Numbers 8

¹And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

²“Speak to Aaron, and you shall say to him: When you place the seven lamps, let the lampstand be set up on the south side. Therefore, give this instruction: that the lamps should look out from the region opposite the north, toward the table of the bread of the presence; they shall give light opposite that area, toward the area that the lampstand faces.”

³And Aaron did so, and he placed the lamps on the lampstand, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

⁴Now this was the workmanship of the lampstand: it was of ductile gold, both the main shaft and all that originated from both sides of the branches. According to the example that the Lord revealed to Moses, so did he make the lampstand.

⁵And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

⁶“Take the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and you shall purify them

⁷according to this ritual: Let them be sprinkled with the water of illumination, and let them shave off all the hairs of their body. And when they have washed their garments and have been cleansed,

⁸they shall take an ox from the herd, with its libation of fine wheat flour sprinkled with oil; then you shall receive another ox from the herd for sin.

⁹And you shall bring forward the Levites before the tabernacle of the covenant, calling together all the multitude of the sons of Israel.

¹⁰And when the Levites are before the Lord, the sons of Israel shall place their hands upon them.

¹¹And Aaron shall offer the Levites as a gift in the sight of the Lord, from the sons of Israel, so that they may serve in his ministry.

¹²Likewise, the Levites shall place their hands upon the heads of the oxen; you shall make use of one of these for sin, and the other as a holocaust to the Lord, so that you may intercede for them.

¹³And you shall set the Levites in the sight of Aaron and his sons, and you shall consecrate those being offered to the Lord,

¹⁴and you shall separate them from the midst of the sons of Israel, so that they may be for me.

¹⁵And after this, they shall enter the tabernacle of the covenant, in order to serve me. And so shall you purify and consecrate them as an oblation to the Lord. For they were given to me as a gift from the sons of Israel.

¹⁶I have accepted them in place of the firstborn which open every womb in Israel.

¹⁷For all the firstborn of the sons of Israel, as much from men as from beasts, are mine. From the day when I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I have sanctified them to myself.

¹⁸And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the sons of Israel.

¹⁹And I have delivered them as a gift to Aaron and his sons, from the midst of the people, in order to serve me, for Israel, in the tabernacle of the covenant, and in order to pray for them, lest there be a scourge among the people, if they were to dare to approach to my Sanctuary.”

²⁰And Moses and Aaron, and all the multitude of the sons of Israel, accomplished all that the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.

²¹And they were purified, and they washed their garments. And Aaron lifted them up in the sight of the Lord, and he prayed for them,

²²so that, having been purified, they might enter to their duties in the tabernacle of the covenant before Aaron and his sons. Just as the Lord had instructed Moses about the Levites, so was it done.

²³And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

²⁴“This is the law of the Levites: From twenty-five years and above, they shall enter to minister in the tabernacle of the covenant.

²⁵And when they will have completed the fiftieth year of age, they shall cease to serve.

²⁶And they shall be the ministers of their brothers in the tabernacle of the covenant, in order to care for the things that have been commended to them, but not to perform the works themselves. So shall you assign the Levites in their duties.”

Numbers 8

¹And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

²Speak 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 loaves of proposition, over against that part shall they give light, towards which the candlestick looketh.

³And Aaron did so, and he put the lamps upon the candlestick, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁴Now 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.

⁵And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

⁶Take the Levites out of the midst of the children of Israel, and thou shalt purify them,

⁷According 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,

⁸They 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:

⁹And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the covenant, calling together all the multitude of the children of Israel:

¹⁰And when the Levites are before the Lord, the children of Israel shall put their hands upon them:

¹¹And 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.

¹²The 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.

¹³And thou shalt set the Levites in the sight of Aaron and of his, and shalt consecrate them being offered to the Lord,

¹⁴And shalt separate them from the midst of the children of Israel, to be mine.

¹⁵And 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.

¹⁶I have taken them instead of the firstborn that open every womb in Israel,

¹⁷For 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:

¹⁸And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel:

¹⁹And 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.

²⁰And Moses and Aaron and all the multitude of the children of Israel did with the Levites all that the Lord had commanded Moses

²¹And they were purified, and washed their garments. And Aaron lifted them up in the sight of the Lord, and prayed for them,

²²That 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.

²³And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

²⁴This 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.

²⁵And when they shall have accomplished the fiftieth year of their age, they shall cease to serve:

²⁶And 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.