Numbers 8
International Children’s Bible
The Lampstand
8 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to Aaron. Tell him, ‘Put the seven lamps where they can light the area in front of the lampstand.’”
3 Aaron did this. He put the lamps so they lighted the area in front of the lampstand. He obeyed the command the Lord gave Moses. 4 The lampstand was made from hammered gold. It was gold from its base to the flowers. It was made exactly the way the Lord had showed Moses.
The Levites
5 The Lord said to Moses, 6 “Take the Levites away from the other Israelites and make them clean. 7 This is what you should do to make them clean. Sprinkle the cleansing water on them. Have them shave their bodies and wash their clothes. Then they will be clean. 8 They must take a young bull and the grain offering that goes with it. The grain offering will be flour mixed with oil. Then take another young bull for a sin offering. 9 Bring the Levites to the front of the Meeting Tent. And gather all the Israelites around. 10 Bring the Levites before the Lord. Then the Israelites should put their hands on them.[a] 11 Aaron will present the Levites before the Lord. They will be like an offering presented from the Israelites. Then the Levites will be ready to do the work of the Lord.
12 “The Levites will put their hands on the bulls’ heads. One bull will be a sin offering to the Lord. The other will be a burnt offering. This will remove the sins of the Levites so they will belong to God. 13 Make the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons. Then present the Levites as an offering to the Lord. 14 In this way you must set apart the Levites from the other Israelites. The Levites will be mine.
15 “So make the Levites pure. And present them as an offering. Then they may come to work at the Meeting Tent. 16 They will be given to me from the Israelites. I have taken them for myself. They are mine instead of the firstborn son of every Israelite woman. 17 Every firstborn male in Israel—man or animal—is mine. I killed all the firstborn in Egypt. So now I set them aside for myself. 18 I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn sons in Israel. 19 I have chosen the Levites from all the Israelites. And I have given them to Aaron and his sons. They will serve all the Israelites at the Meeting Tent. They will help remove the Israelites’ sins so they will belong to God. Then no disaster will strike the Israelites when they approach the Holy Place.”
20 So Moses, Aaron and all the Israelites obeyed the Lord. They did with the Levites what the Lord commanded Moses. 21 The Levites made themselves clean and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as an offering to the Lord. Aaron also removed their sins so they would be pure for the Lord. 22 After that, the Levites came to the Meeting Tent to work. Aaron and his sons told them what to do. They did with the Levites what the Lord commanded Moses.
23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 “This command is for the Levites. Every man 25 years old or older must come to the Meeting Tent. They all have a job to do in the work there. 25 At the age of 50, he must retire from his job. He doesn’t have to work again. 26 He may help his fellow Levites with their work at the Meeting Tent. But he must not do the work himself. This is the way you are to give the Levites their jobs.”
Footnotes
- 8:10 put . . . them This showed that the people had a part in giving the Levites their special work.
Numbers 8
Common English Bible
The lampstand
8 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 Speak to Aaron and say to him: When you set them up, the seven lamps will give light in front of the lampstand.
3 Aaron did so. He set up its lamps in front of the lampstand as the Lord commanded Moses. 4 This is how the lampstand was made: it was hammered gold; from its base to its flower it was hammered. Moses made the lampstand according to the vision that the Lord had shown Moses.
Dedication of the Levites
5 The Lord spoke to Moses: 6 Separate the Levites from the Israelites and cleanse them. 7 This is what you will do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purification on them, have them shave their bodies, wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves. 8 They will take a bull from the herd, with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil. You will take a second bull from the herd for a purification offering. 9 You will bring the Levites before the meeting tent and gather the entire Israelite community. 10 Then you will bring the Levites into the Lord’s presence, and the Israelites will lay their hands on the Levites. 11 Aaron will present the Levites as an uplifted offering in the Lord’s presence from the Israelites so that they may do the Lord’s service. 12 Then the Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and Aaron will offer one as a purification offering and the other as an entirely burned offering to the Lord in order to seek reconciliation for the Levites.
13 You will have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and you will present them as an uplifted offering to the Lord. 14 You will separate the Levites from the Israelites, and the Levites will be mine. 15 The Levites will enter to serve the meeting tent, after you have cleansed them and presented them as an uplifted offering. 16 They are given over to me from the Israelites in place of all the newborn, the oldest of all the Israelites. I take them for myself. 17 Every oldest male among the Israelites is mine, whether human or animal. When I killed all the oldest males in the land of Egypt, I dedicated them to myself. 18 I have taken the Levites in place of all the oldest among the Israelites. 19 I have selected the Levites from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons to perform the service of the Israelites in the meeting tent and to seek reconciliation for the Israelites so that there will not be a plague when the Israelites approach the sanctuary.
20 Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community carried out for the Levites everything the Lord had commanded Moses. That is what the Israelites did for the Levites. 21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Aaron presented them as an uplifted offering in the Lord’s presence, and he sought reconciliation for them in order to cleanse them. 22 After this the Levites went in to perform their service in the meeting tent before Aaron and his sons. They did for the Levites just as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning them.
23 The Lord spoke to Moses: 24 This rule applies[a] to the Levites: Everyone 25 years old and above will enter into service, performing the duties for the meeting tent. 25 At 50 years old each will retire from service. They will perform their duties no longer. 26 Each may assist his fellow Levites in the meeting tent with some responsibilities, but he may not perform service. This is how you should assign responsibilities to the Levites.
Footnotes
- Numbers 8:24 Heb lacks rule applies.
Numbers 8
King James Version
8 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto Aaron and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.
3 And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the Lord commanded Moses.
4 And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the Lord had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.
5 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.
8 Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.
9 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:
10 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:
11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the Lord.
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, unto the Lord, to make an atonement for the Levites.
13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the Lord.
14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.
15 And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.
16 For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.
17 For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
18 And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
19 And 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 tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.
20 And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.
21 And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the Lord; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.
22 And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.
23 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
24 This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:
25 And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:
26 But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible