1 A nd the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

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

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

3 A nd Aaron did so; he arranged the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses.

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

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

Now 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

5 T hen the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

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

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

7 T hus you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purification on them, and let them shave all their body, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.

Thus 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.

8 T hen let them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another young bull as a sin offering.

Then 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.

9 A nd you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall gather together the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

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

10 S o you shall bring the Levites before the Lord, and the children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites;

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

11 a nd Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord like a wave offering from the children of Israel, that they may perform the work of the Lord.

Aaron 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.

12 T hen the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls, and you shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites.

Now 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.

13 “ And you shall stand the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and then offer them like a wave offering to the Lord.

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

14 T hus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine.

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

15 A fter that the Levites shall go in to service the tabernacle of meeting. So you shall cleanse them and offer them like a wave offering.

Then 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;

16 F or they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel.

for 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.

17 F or all the firstborn among the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast; on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them to Myself.

For 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.

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

But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel.

19 A nd I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the work for the children of Israel in the tabernacle 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 the sanctuary.”

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.”

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

Thus 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.

21 A nd the Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented them like a wave offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

The 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.

22 A fter that the Levites went in to do their work in the tabernacle of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

Then 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

23 T hen the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

24 “ This is what pertains to the Levites: From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting;

“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.

25 a nd at the age of fifty years they must cease performing this work, and shall work no more.

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

26 T hey may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties.”

They 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.”