Numbers 8
1 Yahweh said to Moses/me,
耶和华晓谕摩西说：
2 “Tell Aaron to put the seven lamps on the lampstand and place them in such a way that they shine toward the front of the lampstand.”
“你告诉亚伦说：点灯的时候，七盏灯都要向灯台前面发光。”
3 So [Moses/I told him what Yahweh said], and he did that.
亚伦便这样行。他点灯台上的灯，使灯向前发光，是照耶和华所吩咐摩西的。
4 The lampstand had been made from gold that had been hammered [from one large lump of gold], from its base to the decorations at the top [that resembled] flowers. The lampstand was made exactly like Yahweh had told Moses/me that it should be made.
这灯台的做法是用金子锤出来的，连座带花都是锤出来的。摩西制造灯台，是照耶和华所指示的样式。
5 Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
耶和华晓谕摩西说：
6 “You must cause the descendants of Levi to be acceptable to me by setting them apart from the other Israeli people.
“你从以色列人中选出利未人来，洁净他们。
7 Do that by sprinkling them with water [which will symbolize] their being freed/cleansed from [the guilt of] their sins. Then they must shave [off all the hair on] their bodies and wash their clothes.
洁净他们当这样行：用除罪水弹在他们身上，又叫他们用剃头刀刮全身，洗衣服，洁净自己。
8 Then they must bring to the Sacred Tent one bull and some grain mixed with [olive] oil. [Those things will be burned] as sacrifices. They must also bring another bull [that will enable me to forgive them] for the sins they have committed.
然后叫他们取一只公牛犊，并同献的素祭，就是调油的细面；你要另取一只公牛犊作赎罪祭。
9 Then you must summon all the Israeli people to come together in front of the Sacred Tent, to [gather around] the descendants of Levi.
将利未人奉到会幕前，招聚以色列全会众。
10 Then the Israeli people must lay their hands on the descendants of Levi.
将利未人奉到耶和华面前，以色列人要按手在他们头上。
11 Aaron must then present them to me to be a gift from the Israeli people, in order that they can work for me [at the Sacred Tent].
亚伦也将他们奉到耶和华面前，为以色列人当作摇祭，使他们好办耶和华的事。
12 “After that, the descendants of Levi must place their hands on the heads of the two bulls. Then the bulls will be [killed and] burned on the altar. One will be an offering to enable me [to forgive them for] sins they have committed, and the other will be completely burned [to please me].
利未人要按手在那两只牛的头上；你要将一只作赎罪祭，一只作燔祭，献给耶和华，为利未人赎罪。
13 The descendants of Levi must stand [at the altar] in front of Aaron and his sons, and you must then dedicate to me the descendants of Levi.
你也要使利未人站在亚伦和他儿子面前，将他们当作摇祭奉给耶和华。
14 This ritual will show that the descendants of Levi are set apart from the other Israelis and that they belong to me.
“这样，你从以色列人中将利未人分别出来，利未人便要归我。
15 “After the descendants of Levi have been made acceptable to me, and presented to me like a special offering, they may start to work at the Sacred Tent.
此后利未人要进去办会幕的事，你要洁净他们，将他们当作摇祭奉上；
16 They will belong to me. They will work for me as substitutes for the firstborn males of all the Israelis, [who also belong to me].
因为他们是从以色列人中全然给我的，我拣选他们归我，是代替以色列人中一切头生的。
17 All the firstborn males in Israel, both the people and the animals, are mine. When I caused all the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt to die, [I (spared/did not kill) the firstborn males of the Israelis]. I set them apart to belong to me. I said that the firstborn males of all their domestic animals would also belong to me.
以色列人中一切头生的，连人带牲畜，都是我的。我在埃及地击杀一切头生的那天，将他们分别为圣归我。
18 But now I have chosen the descendants of Levi to take the places of the firstborn males of other Israelis.
我拣选利未人代替以色列人中一切头生的。
19 I have appointed the descendants of Levi to help Aaron and his sons at the Sacred Tent, as Aaron and his sons offer the sacrifices so that the Israeli people’s sins will be forgiven, and to prevent the Israelis from coming close to the tent with the result that a plague would cause many of them to become sick and die.”
我从以色列人中将利未人当作赏赐给亚伦和他的儿子，在会幕中办以色列人的事，又为以色列人赎罪，免得他们挨近圣所，有灾殃临到他们中间。”
20 Aaron and Moses/I and the other Israelis helped the descendants of Levi to do everything that Yahweh had commanded.
摩西、亚伦，并以色列全会众便向利未人如此行。凡耶和华指着利未人所吩咐摩西的，以色列人就向他们这样行。
21 The descendants of Levi [sprinkled themselves with water to symbolize that] they had been freed/cleansed from [the guilt of] their sins, and they washed their clothes. Then Aaron brought them to [the altar to] present them to Yahweh, and he offered sacrifices to cleanse them from [the guilt of] their sins and cause them to become acceptable to Yahweh.
于是利未人洁净自己，除了罪，洗了衣服；亚伦将他们当作摇祭奉到耶和华面前，又为他们赎罪，洁净他们。
22 After that, the descendants of Levi started to work at the Sacred Tent to assist Aaron and his sons. They did that just as Yahweh had commanded Moses/me.
然后利未人进去，在亚伦和他儿子面前，在会幕中办事。耶和华指着利未人怎样吩咐摩西，以色列人就怎样向他们行了。
23 Yahweh also said this to Moses/me:
耶和华晓谕摩西说：
24 “The descendants of Levi who are between 25 and 50 years old will work at the Sacred Tent.
“利未人是这样：从二十五岁以外，他们要前来任职，办会幕的事。
25 But after they become 50 years old, they must (retire/not do that work any more).
到了五十岁要停工退任，不再办事，
26 They may help the other descendants of Levi to do their work at the Sacred Tent, but they must not do the work themselves. That is what you must tell them about the work they will do.”
只要在会幕里，和他们的弟兄一同伺候，谨守所吩咐的，不再办事了。至于所吩咐利未人的，你要这样向他们行。”
