Numbers, 8

1. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:

1. Now the LORD said to Moses,

2. 'Speak to Aaron and say, "When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps must throw their light towards the front of the lamp-stand." '

2. "Say to Aaron, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand."

3. Aaron did this. He set up the lamps to the front of the lamp-stand, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.

3. And Aaron did so; he set up its lamps to give light in front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses.

4. This lamp-stand was worked in beaten gold, including its stem and its petals, which were also of beaten gold. This lamp-stand had been made according to the pattern Yahweh had shown to Moses.

4. And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold; from its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

5. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

5. And the LORD said to Moses,

6. 'Separate the Levites from the Israelites and purify them.

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

7. This is how you must purify them: you will sprinkle them with purifying water, and they will shave their bodies all over and wash their clothes. They will then be clean.

7. And thus you shall do to them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of expiation upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves.

8. They will then take a young bull, with the accompanying cereal offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you will take a second young bull for a sacrifice for sin.

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

9. You will then bring the Levites in front of the Tent of Meeting, and assemble the whole community of Israelites.

9. And you shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting, and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel.

10. Once you have brought the Levites before Yahweh, the Israelites will lay their hands on them.

10. When you present the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites,

11. Aaron will then offer the Levites, making the gesture of offering before Yahweh on behalf of the Israelites, admitting them to Yahweh's service.

11. and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of the LORD.

12. 'The Levites will then lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, one of which you will offer as a sacrifice for sin, and the other as a burnt offering to Yahweh, to perform the rite of expiation for the Levites.

12. Then the Levites shall lay their hands upon 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. Having brought the Levites before Aaron and his sons, you will present them to Yahweh with the gesture of offering.

13. And you shall cause the Levites to attend Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the LORD.

14. That is how you will set the Levites apart from the Israelites, for them to be mine.

14. "Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.

15. The Levites will then begin their ministry in the Tent of Meeting. 'You will purify them and offer them with the gesture of offering

15. And after that the Levites shall go in to do service at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering.

16. because, of the Israelites, they have been dedicated to me in place of all those who first emerge from the womb, instead of the first-born; of all the Israelites, I have taken them for my own.

16. For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel; instead of all that open the womb, the first-born of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself.

17. For all the first-born of the Israelites, whether human or animal, do indeed belong to me: the day I struck down all the first-born in Egypt, I consecrated them to myself,

17. For all the first-born among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast; on the day that I slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself,

18. and now, in place of all the first-born of the Israelites, I have taken the Levites.

18. and I have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born among the people of Israel.

19. Of the Israelites, I give the Levites to Aaron and his sons, as dedicated men, to minister in the Tent of Meeting on behalf of the Israelites and perform the rite of expiation for them, so that no disaster befalls the Israelites when the Israelites come close to the sanctuary.'

19. And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel in case the people of Israel should come near the sanctuary."

20. Moses, Aaron and the whole community of Israelites dealt with the Levites exactly as Yahweh had ordered Moses concerning them; this is what the Israelites did with them.

20. Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel to the Levites; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the people of Israel did to them.

21. The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them with the gesture of offering before Yahweh. He then performed the rite of expiation for them to purify them.

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

22. The Levites were then allowed to perform their ministry in the Tent of Meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. As Yahweh had ordered Moses concerning the Levites, so it was done with them.

22. And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting in attendance upon Aaron and his sons; as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

23. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:

23. And the LORD said to Moses,

24. 'This concerns the Levites. From the age of twenty-five onwards, the Levite will exercise his ministry and do duty in the Tent of Meeting.

24. "This is what pertains to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to perform the work in the service of the tent of meeting;

25. After the age of fifty, he is no longer bound to the ministry; he will have no further duties;

25. and from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the work of the service and serve no more,

26. but he will still help his brothers to assure the services in the Tent of Meeting, though he himself will no longer have any ministry. That is how you will act as regards the ministry of the Levites.'

26. but minister to their brethren in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, and they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties."