Numbers 8

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

2 Speak to Aaron, and say to him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light opposite the lampstand.

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

3 And Aaron did so; he lighted its lamps opposite the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses.

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

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.

5 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Again, Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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:

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

10 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:

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

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.

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.

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.

13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering to the LORD.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

18 And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

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

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Yahweh spoke again to Moses. He said,

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:

“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.

25 And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service of it, and shall serve no more:

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

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.

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.”