Numbers 8
The Seven Lamps
1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to Aaron, and say to him: ‘When you are setting up the lamps, the seven lamps will give light in front of the face of the lampstand.’ ” 3And Aaron did so; he set up the lampstand in front of the face of its lamps, just as Yahweh commanded Moses. 4And this is ⌞how the lampstand was made⌟, ▼▼Literally “the work of the lampstand”
a hammered-work of gold; from its base up to its blossom, ▼▼Or “flower”
it was hammered-work according to the pattern that Yahweh showed Moses; so he made the lampstand. Moses Consecrates the Levites
5Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Take the Levites from the midst of the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
and purify them. 7So you will do to them, to purify them: sprinkle on them waters of purification, and ⌞they will shave their whole body⌟ ▼▼Literally “they will send a razor on all their body”
and wash their garments. 8And they will take a ⌞young bull⌟ ▼▼Literally “a bull, a son of cattle”
and its grain offering of finely milled flour mixed with oil, and you will take a second ⌞young bull⌟ ▼▼Literally “a bull, a son of cattle”
as a sin offering. 9You will bring the Levites ⌞before⌟ ▼▼Literally “in the presence of”
the tent of assembly, and you will summon the entire community of the ⌞Israelites⌟. ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
10And you will bring the Levites ⌞before Yahweh⌟, ▼▼Literally “in the presence of Yahweh”
and the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
will lay their hands on the Levites, 11and ⌞Aaron will offer⌟ ▼▼Literally “Aaron will wave”
the Levites as a wave offering ⌞before Yahweh⌟ ▼▼Literally “in the presence of Yahweh”
from the ⌞Israelites⌟, ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
and they will do the work of Yahweh. 12And the Levites will lay their hands on the head of the one bull and offer it as a sin offering and the other one as a burnt offering to Yahweh, to make atonement for the Levites. 13And you will present the Levites ⌞before⌟ ▼▼Literally “in the presence of”
Aaron and ⌞before⌟ ▼▼Literally “in the presence of”
his sons, and he ⌞will offer⌟ ▼▼Literally “Aaron will wave”
them as a wave offering to Yahweh. 14“And you will separate the Levites from the midst of the ⌞Israelites⌟, ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
and the Levites will be for me. 15And after this the Levites will come to serve at the tent of assembly, and you will purify them, and you ⌞will offer⌟ ▼▼Literally “Aaron will wave”
them as a wave offering. 16For they are given to me exclusively from the midst of the ⌞Israelites⌟. ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
I have taken them for myself in place of the firstborn of every womb, every firstborn from the ⌞Israelites⌟. ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
17For every firstborn among the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
is mine, both humankind and animal. On the day I destroyed every firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them to me, 18and I have taken the Levites in the place of every firstborn among the ⌞Israelites⌟. ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
19And I have given the Levites; they are given to Aaron and his sons from the midst of the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
to do the work of the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
in the tent of the assembly and to make atonement for the ⌞Israelites⌟, ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
so a plague will not be among the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
when the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
come near the sanctuary.” 20And Moses and Aaron and the entire community of the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
did to the Levites; everything that Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
did to them. 21And the Levites purified themselves, and they washed their garments, and ⌞Aaron offered them⌟ ▼▼Literally “Aaron waved them”
as a wave offering ⌞before Yahweh⌟; ▼▼Literally “in the presence of Yahweh”
and Aaron made atonement for them to purify them. 22After this the Levites came to do their work in the tent of assembly before Aaron and his sons. Just as Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levities, so they did to them. 23Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24“This is what is for the Levites: ⌞those twenty-five years old⌟ ▼▼Literally “from a son of twenty-five years”
and above will ▼▼Hebrew “and he will”
come to help with the service in the work of the tent of assembly; 25and ⌞those fifty years old⌟ ▼▼Literally “from a son of fifty years”
will ▼▼Hebrew “he will”
return from the service of the work and will serve no longer. 26They ▼▼Hebrew “he”
can attend ▼▼Or “assist”
their brothers in the tent of assembly to keep their responsibilities, but they ▼▼Hebrew “he”
will not do work. This is what you will do concerning the Levities and their responsibilities.”
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