Liber Numeri 8

1 locutus est Dominus ad Mosen dicens

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 loquere Aaroni et dices ad eum cum posueris septem lucernas contra eam partem quam candelabrum respicit lucere debebunt

“Speak to Aaron, and tell him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lamp stand.’”

3 fecitque Aaron et inposuit lucernas super candelabrum ut praeceperat Dominus Mosi

Aaron did so. He lit its lamps to light the area in front of the lamp stand, as the LORD commanded Moses.

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

This was the workmanship of the lamp stand, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work. He made the lamp stand according to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses.

5 et locutus est Dominus ad Mosen dicens

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

6 tolle Levitas de medio filiorum Israhel et purificabis eos

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

7 iuxta hunc ritum aspergantur aqua lustrationis et radant omnes pilos carnis suae cumque laverint vestimenta sua et mundati fuerint

You shall do this to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.

8 tollant bovem de armentis et libamentum eius similam oleo conspersam bovem autem alterum de armento tu accipies pro peccato

Then let them take a young bull and its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and another young bull you shall take for a sin offering.

9 et adplicabis Levitas coram tabernaculo foederis convocata omni multitudine filiorum Israhel

You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

10 cumque Levitae fuerint coram Domino ponent filii Israhel manus suas super eos

You shall present the Levites before the LORD. The children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites,

11 et offeret Aaron Levitas munus in conspectu Domini a filiis Israhel ut serviant in ministerio eius

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

12 Levitae quoque ponent manus suas super capita boum e quibus unum facies pro peccato et alterum in holocaustum Domini ut depreceris pro eis

“The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites.

13 statuesque Levitas in conspectu Aaron et filiorum eius et consecrabis oblatos Domino

You shall set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to the LORD.

14 ac separabis de medio filiorum Israhel ut sint mei

Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.

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 that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. You shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering.

16 pro primogenitis quae aperiunt omnem vulvam in Israhel accepi eos

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

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

18 et tuli Levitas pro cunctis primogenitis filiorum Israhel

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

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 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 Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.”

20 feceruntque Moses et Aaron et omnis multitudo filiorum Israhel super Levitas quae praeceperat Dominus Mosi

Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel did so to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them.

21 purificatique sunt et laverunt vestimenta sua elevavitque eos Aaron in conspectu Domini et oravit pro eis

The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before the LORD and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

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 Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

23 locutus est Dominus ad Mosen dicens

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

24 haec est lex Levitarum a viginti quinque annis et supra ingredientur ut ministrent in tabernaculo foederis

“This is what is assigned to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting;

25 cumque quinquagesimum annum aetatis impleverint servire cessabunt

and from the age of fifty years they shall retire from doing the work, and shall serve no 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

but shall assist their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall perform no service. This is how you shall have the Levites do their duties.”