Numbers 8

Revised Geneva Translation

8 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

² “Speak to Aaron, and say to him, ‘When you light the Lamps, the seven Lamps shall give light toward the front of the Candlestick.’”

³ And Aaron did so, lighting its lamps toward the front of the Candlestick, as the LORD had Commanded Moses.

⁴ And this was the work of the Candlestick, of gold beaten out with the hammer. Both the shaft and its flower were beaten out with the hammer. According to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the Candlestick.

⁵ And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

⁶ “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and purify them.

⁷ “And you shall do this to them when you purify them: sprinkle Water of Purification upon them, and let them shave all their flesh and wash their clothes. So they shall be clean.

⁸ “Then they shall take a young bullock, with his Meat Offering of fine flour mingled with oil. And you shall take another young bullock for a Sin Offering.

⁹ “Then you shall bring the Levites before the Tabernacle of the Congregation and assemble all the Congregation of the children of Israel.

¹⁰ “You shall also 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 as a Shake Offering of the children of Israel, so that they may execute the service of the LORD.

¹² “And the Levites shall put their hands upon the heads of the bullocks, and you shall make one a Sin Offering and the other a Burnt Offering to the LORD, so that you may make an atonement for the Levites.

¹³ “And you shall set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them as a Shake Offering to the LORD.

¹⁴ “Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel. And the Levites shall be Mine.

¹⁵ “And afterward, the Levites shall go in to serve in the Tabernacle of the Congregation. And you shall purify them and offer them as a Shake Offering.

¹⁶ “For they are freely given to Me from among the children of Israel. I have taken to Me all who open any womb, all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

¹⁷ “For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are Mine, both of man and beast. Since the day that I struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for Myself.

¹⁸ “And I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel,

¹⁹ “and have given the Levites to Aaron as a gift, 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, so that there is no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near to the Sanctuary.”

²⁰ Then Moses and Aaron and all the Congregation of the children of Israel did with the Levites according to all that the LORD had Commanded Moses concerning the Levites. So did the children of Israel to them.

²¹ So the Levites were purified and washed their clothes. And Aaron offered them as a Shake Offering before the LORD. And Aaron made an atonement for them, to purify them.

²² And after that, the Levites went 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 they did to them.

²³ And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²⁴ “This also pertains to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to execute their office in the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.

²⁵ “And after the age of fifty years, they shall cease from executing the office, and shall serve no more.

²⁶ “But they shall minister with their brothers in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, to keep things committed to their charge. But they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites concerning their charge.”