Numbers 8

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

And the Lord 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 thou shalt say to him: When thou shalt place the seven lamps, let the candlestick be set up on the south side. Give orders therefore that the lamps look over against the north, towards the table of the leaves of proposition, over against that part shall they give light, towards which the candlestick looketh.

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, and he put the lamps upon the candlestick, as the Lord had 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.

Now this was the work of the candlestick, it was of beaten gold, both the shaft in the middle, and all that came out of both sides of the branches: according to the pattern which the Lord had shewn to Moses, so he made the candlestick.

5 Again, Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

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

Take the Levites out of the midst of the children of Israel, and thou shalt purify 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.

According to this rite: Let them be sprinkled with the water of purification, and let them shave all the hairs of their flesh. And when they shall have washed their garments, and are cleansed,

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.

They shall take an ox of the herd, and for the offering thereof fine flour tempered with oil: and thou shalt take another ox of the herd 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 shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the covenant, calling together all the multitude of the children of Israel:

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

And when the Levites are before the Lord, the children of Israel shall put their hands upon them:

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, as a gift in the sight of the Lord from the children of Israel, that they may serve in his ministry.

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.

The Levites also shall put their hands upon the heads of the oxen, of which thou shalt sacrifice one for sin, and the other for a holocaust to the Lord, to pray for them.

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

And thou shalt set the Levites in the sight of Aaron and of his sons, and shalt consecrate them being offered to the Lord,

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

And shalt separate them from the midst of the children of Israel, to 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 afterwards they shall enter into the tabernacle of the covenant, to serve me. And thus shalt thou purify and consecrate them for an oblation of the Lord: for as a gift they were given me by the children of Israel.

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.

I have taken them instead of the firstborn that open every womb in Israel,

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 of the children of Israel, both of men and of beasts, are mine. From the day that I slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, have I sanctified them to myself:

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

And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children 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 have delivered them for a gift to Aaron and his sons out of the midst of the people, to serve me for Israel in the tabernacle of the covenant, and to pray for them, lest there should be a plague among the people, if they should presume to approach unto my 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.

And Moses and Aaron and all the multitude of the children of Israel did with the Levites all that the Lord had commanded Moses:

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 they were purified, and washed their garments. And Aaron lifted them up in the sight of the Lard, and prayed for 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.

That being purified they might go into the tabernacle of the covenant to do their services before Aaron and his sons. As the Lord had commanded Moses touching the Levites, so was it done.

23 Yahweh spoke again to Moses. He said,

And the Lord 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 the law of the Levites: From twenty-five years old and upwards, they shall go in to minister in the tabernacle of the covenant.

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

And when they shall have accomplished the fiftieth year of their age, they shall cease to serve:

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.”

And they shall be the ministers of their brethren in the tabernacle of the covenant, to keep the things that are committed to their care, but not to do the works. Thus shalt thou order the Levites touching their charge.