< Numbers 8 >

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak to Aaron, and say to him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light opposite 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 And Aaron did so; he lighted its lamps opposite 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 And this work of the lampstand was of beaten gold, to its shaft, to the flowers of it, was beaten work: according to the pattern which the LORD had showed 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 And 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 And thus shalt thou do to them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.
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 with its meat offering, even fine flour mixed with oil, and another young bull shalt thou 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 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:
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 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon 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 an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute 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 And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bulls: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, to the LORD, to make an 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 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an 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 shalt thou 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 And after that shall the Levites go in to perform the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an 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 such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I 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 of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every 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 And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
And I have taken the Levites, instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel.
19 And 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 tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there may 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 And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel 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 And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an 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 And after that went the Levites in to perform 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 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 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
24 This is it that which pertaineth to the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:
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 upon the service of it, 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 brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do to the Levites concerning their charge.
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.

< Numbers 8 >