another young bull you shall take for a habitual sin ·miss the mark· offering.

9 Bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting and assemble the whole congregation of Israel.

You shall present the Levites [Descendants of United with] before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel [God prevails].

10 You are to present the Levites before the LORD and have the Israelites lay their hands upon them.

You shall present the Levites [Descendants of United with] before Adonai. The children of Israel [God prevails] shall lay their hands on the Levites [Descendants of United with],

11 Aaron is to present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, so that they may perform the service of the LORD.

and Aaron [Light-bringer] shall offer the Levites [Descendants of United with] before Adonai for a wave offering, on the behalf of the children of Israel [God prevails], that it may be theirs to do the service of Adonai.

12 And the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and offer to the LORD one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites.

“The Levites [Descendants of United with] shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a habitual sin ·miss the mark· offering, and the other for a burnt offering to Adonai, to make atonement for the Levites [Descendants of United with].

13 You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and then present them before the LORD as a wave offering.

You shall set the Levites [Descendants of United with] before Aaron [Light-bringer], and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to Adonai.

14 In this way you shall separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and the Levites will belong to Me.

Thus you shall separate the Levites [Descendants of United with] from among the children of Israel [God prevails], and the Levites [Descendants of United with] shall be mine.

15 After you have cleansed them and presented them as a wave offering, they may come to serve at the Tent of Meeting.

“After that, the Levites [Descendants of United with] shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting: and you shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering.

16 For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel [God prevails]; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel [God prevails], I have taken them to me.

17 For every firstborn male in Israel is Mine, both man and beast. I set them apart for Myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.

For all the firstborn among the children of Israel [God prevails] are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery], I sanctified them for myself.

18 But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.

I have taken the Levites [Descendants of United with] instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel [God prevails].

19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to perform the service for the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”

I have given the Levites [Descendants of United with] as a gift to Aaron [Light-bringer] and to his sons from among the children of Israel [God prevails], to do the service of the children of Israel [God prevails] in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel [God prevails]; that there be no plague among the children of Israel [God prevails], when the children of Israel [God prevails] come near to the sanctuary.”

20 So Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of Israel did with the Levites everything that the LORD had commanded Moses they should do.

Moses [Drawn out], and Aaron [Light-bringer], and all the congregation of the children of Israel [God prevails] did so to the Levites [Descendants of United with]. According to all that Adonai enjoined Moses [Drawn out] concerning the Levites [Descendants of United with], so the children of Israel [God prevails] did to them.

21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them.

The Levites [Descendants of United with] cleansed sin ·err (the standard goal)· from themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron [Light-bringer] offered them for a wave offering before Adonai; and Aaron [Light-bringer] made atonement for them to cleanse them.

22 After that, the Levites came to perform their service at the Tent of Meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Thus they did with the Levites just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

After that, the Levites [Descendants of United with] went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron [Light-bringer], and before his sons: as Adonai had enjoined Moses [Drawn out] concerning the Levites [Descendants of United with], so they did to them.

23 And the LORD said to Moses,

Adonai spoke to Moses [Drawn out], saying,

24 “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years of age or older shall enter to perform the service in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

“This is that which belongs to the Levites [Descendants of United with]: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting;

25 But at the age of fifty, they must retire from performing the work and no longer serve.

and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting on the work, and shall serve no more,

26 After that, they may assist their brothers in fulfilling their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves are not to do the work. This is how you are to assign responsibilities to the Levites.”

but shall minister with their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall do no service. You shall do thus to the Levites [Descendants of United with] concerning their duties.”