Numbers 8

1Yahweh said to Moses,

2“Speak to Aaron and tell him, ‘When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light in front of the lampstand.’”

3Aaron did so; he set up its lamps to face forward on the lampstand, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

4This is how the lampstand was made: it was hammered work of gold; from its base to its flowers it was hammered work. He made the lampstand according to the pattern Yahweh had shown Moses.

5Yahweh said to Moses,

6“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them clean.

7This is what you are to do to make them clean: sprinkle the water of purification on them, and have them shave their whole body with a razor and wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.

8Then have them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.

9Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the Israelites.

10When you bring the Levites before Yahweh, the Israelites are to lay their hands on the Levites.

11Aaron is to present the Levites before Yahweh as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may do the work of Yahweh.

12Then the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you are to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to Yahweh, to make atonement for the Levites.

13Have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and present them as a wave offering to Yahweh.

14In this way you are to set the Levites apart from among the Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.

15After that the Levites may go in to serve at the tent of meeting, once you have made them clean and presented them as a wave offering.

16They are wholly given to me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for myself in place of all who first open the womb, the firstborn of all the Israelites.

17For every firstborn among the Israelites is mine, both human and animal. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set them apart for myself.

18And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the Israelites.

19From among the Israelites I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons, to do the work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the Israelites, so that no plague will strike the Israelites when the Israelites come near the sanctuary.”

20Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of the Israelites did this with the Levites. The Israelites did with them everything that Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.

21The Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before Yahweh, and Aaron made atonement for them to make them clean.

22After that the Levites went in to do their work at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning them.

23Yahweh said to Moses,

24“This is the rule for the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they are to come and take their place in the work at the tent of meeting.

25But at fifty years old they are to retire from their work and serve no longer.

26They may assist their fellow Levites at the tent of meeting in carrying out their duties, but they themselves must not do the work. This is how you are to arrange the duties of the Levites.”