Numbers 8
1 Yahweh said to Moses/me,
Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:
2 “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.”
Loquere Aaron, et dices ad eum: Cum posueris septem lucernas, candelabrum in australi parte erigatur. Hoc igitur præcipe ut lucernæ contra boream e regione respiciant ad mensam panum propositionis, contra eam partem, quam candelabrum respicit, lucere debebunt.
3 So [Moses/I told him what Yahweh said], and he did that.
Fecitque Aaron, et imposuit lucernas super candelabrum, ut præceperat Dominus Moysi.
4 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.
Hæc autem erat factura candelabri, ex auro ductili, tam medius stipes, quam cuncta quæ ex utroque calamorum latere nascebantur: juxta exemplum quod ostendit Dominus Moysi, ita operatus est candelabrum.
5 Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
Et locutus est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:
6 “You must cause the descendants of Levi to be acceptable to me by setting them apart from the other Israeli people.
Tolle Levitas de medio filiorum Israël, et purificabis eos
7 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.
juxta hunc ritum: aspergantur aqua lustrationis, et radant omnes pilos carnis suæ. Cumque laverint vestimenta sua, et mundati fuerint,
8 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.
tollent bovem de armentis, et libamentum ejus similam oleo conspersam: bovem autem alterum de armento tu accipies pro peccato:
9 Then you must summon all the Israeli people to come together in front of the Sacred Tent, to [gather around] the descendants of Levi.
et applicabis Levitas coram tabernaculo fœderis, convocata omni multitudine filiorum Israël.
10 Then the Israeli people must lay their hands on the descendants of Levi.
Cumque Levitæ fuerint coram Domino, ponent filii Israël manus suas super eos.
11 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].
Et offeret Aaron Levitas, munus in conspectu Domini a filiis Israël, ut serviant in ministerio ejus.
12 “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].
Levitæ quoque ponent manus suas super capita boum, e quibus unum facies pro peccato, et alterum in holocaustum Domini, ut depreceris pro eis.
13 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.
Statuesque Levitas in conspectu Aaron et filiorum ejus, et consecrabis oblatos Domino,
14 This ritual will show that the descendants of Levi are set apart from the other Israelis and that they belong to me.
ac separabis de medio filiorum Israël, ut sint mei.
15 “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.
Et postea ingredientur tabernaculum fœderis, ut serviant mihi. Sicque purificabis et consecrabis eos in oblationem Domini: quoniam dono donati sunt mihi a filiis Israël.
16 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].
Pro primogenitis quæ aperiunt omnem vulvam in Israël, accepi eos.
17 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.
Mea sunt enim omnia primogenita filiorum Israël, tam ex hominibus quam ex jumentis. Ex die quo percussi omne primogenitum in terra Ægypti, sanctificavi eos mihi:
18 But now I have chosen the descendants of Levi to take the places of the firstborn males of other Israelis.
et tuli Levitas pro cunctis primogenitis filiorum Israël,
19 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.”
tradidique eos dono Aaron et filiis ejus de medio populi, ut serviant mihi pro Israël in tabernaculo fœderis, et orent pro eis ne sit in populo plaga, si ausi fuerint accedere ad sanctuarium.
20 Aaron and Moses/I and the other Israelis helped the descendants of Levi to do everything that Yahweh had commanded.
Feceruntque Moyses et Aaron et omnis multitudo filiorum Israël super Levitas quæ præceperat Dominus Moysi:
21 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.
purificatique sunt, et laverunt vestimenta sua. Elevavitque eos Aaron in conspectu Domini, et oravit pro eis,
22 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.
ut purificati ingrederentur ad officia sua in tabernaculum fœderis coram Aaron et filiis ejus. Sicut præceperat Dominus Moysi de Levitis, ita factum est.
23 Yahweh also said this to Moses/me:
Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:
24 “The descendants of Levi who are between 25 and 50 years old will work at the Sacred Tent.
Hæc est lex Levitarum: a viginti quinque annis et supra, ingredientur ut ministrent in tabernaculo fœderis.
25 But after they become 50 years old, they must (retire/not do that work any more).
Cumque quinquagesimum annum ætatis impleverint, servire cessabunt,
26 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.”
eruntque ministri fratrum suorum in tabernaculo fœderis, ut custodiant quæ sibi fuerunt commendata: opera autem ipsa non faciant. Sic dispones Levitis in custodiis suis.
