Numbers 8

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

2 "Speak to Aaron, and tell him, 'When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.'"

Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, then shall the seven lamps give light toward the body of the candlestick.

3 Aaron did so. He lit its lamps to light the area in front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses.

And Aaron did so; toward the body of the candlestick did he light its lamps; as the Lord had commanded Moses.

4 This was the workmanship of the lampstand, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work: according to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

And this was the workmanship of the candlestick: It was of beaten gold, from the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, it was beaten work; according unto the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so made he the candlestick.

5 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

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

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

7 You shall do this to them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.

And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle upon them water of purification, after they have let the razor pass over all their flesh, and then let them wash their clothes, and so shall they be clean.

8 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 sin offering.

And they shall take a young bullock with his meat-offering, fine flour mingled with oil; and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin-offering.

9 You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

And thou shalt bring near the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt assemble together the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

10 You shall present the Levites before the LORD. The children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites,

And when thou hast brought near the Levites before the Lord, then shall the children of Israel lay their hands upon the Levites:

11 and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave offering, on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of the LORD.

And Aaron shall make with the Levites a waving before the Lord from the children of Israel, that they may be ready to execute the service of the Lord.

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

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

13 You shall set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to the LORD.

And thou shalt place the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and make with them a waving before the Lord.

14 Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.

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

15 "After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting: and you shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering.

And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: after thou shalt have cleansed them, and made with them a waving.

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

For they are wholly given unto me from the midst of the children of Israel: instead of every one that openeth the womb, of every first-born of the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

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

For mine are all the first-born of the children of Israel, both of man and beast: on the day that I smote every first-born in the land of Egypt did I sanctify them unto myself.

18 I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

And I have taken the Levites, instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel.

19 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 Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel; that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary."

And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from the midst of 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 Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel did so to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them.

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

21 The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before the LORD; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

And the Levites purified themselves, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron made with them a waving before the Lord: and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.

22 After that, the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded 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 the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.

23 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

24 "This is that which belongs to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting;

This shall be the rule for the Levites: From twenty and five years old and upward shall he go into the ranks to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation;

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

And from the age of fifty years shall he go out of the ranks of the service, and he shall serve no more;

26 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 concerning their duties."

But he shall wait on his brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, but the service shall he not perform; thus shalt thou do unto the Levites in the discharge of their office.