Numbers 8
1Yahweh spoke to Moses:
2“Speak to Aaron and say to 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 the front of the lampstand, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
4This was how the lampstand was made: hammered gold, from its base to its blossoms, all hammered work. He made the lampstand according to the pattern Yahweh had shown Moses.
5Yahweh spoke to Moses:
6“Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them.
7This is what you are to do to cleanse them: sprinkle water of purification on them, and have them pass a razor over their whole bodies, wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.
8They are to take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil. You are to take a second young bull as a purification offering.
9Bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel.
10Bring the Levites before Yahweh, and the sons of Israel are to lay their hands on the Levites.
11Aaron is to present the Levites as a wave offering before Yahweh from the sons of Israel, so that they may do Yahweh’s work.
12The Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. Offer one as a purification 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.
14Separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.
15Afterward the Levites may enter to serve at the tent of meeting, once you have cleansed them and presented them as a wave offering.
16For they are given, wholly given, to me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for myself in place of all who open the womb, every firstborn among the sons of Israel.
17For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is mine, human and animal. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them for myself.
18I took the Levites in place of every firstborn among the sons of Israel.
19I gave the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the sons of Israel, to do the work of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the sons of Israel, so that no plague will fall on the sons of Israel when the sons of Israel approach the sanctuary.”
20Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel did this to the Levites. The sons of Israel did to them everything Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.
21The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Aaron presented them as a wave offering before Yahweh, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.
22Afterward the Levites entered to do their work at the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons. As Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.
23Yahweh spoke to Moses:
24“This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they are to enter the service company for the work of the tent of meeting.
25From fifty years old they are to withdraw from the service company and do that work no longer.
26They may assist their brothers at the tent of meeting in keeping charge, but they must not perform the work. This is how you are to arrange the Levites’ duties.”