Numbers 8
1 Yahweh said to Moses/me,
耶和華曉諭摩西說：
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.”
「你告訴亞倫說：點燈的時候，七盞燈都要向燈臺前面發光。」
3 So [Moses/I told him what Yahweh said], and he did that.
亞倫便這樣行。他點燈臺上的燈，使燈向前發光，是照耶和華所吩咐摩西的。
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.
這燈臺的做法是用金子錘出來的，連座帶花都是錘出來的。摩西製造燈臺，是照耶和華所指示的樣式。
5 Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
耶和華曉諭摩西說：
6 “You must cause the descendants of Levi to be acceptable to me by setting them apart from the other Israeli people.
「你從以色列人中選出利未人來，潔淨他們。
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.
潔淨他們當這樣行：用除罪水彈在他們身上，又叫他們用剃頭刀刮全身，洗衣服，潔淨自己。
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.
然後叫他們取一隻公牛犢，並同獻的素祭，就是調油的細麵；你要另取一隻公牛犢作贖罪祭。
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.
將利未人奉到會幕前，招聚以色列全會眾。
10 Then the Israeli people must lay their hands on the descendants of Levi.
將利未人奉到耶和華面前，以色列人要按手在他們頭上。
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].
亞倫也將他們奉到耶和華面前，為以色列人當作搖祭，使他們好辦耶和華的事。
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].
利未人要按手在那兩隻牛的頭上；你要將一隻作贖罪祭，一隻作燔祭，獻給耶和華，為利未人贖罪。
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亞倫和他兒子面前，將他們當作搖祭奉給耶和華。
14 This ritual will show that the descendants of Levi are set apart from the other Israelis and that they belong to me.
「這樣，你從以色列人中將利未人分別出來，利未人便要歸我。
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.
此後利未人要進去辦會幕的事，你要潔淨他們，將他們當作搖祭奉上；
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].
因為他們是從以色列人中全然給我的，我揀選他們歸我，是代替以色列人中一切頭生的。
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.
以色列人中一切頭生的，連人帶牲畜，都是我的。我在埃及地擊殺一切頭生的那天，將他們分別為聖歸我。
18 But now I have chosen the descendants of Levi to take the places of the firstborn males of other Israelis.
我揀選利未人代替以色列人中一切頭生的。
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.”
我從以色列人中將利未人當作賞賜給亞倫和他的兒子，在會幕中辦以色列人的事，又為以色列人贖罪，免得他們挨近聖所，有災殃臨到他們中間。」
20 Aaron and Moses/I and the other Israelis helped the descendants of Levi to do everything that Yahweh had commanded.
摩西、亞倫，並以色列全會眾便向利未人如此行。凡耶和華指着利未人所吩咐摩西的，以色列人就向他們這樣行。
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.
於是利未人潔淨自己，除了罪，洗了衣服；亞倫將他們當作搖祭奉到耶和華面前，又為他們贖罪，潔淨他們。
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.
然後利未人進去，在亞倫和他兒子面前，在會幕中辦事。耶和華指着利未人怎樣吩咐摩西，以色列人就怎樣向他們行了。
23 Yahweh also said this to Moses/me:
耶和華曉諭摩西說：
24 “The descendants of Levi who are between 25 and 50 years old will work at the Sacred Tent.
「利未人是這樣：從二十五歲以外，他們要前來任職，辦會幕的事。
25 But after they become 50 years old, they must (retire/not do that work any more).
到了五十歲要停工退任，不再辦事，
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.”
只要在會幕裏，和他們的弟兄一同伺候，謹守所吩咐的，不再辦事了。至於所吩咐利未人的，你要這樣向他們行。」
