1 A nd Jehovah spoke to Moses saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

2 S peak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.

“Say to Aaron, ‘When you put the seven lamps on the lamp-stand, they should give light in front of the lamp-stand.’”

3 A nd Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.

And Aaron did so. He put the lamps so they would give light in front of the lamp-stand, as the Lord had told Moses.

4 A nd this was the work of the candlestick: of beaten gold; from its base to its flowers was it beaten work; according to the form which Jehovah had shewn Moses, so had he made the candlestick.

Now this is the way the lamp-stand was made. It was made of beaten gold from the base to its flowers. He made the lamp-stand the way the Lord had shown Moses. The Levites Are Set Apart

5 A nd Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

Then the Lord said to Moses,

6 T ake the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

“Take the Levites from among the people of Israel, and make them clean.

7 A nd thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: sprinkle upon them water of purification from sin; and they shall pass the razor over all their flesh, and shall wash their garments, and make themselves clean.

To make them clean, put holy water on them that takes away sin. Let them cut all the hair from their body, and wash their clothes, and they shall be clean.

8 A nd they shall take a young bullock and its oblation of fine flour mingled with oil; and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin-offering.

Then let them take a young bull and its grain gift of fine flour mixed with oil. Take another young bull for a sin gift.

9 A nd thou shalt bring the Levites before the tent of meeting; and thou shalt gather together the whole assembly of the children of Israel.

Bring the Levites in front of the meeting tent and gather together all the people of Israel also.

10 A nd thou shalt bring the Levites before Jehovah; and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites.

Bring the Levites before the Lord and the people of Israel will lay their hands on the Levites.

11 A nd Aaron shall offer the Levites as a wave-offering before Jehovah from the children of Israel, and they shall perform the service of Jehovah.

Aaron will give the Levites to the Lord as a wave gift from the people of Israel so they will be able to do the work of the Lord.

12 A nd 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, to Jehovah, to make atonement for the Levites.

The Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. They will give one for a sin gift and the other for a burnt gift to the Lord, to pay for the sins of the Levites.

13 A nd thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them as a wave-offering to Jehovah.

Then have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, to give them as a wave gift to the Lord.

14 A nd thou shalt separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, that the Levites may be mine.

“So you will divide the Levites from the people of Israel. And the Levites will be Mine.

15 A nd afterwards shall the Levites come in to do the service of the tent of meeting. And thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them as a wave-offering.

After that the Levites may go in to work in the meeting tent. But you must make them clean and give them as a wave gift.

16 F or they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of every one that breaketh open the womb, instead of every firstborn among the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

For they are all given to Me from among the people of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first child to be born, the first-born of all the people of Israel.

17 F or all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both of man and beast; on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I hallowed them to myself.

For every first-born among the people of Israel is Mine, both of man and animal. I set them apart for Myself on the day that I killed all the first-born in the land of Egypt.

18 A nd I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

But I have taken the Levites instead of every first-born among the people of Israel.

19 A nd I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons, from among the children of Israel, to perform the service of the children of Israel in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel; that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel draw near to the sanctuary.

And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel. They will do the work of the people of Israel at the meeting tent. By this they take away the sins of the people of Israel. So no trouble will come upon the people of Israel if they come near the meeting tent.”

20 A nd Moses and Aaron, and all the assembly of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses concerning the Levites: so did the children of Israel to them.

Moses and Aaron and all the people of Israel did this to the Levites. The people of Israel did to them all the things the Lord had told Moses about the Levites.

21 A nd the Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their garments; and Aaron offered them as a wave-offering before Jehovah; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

The Levites made themselves pure, putting away their sin. And they washed their clothes. Aaron gave them as a wave gift before the Lord. He did what had to be done to pay for their sin so they would be clean.

22 A nd afterwards the Levites came in to perform their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron, and before his sons; as Jehovah had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they to them.

After that the Levites went in to do their work in the meeting tent in front of Aaron and his sons. So they did to the Levites just what the Lord had told Moses to do.

23 A nd Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

24 T his is that which concerneth the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward shall he come to labour in the work of the service of the tent of meeting.

“This is the rule for the Levites. Those who are twenty-five years old and older will go in to do the work of the meeting tent.

25 A nd from fifty years old he shall retire from the labour of the service, and shall serve no more;

But when they are fifty years old they will stop these duties and not work any more.

26 b ut he shall minister with his brethren in the tent of meeting, and keep the charge, but he shall not serve the service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites with regard to their charges.

They may help their brothers in the meeting tent to do what needs to be done but they themselves must not do the work. These are the rules for the Levites when giving them their duties.”