Numbers 8

1 Then the LORD said to Moses,

Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

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. Say to him, 'The seven lamps must give light in front of the lampstand when you light them.'”

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 did this. He lit the lamps on the lampstand to give light toward the front of it, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

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.

The lampstand was made in this way and Yahweh showed Moses the pattern for it. It was to be hammered gold from its base to its top, with hammered cups like blossoms.

5 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Again, Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

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

“Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and purify 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.

Do this to them to purify them: Sprinkle the water of atonement on them. Make them shave their entire body, wash their clothes, and in this way purify 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 have them take a young bull and its grain offering of fine flour mingled with oil. Let them take another young bull as a sin offering.

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

You will bring the Levites in front of the tent of meeting and assemble the whole community of the people of Israel.

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

When you bring the Levites before Yahweh, the people of Israel must lay their hands on the Levites.

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.

Aaron must offer the Levites before Yahweh, as a wave offering from the people of Israel so that they may do the service of Yahweh.

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 must place their hands on the heads of the bulls. You must offer one bull for a sin offering and the other bull for a burnt offering to me, to atone for the Levites.

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

Present the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and lift them up as a wave offering to me.

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

In this way you must separate the Levites from among the people of Israel. The Levites will belong to me.

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 must go in to serve in the tent of meeting. You must purify them. You must 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.

Do this, because they are entirely mine from among the people of Israel. They will take the place of each male child who opens the womb, the firstborn of all the descendants of Israel. I have taken the Levites for myself.

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.

All the firstborn from among the people of Israel are mine, both of people and of animals. On the day that I took the lives of all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set them apart 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 from among the people of Israel instead of all the firstborn.

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 as a gift to Aaron and his sons. I have taken them from among the people of Israel to do the work of the people of Israel in the tent of meeting. I have given them to atone for the people of Israel so that no plague will harm the people when they come near to the holy place.”

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, Aaron, and the whole community of the people of Israel did this with the Levites. They did everything that Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites. The people of Israel did this with 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 purified themselves and washed their clothing, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering to Yahweh and he 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 went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before Aaron's sons. This was as Yahweh had commanded Moses about the Levites. They treated all the Levites in this way.

23 And the LORD said to Moses,

Yahweh spoke again to Moses. He said,

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.

“All of this is for the Levites who are twenty-five years old and more. They must join the company to serve in the tent of meeting.

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

They must stop serving in this way at the age of fifty years. At that age they must not serve any longer.

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.”

They may help their brothers who continue to work at the tent of meeting, but they must serve no more. You must direct the Levites in all these matters.”