Numbers 8

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak to Aaron, and you shall say to him, Whenever you shall set the lamps in order, the seven lamps shall give light opposite the candlestick.

Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.

3 And Aaron did so: on one side opposite the candlestick he lighted its lamps, as the Lord appointed Moses.

And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as YHWH commanded Moses.

4 And this [is] the construction of the candlestick: [it is] solid, golden—its stem, and its lilies—all solid: according to the pattern which the Lord showed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which YHWH had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying,

6 Take the Levites out of the midst of the children of Israel, and you shall purify them.

Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

7 And thus shall you perform their purification: you shall sprinkle them with water of purification, and a razor shall come upon the whole of their body, and they shall wash their garments, and shall be clean.

And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.

8 And they shall take one calf of the herd, and its meat-offering, fine flour mingled with oil: and you shall take a calf of a year old of the herd for a sin-offering.

Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.

9 And you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of witness; and you shall assemble all the congregation of the sons of Israel.

And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:

10 And you shall bring the Levites before the Lord; and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites.

And thou shalt bring the Levites before YHWH: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:

11 And Aaron shall separate the Levites for a gift before the Lord from the children of Israel: and they shall be prepared to perform the works of the Lord.

And Aaron shall offer the Levites before YHWH for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of YHWH.

12 And the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the calves; and you shall offer one for a sin-offering, and the other for a whole burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for them.

And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto YHWH, to make an atonement for the Levites.

13 And you shall set the Levites before the Lord, and before Aaron, and before his sons; and you shall give them as a gift before the Lord.

And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto YHWH.

14 And you shall separate the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and they shall be mine.

Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.

15 And afterwards the Levites shall go in to perform the works of the tabernacle of witness; and you shall purify them, and present them before the Lord.

And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.

16 For these are given to me for a present out of the midst of the children of Israel: I have taken them to myself instead of all the firstborn of the sons of Israel that open every womb.

For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

17 For every firstborn amongst the children of Israel [is] mine, whether of man or beast: in the day in which I struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them to myself.

For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.

18 And I took the Levites in the place of every firstborn amongst the children of Israel.

And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

19 And I gave the Levites presented as a gift to Aaron and his sons out of the midst of the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of witness, and to make atonement for the children of Israel: thus there shall be none amongst the sons of Israel to draw near to the holy things.

And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.

20 And Moses and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites as the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them.

And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that YHWH commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.

21 So the Levites purified themselves and washed their garments; and Aaron presented them as a gift before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to purify them.

And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before YHWH; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.

22 And afterwards the Levites went in to minister in their service in the tabernacle of witness before Aaron, and before his sons; as the Lord appointed Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as YHWH had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.

23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying,

24 This is the [ordinance] for the Levites; From five and twenty years old and upward, they shall go in to minister in the tabernacle of witness.

This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:

25 And from fifty years old [the Levites] shall cease from the ministry, and shall not work any longer.

And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:

26 And his brother shall serve in the tabernacle of witness to keep charges, but he shall not do works: so shall you do to the Levites in their charges.

But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.