Liber Numeri 8
1 locutus est Dominus ad Mosen dicens
Yahweh said to Moses/me,
2 loquere Aaroni et dices ad eum cum posueris septem lucernas contra eam partem quam candelabrum respicit lucere debebunt
“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.”
3 fecitque Aaron et inposuit lucernas super candelabrum ut praeceperat Dominus Mosi
So [Moses/I told him what Yahweh said], and he did that.
4 haec autem erat factura candelabri ex auro ductili tam medius stipes quam cuncta ex utroque calamorum latera nascebantur iuxta exemplum quod ostendit Dominus Mosi ita operatus est candelabrum
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.
5 et locutus est Dominus ad Mosen dicens
Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
6 tolle Levitas de medio filiorum Israhel et purificabis eos
“You must cause the descendants of Levi to be acceptable to me by setting them apart from the other Israeli people.
7 iuxta hunc ritum aspergantur aqua lustrationis et radant omnes pilos carnis suae cumque laverint vestimenta sua et mundati fuerint
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.
8 tollant bovem de armentis et libamentum eius similam oleo conspersam bovem autem alterum de armento tu accipies pro peccato
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.
9 et adplicabis Levitas coram tabernaculo foederis convocata omni multitudine filiorum Israhel
Then you must summon all the Israeli people to come together in front of the Sacred Tent, to [gather around] the descendants of Levi.
10 cumque Levitae fuerint coram Domino ponent filii Israhel manus suas super eos
Then the Israeli people must lay their hands on the descendants of Levi.
11 et offeret Aaron Levitas munus in conspectu Domini a filiis Israhel ut serviant in ministerio eius
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].
12 Levitae quoque ponent manus suas super capita boum e quibus unum facies pro peccato et alterum in holocaustum Domini ut depreceris pro eis
“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].
13 statuesque Levitas in conspectu Aaron et filiorum eius et consecrabis oblatos Domino
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.
14 ac separabis de medio filiorum Israhel ut sint mei
This ritual will show that the descendants of Levi are set apart from the other Israelis and that they belong to me.
15 et postea ingrediantur tabernaculum foederis ut serviant mihi sicque purificabis et consecrabis eos in oblationem Domini quoniam dono donati sunt mihi a filiis Israhel
“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.
16 pro primogenitis quae aperiunt omnem vulvam in Israhel accepi eos
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].
17 mea sunt omnia primogenita filiorum Israhel tam ex hominibus quam ex iumentis ex die quo percussi omnem primogenitum in terra Aegypti sanctificavi eos mihi
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.
18 et tuli Levitas pro cunctis primogenitis filiorum Israhel
But now I have chosen the descendants of Levi to take the places of the firstborn males of other Israelis.
19 tradidique eos dono Aaroni et filiis eius de medio populi ut serviant mihi pro Israhel in tabernaculo foederis et orent pro eis ne sit in populo plaga si ausi fuerint accedere ad sanctuarium
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.”
20 feceruntque Moses et Aaron et omnis multitudo filiorum Israhel super Levitas quae praeceperat Dominus Mosi
Aaron and Moses/I and the other Israelis helped the descendants of Levi to do everything that Yahweh had commanded.
21 purificatique sunt et laverunt vestimenta sua elevavitque eos Aaron in conspectu Domini et oravit pro eis
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.
22 ut purificati ingrederentur ad officia sua in tabernaculum foederis coram Aaron et filiis eius sicut praeceperat Dominus Mosi de Levitis ita factum est
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.
23 locutus est Dominus ad Mosen dicens
Yahweh also said this to Moses/me:
24 haec est lex Levitarum a viginti quinque annis et supra ingredientur ut ministrent in tabernaculo foederis
“The descendants of Levi who are between 25 and 50 years old will work at the Sacred Tent.
25 cumque quinquagesimum annum aetatis impleverint servire cessabunt
But after they become 50 years old, they must (retire/not do that work any more).
26 eruntque ministri fratrum suorum in tabernaculo foederis ut custodiant quae sibi fuerint commendata opera autem ipsa non faciant sic dispones Levitas in custodiis suis
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.”
