Numbers 8
8
Preparing the Lamps
1The Lord said to Moses, 2“Give Aaron the following instructions: When you set up the seven lamps in the lampstand, place them so their light shines forward in front of the lampstand.” 3So Aaron did this. He set up the seven lamps so they reflected their light forward, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 4The entire lampstand, from its base to its decorative blossoms, was made of beaten gold. It was built according to the exact design the Lord had shown Moses.
The Levites Dedicated
5Then the Lord said to Moses, 6“Now set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel and make them ceremonially clean. 7Do this by sprinkling them with the water of purification, and have them shave their entire body and wash their clothing. Then they will be ceremonially clean. 8Have them bring a young bull and a grain offering of choice flour moistened with olive oil, along with a second young bull for a sin offering. 9Then assemble the whole community of Israel, and present the Levites at the entrance of the Tabernacle.#8:9 Hebrew the Tent of Meeting; also in 8:15, 19, 22, 24, 26. 10When you present the Levites before the Lord, the people of Israel must lay their hands on them. 11Raising his hands, Aaron must then present the Levites to the Lord as a special offering from the people of Israel, thus dedicating them to the Lord’s service.
12“Next the Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls. Present one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to purify the Levites and make them right with the Lord.#8:12 Or to make atonement for the Levites. 13Then have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and raise your hands and present them as a special offering to the Lord. 14In this way, you will set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel, and the Levites will belong to me. 15After this, they may go into the Tabernacle to do their work, because you have purified them and presented them as a special offering.
16“Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes. 17For all the firstborn males among the people of Israel are mine, both of people and of animals. I set them apart for myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. 18Yes, I have claimed the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel. 19And of all the Israelites, I have assigned the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They will serve in the Tabernacle on behalf of the Israelites and make sacrifices to purify#8:19 Or make atonement for. the people so no plague will strike them when they approach the sanctuary.”
20So Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel dedicated the Levites, carefully following all the Lord’s instructions to Moses. 21The Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron lifted them up and presented them to the Lord as a special offering. He then offered a sacrifice to purify them and make them right with the Lord.#8:21 Or then made atonement for them to purify them. 22After that the Levites went into the Tabernacle to perform their duties, assisting Aaron and his sons. So they carried out all the commands that the Lord gave Moses concerning the Levites.
23The Lord also instructed Moses, 24“This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty-five, 25and they must retire at the age of fifty. 26After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by serving as guards at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service. This is how you must assign duties to the Levites.”
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Numbers 8
8
Arrangement of the Lamps
1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2“Speak to Aaron, and say to him, ‘When you #Lev. 24:2–4arrange the lamps, the seven #Ex. 25:37; 40:25lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.’ ” 3And Aaron did so; he arranged the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses. 4#Ex. 25:31Now this workmanship of the lampstand was hammered gold; from its shaft to its flowers it was #Ex. 25:18hammered work. #Ex. 25:40; Acts 7:44According to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.
Cleansing and Dedication of the Levites
5Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 6“Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially. 7Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: #Num. 19:9, 13, 17, 20; Ps. 51:2, 7; (Heb. 9:13, 14)Sprinkle water of purification on them, and #Lev. 14:8, 9let them shave all their body, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. 8Then let them take a young bull with #Lev. 2:1; Num. 15:8–10its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another young bull as a sin offering. 9#Ex. 29:4; 40:12And you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of meeting, #Lev. 8:3and you shall gather together the whole congregation of the children of Israel. 10So you shall bring the Levites before the Lord, and the children of Israel #Lev. 1:4shall lay their hands on the Levites; 11and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord like a #Num. 18:6wave offering from the children of Israel, that they may perform the work of the Lord. 12#Ex. 29:10Then 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.
13“And you shall stand the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and then offer them like a wave offering to the Lord. 14Thus you shall #Num. 16:9separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be #Num. 3:12, 45; 16:9Mine. 15After that the Levites shall go in to service the tabernacle of meeting. So you shall cleanse them and #Num. 8:11, 13offer them like a wave offering. 16For they are #Num. 3:9wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself #Ex. 13:2; Num. 3:12, 45instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel. 17#Ex. 12:2, 12, 13, 15; Num. 3:13; Luke 2:23For 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. 18I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel. 19And #Num. 3:9I 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, #Num. 1:53; 16:46; 18:5; 2 Chr. 26:16that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near the sanctuary.”
20Thus 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. 21#Num. 8:7And 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. 22#Num. 8:15After that the Levites went in to do their work in the tabernacle of meeting before Aaron and his sons; #Num. 8:5as the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.
23Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24“This is what pertains to the Levites: #Num. 4:3; 1 Chr. 23:3, 24, 27From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting; 25and at the age of fifty years they must cease performing this work, and shall work no more. 26They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, #Num. 1:53to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties.”
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