Setting Up the Lamps

8 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand.^(A)’”

³ Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses. ⁴ This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold^(B)—from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern^(C) the Lord had shown Moses.

The Setting Apart of the Levites

⁵ The Lord said to Moses: ⁶ “Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.^{(D) 7} To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing^(E) on them; then have them shave their whole bodies^(F) and wash their clothes.^(G) And so they will purify themselves.^{(H) 8} Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil;^(I) then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.^{[a](J) 9} Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting^(K) and assemble the whole Israelite community.^{(L) 10} You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them.^{(M) 11} Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering^(N) from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the Lord.

¹² “Then the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls,^(O) using one for a sin offering^(P) to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering,^(Q) to make atonement^(R) for the Levites. ¹³ Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering^(S) to the Lord. ¹⁴ In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.^(T)

¹⁵ “After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering,^(U) they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting.^{(V) 16} They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn,^(W) the first male offspring^(X) from every Israelite woman. ¹⁷ Every firstborn male in Israel, whether human or animal,^(Y) is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself.^{(Z) 18} And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel.^{(AA) 19} From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons^(AB) to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites^(AC) and to make atonement for them^(AD) so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”

²⁰ Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses. ²¹ The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes.^(AE) Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement^(AF) for them to purify them.^{(AG) 22} After that, the Levites came to do their work^(AH) at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses.

²³ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁴ “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more^(AI) shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting,^{(AJ) 25} but at the age of fifty,^(AK) they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. ²⁶ They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work.^(AL) This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”

Psalm 44^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.^[b]

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6 Therefore let us move beyond^(A) the elementary teachings^(B) about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,^[a](C) and of faith in God, ² instruction about cleansing rites,^[b](D) the laying on of hands,^(E) the resurrection of the dead,^(F) and eternal judgment. ³ And God permitting,^(G) we will do so.

⁴ It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened,^(H) who have tasted the heavenly gift,^(I) who have shared in the Holy Spirit,^{(J) 5} who have tasted the goodness^(K) of the word of God^(L) and the powers of the coming age ⁶ and who have fallen^[c] away, to be brought back to repentance.^(M) To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God^(N) all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. ⁷ Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. ⁸ But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed.^(O) In the end it will be burned.

⁹ Even though we speak like this, dear friends,^(P) we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. ¹⁰ God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.^{(Q) 11} We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope^(R) for may be fully realized. ¹² We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate^(S) those who through faith and patience^(T) inherit what has been promised.^(U)

The Certainty of God’s Promise

¹³ When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,^{(V) 14} saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”^{[d](W) 15} And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.^(X)

¹⁶ People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.^{(Y) 17} Because God wanted to make the unchanging^(Z) nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised,^(AA) he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸ God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie,^(AB) we who have fled to take hold of the hope^(AC) set before us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,^{(AD) 20} where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.^(AE) He has become a high priest^(AF) forever, in the order of Melchizedek.^(AG)