Numbers 8

1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses saying,

Adonai spoke to Moses [Drawn out], saying,

2 Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.

“Speak to Aaron [Light-bringer], and tell him, ‘When you light the lamp candles, the seven lamp candles shall give light in front of the menorah ·lamp·.’”

3 And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.

Aaron [Light-bringer] did so. He lit its lamp candles to light the area in front of the menorah ·lamp·, as Adonai enjoined Moses [Drawn out].

4 And this was the work of the candlestick: [it was] of beaten gold; from its base to its flowers was it beaten work; according to the form which Jehovah had shewn Moses, so had he made the candlestick.

This was the workmanship of the menorah ·lamp·, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work: according to the pattern which Adonai had shown Moses [Drawn out], so he made the menorah ·lamp·.

5 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

Adonai spoke to Moses [Drawn out], saying,

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

“Take the Levites [Descendants of United with] from among the children of Israel [God prevails], and cleanse them.

7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: sprinkle upon them water of purification from sin; and they shall pass the razor over all their flesh, and shall wash their garments, and make themselves clean.

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, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.

8 And they shall take a young bullock and its oblation of fine flour mingled with oil; and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin-offering.

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 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tent of meeting; and thou shalt gather together the whole assembly of the children of Israel.

You shall present the Levites [Descendants of United with] before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel [God prevails].

10 And thou shalt bring the Levites before Jehovah; and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites.

You shall present the Levites [Descendants of United with] before Adonai. The children of Israel [God prevails] shall lay their hands on the Levites [Descendants of United with],

11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites as a wave-offering before Jehovah from the children of Israel, and they shall perform the service of Jehovah.

and Aaron [Light-bringer] shall offer the Levites [Descendants of United with] before Adonai for a wave offering, on the behalf of the children of Israel [God prevails], that it may be theirs to do the service of Adonai.

12 And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks, and thou shalt offer the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, to Jehovah, to make atonement for the Levites.

“The Levites [Descendants of United with] 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 Adonai, to make atonement for the Levites [Descendants of United with].

13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them as a wave-offering to Jehovah.

You shall set the Levites [Descendants of United with] before Aaron [Light-bringer], and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to Adonai.

14 And thou shalt separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, that the Levites may be mine.

Thus you shall separate the Levites [Descendants of United with] from among the children of Israel [God prevails], and the Levites [Descendants of United with] shall be mine.

15 And afterwards shall the Levites come in to do the service of the tent of meeting. And thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them as a wave-offering.

“After that, the Levites [Descendants of United with] shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting: and you shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering.

16 For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of every one that breaketh open the womb, instead of every firstborn among the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

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

17 For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both of man and beast; on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I hallowed them to myself.

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

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

I have taken the Levites [Descendants of United with] instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel [God prevails].

19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons, from among the children of Israel, to perform the service of the children of Israel in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel; that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel draw near to the sanctuary.

I have given the Levites [Descendants of United with] as a gift to Aaron [Light-bringer] and to his sons from among the children of Israel [God prevails], to do the service of the children of Israel [God prevails] in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel [God prevails]; that there be no plague among the children of Israel [God prevails], when the children of Israel [God prevails] come near to the sanctuary.”

20 And Moses and Aaron, and all the assembly of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses concerning the Levites: so did the children of Israel to them.

Moses [Drawn out], and Aaron [Light-bringer], and all the congregation of the children of Israel [God prevails] did so to the Levites [Descendants of United with]. According to all that Adonai enjoined Moses [Drawn out] concerning the Levites [Descendants of United with], so the children of Israel [God prevails] did to them.

21 And the Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their garments; and Aaron offered them as a wave-offering before Jehovah; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

The Levites [Descendants of United with] purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron [Light-bringer] offered them for a wave offering before Adonai; and Aaron [Light-bringer] made atonement for them to cleanse them.

22 And afterwards the Levites came in to perform their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron, and before his sons; as Jehovah had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they to them.

After that, the Levites [Descendants of United with] went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron [Light-bringer], and before his sons: as Adonai had enjoined Moses [Drawn out] concerning the Levites [Descendants of United with], so they did to them.

23 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

Adonai spoke to Moses [Drawn out], saying,

24 This is that which concerneth the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward shall he come to labour in the work of the service of the tent of meeting.

“This is that which belongs to the Levites [Descendants of United with]: 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 And from fifty years old he shall retire from the labour of the service, and shall serve no more;

and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting on the work, and shall serve no more,

26 but he shall minister with his brethren in the tent of meeting, and keep the charge, but he shall not serve [in] the service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites with regard to their charges.

but shall minister with their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall do no service. You shall do thus to the Levites [Descendants of United with] concerning their duties.”