1 ¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

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

“Speak to Aaron, and tell him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lamp stand.’”

3 A nd Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the face of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Aaron did so. He lit its lamps to light the area in front of the lamp stand, as Yahweh commanded Moses.

4 A nd this work of the lampstand was of beaten gold, from the shaft thereof unto the flowers thereof; it was beaten work; according unto the pattern which the LORD had showed Moses, so he made the lampstand.

This was the workmanship of the lamp stand, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work: according to the pattern which Yahweh had shown Moses, so he made the lamp stand.

5 ¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

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

“Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

7 A nd thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of atonement for sin upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and be clean.

You shall do this to them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.

8 T hen let them take a young bullock with his present, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou offer as sin.

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

9 A nd thou shalt offer the Levites before the tabernacle of the testimony, and thou shalt gather the whole congregation of the sons of Israel together;

You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

10 a nd thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD, and the sons of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites;

You shall present the Levites before Yahweh. The children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites,

11 a nd Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave offering of the sons of Israel, and they shall serve in the ministry of the LORD.

and Aaron shall offer the Levites before Yahweh for a wave offering, on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of Yahweh.

12 A nd the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks; and thou shalt offer the one as the sin, and the other as a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to reconcile the Levites.

“The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering to Yahweh, to make atonement for the Levites.

13 A nd thou shalt cause the Levites to present themselves before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD.

You shall set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to Yahweh.

14 A nd thou shalt separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine.

Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.

15 T hus shall the Levites go in to minister in the tabernacle of the testimony; and thou shalt cleanse them and wave them for an offering.

“After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting: and you shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering.

16 F or they are completely given unto me from among the sons of Israel, instead of each one that opens the womb; instead of the firstborn of all the sons of Israel, I have taken them for myself.

For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me.

17 F or all the firstborn of the sons of Israel are mine, both of man and of animals; from the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.

For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself.

18 A nd I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the sons of Israel.

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

19 A nd I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, that they may serve the ministry of the sons of Israel in the tabernacle of the testimony and reconcile the sons of Israel, that there be no plague in the sons of Israel when the sons of Israel come near unto the sanctuary.

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 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 come near to the sanctuary.”

20 A nd Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the sons of Israel did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the sons of Israel unto them.

Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel did so to the Levites. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them.

21 A nd the sin was removed from the Levites, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before the LORD; and Aaron reconciled them to cleanse them.

The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before Yahweh; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

22 A nd thus went the Levites in to serve in their ministry in the tabernacle of the testimony before Aaron and before his sons; in the manner that the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.

After that, the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron, and before his sons: as Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

23 A nd the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

24 T his regarding the Levites from twenty-five years old and upward, they shall go in to serve in the host of the tabernacle of the testimony.

“This is that which belongs to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting;

25 A nd from the age of fifty years they shall return from their ministry unto the host and shall never serve again,

and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting on the work, and shall serve no more,

26 b ut shall serve with their brethren in the tabernacle of the testimony, to stand guard, even though they do not serve in the ministry. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.

but shall minister with their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall do no service. You shall do thus to the Levites concerning their duties.”