1 T hen the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

2 “ Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you mount the lamps, the seven lamps will give light in the front of the lampstand.’”

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

3 A aron therefore did so; he mounted its lamps at the front of the lampstand, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

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

4 N ow this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold; from its base to its flowers it was hammered work; according to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand. Cleansing the Levites

And 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.

5 A gain the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

6 “ Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them.

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

7 T hus you shall do to them, for their cleansing: sprinkle purifying water on them, and let them use a razor over their whole body and wash their clothes, and they will be clean.

And 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.

8 T hen let them take a bull with its grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and a second bull you shall take for a sin offering.

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

9 S o you shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting. You shall also assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel,

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

10 a nd present the Levites before the Lord; and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites.

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

11 A aron then shall present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, that they may qualify to perform the service of the Lord.

and 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.

12 N ow the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; then offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites.

And 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.

13 Y ou shall have the Levites stand before Aaron and before his sons so as to present them as a wave offering to the Lord.

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

14 “ Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine.

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

15 T hen after that the Levites may go in to serve the tent of meeting. But you shall cleanse them and present them as a wave offering;

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

16 f or they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

For 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.

17 F or every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the men and among the animals; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself.

For 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.

18 B ut I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel.

And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the sons of Israel.

19 I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the sons of Israel by their coming near to the sanctuary.”

And 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.

20 T hus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the sons of Israel to the Levites; according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them.

And 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.

21 T he Levites, too, purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes; and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them.

And 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.

22 T hen after that the Levites went in to perform their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons; just as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them. Retirement

And 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.

23 N ow the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

24 “ This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the work of the tent of meeting.

This 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.

25 B ut at the age of fifty years they shall retire from service in the work and not work any more.

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

26 T hey may, however, assist their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep an obligation, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their obligations.”

but 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.