Numbers 8

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Speak to Aaron. Say to him, 'The seven lamps must give light in front of the lampstand when you light them.'”

Speak to Aaron, and say to him, When thou light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.

3 Aaron did this. He lit the lamps on the lampstand to give light toward the front of it, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

And Aaron did so. He lit the lamps of it in front of the lampstand, as Jehovah commanded Moses.

4 The lampstand was made in this way and Yahweh showed Moses the pattern for it. It was to be hammered gold from its base to its top, with hammered cups like blossoms.

And this was the work of the lampstand, beaten work of gold. To the base of it, and to the flowers of it, it was beaten work. According to the pattern which Jehovah had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

5 Again, Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

6 “Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and purify them.

Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and cleanse them.

7 Do this to them to purify them: Sprinkle the water of atonement on them. Make them shave their entire body, wash their clothes, and in this way purify themselves.

And thus thou shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of expiation upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.

8 Then have them take a young bull and its grain offering of fine flour mingled with oil. Let them take another young bull as a sin offering.

Then let them take a young bullock, and its meal offering-fine flour mingled with oil. And thou shall take another young bullock for a sin offering.

9 You will bring the Levites in front of the tent of meeting and assemble the whole community of the people of Israel.

And thou shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting. And thou shall assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel,

10 When you bring the Levites before Yahweh, the people of Israel must lay their hands on the Levites.

and thou shall present the Levites before Jehovah. And the sons of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites.

11 Aaron must offer the Levites before Yahweh, as a wave offering from the people of Israel so that they may do the service of Yahweh.

And Aaron shall offer the Levites before Jehovah for a wave offering on the behalf of the sons of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of Jehovah.

12 The Levites must place their hands on the heads of the bulls. You must offer one bull for a sin offering and the other bull for a burnt offering to me, to atone for the Levites.

And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks, and offer thou the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, to Jehovah, to make atonement for the Levites.

13 Present the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and lift them up as a wave offering to me.

And thou shall set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for a wave offering to Jehovah.

14 In this way you must separate the Levites from among the people of Israel. The Levites will belong to me.

Thus shall thou separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.

15 After that, the Levites must go in to serve in the tent of meeting. You must purify them. You must offer them as a wave offering.

And after that the Levites shall go in to do the service of the tent of meeting. And thou shall cleanse them, and offer them for a wave offering.

16 Do this, because they are entirely mine from among the people of Israel. They will take the place of each male child who opens the womb, the firstborn of all the descendants of Israel. I have taken the Levites for myself.

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

17 All the firstborn from among the people of Israel are mine, both of people and of animals. On the day that I took the lives of all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set them apart for myself.

For all the firstborn among the sons of Israel are mine, both man and beast. On the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.

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

And I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.

19 I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons. I have taken them from among the people of Israel to do the work of the people of Israel in the tent of meeting. I have given them to atone for the people of Israel so that no plague will harm the people when they come near to the holy place.”

And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to do the service of the sons of Israel in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the sons of Israel, that there be no plague among the sons of Israel, when the sons of Israel come near to the sanctuary.

20 Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of the people of Israel did this with the Levites. They did everything that Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites. The people of Israel did this with them.

Thus did Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel, to the Levites. According to all that Jehovah commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them.

21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothing, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering to Yahweh and he made atonement for them to cleanse them.

And the Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes. And Aaron offered them for a wave offering before Jehovah, and Aaron made 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 Aaron's sons. This was as Yahweh had commanded Moses about the Levites. They treated all the Levites in this way.

And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron, and before his sons. As Jehovah had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

23 Yahweh spoke again to Moses. He said,

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

24 “All of this is for the Levites who are twenty-five years old and more. They must join the company to serve in the tent of meeting.

This is that which belongs to the Levites: From twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service in the work of the tent of meeting.

25 They must stop serving in this way at the age of fifty years. At that age they must not serve any longer.

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

26 They may help their brothers who continue to work at the tent of meeting, but they must serve no more. You must direct the Levites in all these matters.”

but shall minister with their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shall thou do to the Levites concerning their charges.