Numbers 8

1 The Lord told Moses,

Then the LORD said to Moses,

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

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

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

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

4 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.

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.

5 The Lord told Moses,

Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

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

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

7 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.

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.

8 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

11 Aaron shall present the Levites to the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites so that they can do the Lord's work.

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.

12 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

16 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.

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.

17 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.

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.

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

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

19 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.”

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.”

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

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

21 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.

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.

22 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.

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.

23 The Lord told Moses,

And the LORD said to Moses,

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

“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.

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

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

26 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.”

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.”