Numbers 8

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

The Lord told Moses,

2 “Speak to Aaron, and you shall say to him: When you place the seven lamps, let the lampstand be set up on the south side. Therefore, give this instruction: that the lamps should look out from the region opposite the north, toward the table of the bread of the presence; they shall give light opposite that area, toward the area that the lampstand faces.”

“Tell Aaron, ‘When you place the seven lamps on the lampstand, make sure they shine towards the front.’”

3 And Aaron did so, and he placed the lamps on the lampstand, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

So that's what Aaron did. He placed the lamps facing towards the front of the lampstand, as the Lord had ordered Moses.

4 Now this was the workmanship of the lampstand: it was of ductile gold, both the main shaft and all that originated from both sides of the branches. According to the example that the Lord revealed to Moses, so did he make the lampstand.

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 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

The Lord told Moses,

6 “Take the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and you shall purify them

“Separate the Levites from the other Israelites and purify them.

7 according to this ritual: Let them be sprinkled with the water of illumination, and let them shave off all the hairs of their body. And when they have washed their garments and have been cleansed,

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 they shall take an ox from the herd, with its libation of fine wheat flour sprinkled with oil; then you shall receive another ox from the herd for sin.

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 And you shall bring forward the Levites before the tabernacle of the covenant, calling together all the multitude of the sons of Israel.

Take the Levites and have them stand in front of the Tent of Meeting and have all the Israelites gather there.

10 And when the Levites are before the Lord, the sons of Israel shall place their hands upon them.

When you bring the Levites to the Lord the Israelites are to place their hands upon them.

11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites as a gift in the sight of the Lord, from the sons of Israel, so that they may serve in his ministry.

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 Likewise, the Levites shall place their hands upon the heads of the oxen; you shall make use of one of these for sin, and the other as a holocaust to the Lord, so that you may intercede for them.

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 And you shall set the Levites in the sight of Aaron and his sons, and you shall consecrate those being offered to the Lord,

Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and present them to the Lord as a wave offering.

14 and you shall separate them from the midst of the sons of Israel, so that they may be for me.

This is how you are to separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and the Levites will belong to me.

15 And after this, they shall enter the tabernacle of the covenant, in order to serve me. And so shall you purify and consecrate them as an oblation to the Lord. For they were given to me as a gift from the sons of Israel.

They can come and serve at the Tent of Meeting once you've purified them and presented them as a wave offering.

16 I have accepted them in place of the firstborn which open every womb in Israel.

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 For all the firstborn of the sons of Israel, as much from men as from beasts, are mine. From the day when I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I have sanctified them to myself.

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 And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the sons of Israel.

I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites.

19 And I have delivered them as a gift to Aaron and his sons, from the midst of the people, in order to serve me, for Israel, in the tabernacle of the covenant, and in order to pray for them, lest there be a scourge among the people, if they were to dare to approach to my Sanctuary.”

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 And Moses and Aaron, and all the multitude of the sons of Israel, accomplished all that the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.

Moses, Aaron, and all the Israelites did everything that the Lord had ordered Moses that they should do regarding the Levites.

21 And they were purified, and they washed their garments. And Aaron lifted them up in the sight of the Lord, and he prayed for them,

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 so that, having been purified, they might enter to their duties in the tabernacle of the covenant before Aaron and his sons. Just as the Lord had instructed Moses about the Levites, so was it done.

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 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

The Lord told Moses,

24 “This is the law of the Levites: From twenty-five years and above, they shall enter to minister in the tabernacle of the covenant.

“This rule applies to the Levites. Those twenty-five or older shall serve at the Tent of Meeting.

25 And when they will have completed the fiftieth year of age, they shall cease to serve.

However, once they reach the age of fifty they need to retire from the work and won't serve any longer.

26 And they shall be the ministers of their brothers in the tabernacle of the covenant, in order to care for the things that have been commended to them, but not to perform the works themselves. So shall you assign the Levites in their duties.”

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.”