Numbers 8
International Children’s Bible
The Lampstand
8 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to Aaron. Tell him, ‘Put the seven lamps where they can light the area in front of the lampstand.’”
3 Aaron did this. He put the lamps so they lighted the area in front of the lampstand. He obeyed the command the Lord gave Moses. 4 The lampstand was made from hammered gold. It was gold from its base to the flowers. It was made exactly the way the Lord had showed Moses.
The Levites
5 The Lord said to Moses, 6 “Take the Levites away from the other Israelites and make them clean. 7 This is what you should do to make them clean. Sprinkle the cleansing water on them. Have them shave their bodies and wash their clothes. Then they will be clean. 8 They must take a young bull and the grain offering that goes with it. The grain offering will be flour mixed with oil. Then take another young bull for a sin offering. 9 Bring the Levites to the front of the Meeting Tent. And gather all the Israelites around. 10 Bring the Levites before the Lord. Then the Israelites should put their hands on them.[a] 11 Aaron will present the Levites before the Lord. They will be like an offering presented from the Israelites. Then the Levites will be ready to do the work of the Lord.
12 “The Levites will put their hands on the bulls’ heads. One bull will be a sin offering to the Lord. The other will be a burnt offering. This will remove the sins of the Levites so they will belong to God. 13 Make the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons. Then present the Levites as an offering to the Lord. 14 In this way you must set apart the Levites from the other Israelites. The Levites will be mine.
15 “So make the Levites pure. And present them as an offering. Then they may come to work at the Meeting Tent. 16 They will be given to me from the Israelites. I have taken them for myself. They are mine instead of the firstborn son of every Israelite woman. 17 Every firstborn male in Israel—man or animal—is mine. I killed all the firstborn in Egypt. So now I set them aside for myself. 18 I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn sons in Israel. 19 I have chosen the Levites from all the Israelites. And I have given them to Aaron and his sons. They will serve all the Israelites at the Meeting Tent. They will help remove the Israelites’ sins so they will belong to God. Then no disaster will strike the Israelites when they approach the Holy Place.”
20 So Moses, Aaron and all the Israelites obeyed the Lord. They did with the Levites what the Lord commanded Moses. 21 The Levites made themselves clean and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as an offering to the Lord. Aaron also removed their sins so they would be pure for the Lord. 22 After that, the Levites came to the Meeting Tent to work. Aaron and his sons told them what to do. They did with the Levites what the Lord commanded Moses.
23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 “This command is for the Levites. Every man 25 years old or older must come to the Meeting Tent. They all have a job to do in the work there. 25 At the age of 50, he must retire from his job. He doesn’t have to work again. 26 He may help his fellow Levites with their work at the Meeting Tent. But he must not do the work himself. This is the way you are to give the Levites their jobs.”
Footnotes
- 8:10 put . . . them This showed that the people had a part in giving the Levites their special work.
Bamidbar 8
Orthodox Jewish Bible
[BEHAALOSECHA]
8 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
2 Speak unto Aharon and say unto him, When thou set up the Nerot (lamps), the seven Nerot (lamps) shall cast light in front of the Menorah.
3 And Aharon did so; he set up the Nerot (lamps) thereof to give light in front of the Menorah, as Hashem commanded Moshe.
4 And the Menorah was made thus of hammered zahav, from its base unto its flower was it hammered out; according unto the mar’eh (pattern) which Hashem had shown Moshe, so he made the Menorah.
5 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
6 Take the Levi’im from among the Bnei Yisroel, and make them tahor.
7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to make them tahor: Sprinkle water of purification upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over their basar, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves tahor.
8 Then let them take a young bull with its minchah, even fine flour mixed with shemen, and another young bull shalt thou take for a chattat.
9 And thou shalt bring the Levi’im before the Ohel Mo’ed: and thou shalt gather Kol Adat Bnei Yisroel together;
10 And thou shalt bring the Levi’im before Hashem; and the Bnei Yisroel shall lay their hands upon the Levi’im;
11 And Aharon shall offer the Levi’im before Hashem for a tenufah from the Bnei Yisroel, that they may perform the Avodat Hashem.
12 And the Levi’im shall lay their hands upon the rosh of the bulls; and thou shalt offer the one for a chattat, and the other for an olah, unto Hashem, to make kapporah for the Levi’im.
13 And thou shalt set the Levi’im before Aharon, and before his Banim, and offer them for a tenufah unto Hashem.
14 Thus shalt thou set apart as separate the Levi’im from among the Bnei Yisroel; and the Levi’im shall be Mine.
15 And after that shall the Levi’im go in to do the service of the Ohel Mo’ed; and thou shalt make them tahor and offer them for a tenufah.
16 For they are wholly given unto Me from among the Bnei Yisroel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the Bechor Kol Bnei Yisroel, have I taken them unto Me.
17 For Kol Bechor Bnei Yisroel are Mine, both adam and behemah; on the day that I struck down kol bechor in Eretz Mitzrayim I set them apart as kodesh for Myself.
18 And I have taken the Levi’im tachat (instead of) Kol Bechor Bnei Yisroel.
19 And I have given the Levi’im as a gift to Aharon and to his Banim from among the Bnei Yisroel, to do the Avodat Bnei Yisroel in the Ohel Mo’ed, and to make kapporah for the Bnei Yisroel; so that there be no plague among the Bnei Yisroel, when the Bnei Yisroel come near unto HaKodesh.
20 And Moshe, and Aharon, and Kol Adat Bnei Yisroel, did with the Levi’im according unto all that Hashem commanded Moshe concerning the Levi’im, so did the Bnei Yisroel unto them.
21 And the Levi’im purified themselves, and they immersed their clothes; and Aharon offered them as a tenufah before Hashem; and Aharon made kapporah for them to make them tahor.
22 And after that went the Levi’im in to do their Avodah in the Ohel Mo’ed before Aharon, and before his Banim; just as Hashem had commanded Moshe concerning the Levi’im, so did they with them.
23 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
24 This is it that belongeth unto the Levi’im: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the Avodat Ohel Mo’ed;
25 And from the age of fifty years they shall retire from the service of the Avodah and shall serve no more;
26 But shall assist with their brethren in the Ohel Mo’ed, in performing their duties, and shall do no Avodah. Thus shalt thou do with the Levi’im regarding their duties.
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