Setting Up the Lamps

The Lord said to Moses, “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)’”

Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses. 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

The Lord said to Moses: “Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.(D) 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) 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) 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.”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 8:8 Or purification offering; also in verse 12

Y HABLO Jehová á Moisés, diciendo:

Habla á Aarón, y dile: Cuando encendieres las lámparas, las siete lámparas alumbrarán frente á frente del candelero.

Y Aarón lo hizo así; que encendió enfrente del candelero sus lámparas, como Jehová lo mandó á Moisés.

Y esta era la hechura del candelero: de oro labrado á martillo; desde su pie hasta sus flores era labrado á martillo: conforme al modelo que Jehová mostró á Moisés, así hizo el candelero.

Y Jehová habló á Moisés, diciendo:

Toma á los Levitas de entre los hijos de Israel, y expíalos.

Y así les harás para expiarlos: rocía sobre ellos el agua de la expiación, y haz pasar la navaja sobre toda su carne, y lavarán sus vestidos, y serán expiados.

Luego tomarán un novillo, con su presente de flor de harina amasada con aceite; y tomarás otro novillo para expiación.

Y harás llegar los Levitas delante del tabernáculo del testimonio, y juntarás toda la congregación de los hijos de Israel;

10 Y cuando habrás hecho llegar los Levitas delante de Jehová, pondrán los hijos de Israel sus manos sobre los Levitas;

11 Y ofrecerá Aarón los Levitas delante de Jehová en ofrenda de los hijos de Israel, y servirán en el ministerio de Jehová.

12 Y los Levitas pondrán sus manos sobre las cabezas de los novillos: y ofrecerás el uno por expiación, y el otro en holocausto á Jehová, para expiar los Levitas.

13 Y harás presentar los Levitas delante de Aarón, y delante de sus hijos, y los ofrecerás en ofrenda á Jehová.

14 Así apartarás los Levitas de entre los hijos de Israel; y serán míos los Levitas

15 Y después de eso vendrán los Levitas á ministrar en el tabernáculo del testimonio: los expiarás pues, y los ofrecerás en ofrenda.

16 Porque enteramente me son á mí dados los Levitas de entre los hijos de Israel, en lugar de todo aquel que abre matriz; helos tomado para mí en lugar de los primogénitos de todos los hijos de Israel.

17 Porque mío es todo primogénito en los hijos de Israel, así de hombres como de animales; desde el día que yo herí todo primogénito en la tierra de Egipto, los santifiqué para mí.

18 Y he tomado los Levitas en lugar de todos los primogénitos en los hijos de Israel.

19 Y yo he dado en don los Levitas á Aarón y á sus hijos de entre los hijos de Israel, para que sirvan el ministerio de los hijos de Israel en el tabernáculo del testimonio, y reconcilien á los hijos de Israel; porque no haya plaga en los hijos de Israel, llegando los hijos de Israel al santuario.

20 Y Moisés, y Aarón, y toda la congregación de los hijos de Israel, hicieron de los Levitas conforme á todas las cosas que mandó Jehová á Moisés acerca de los Levitas; así hicieron de ellos los hijos de Israel.

21 Y los Levitas se purificaron, y lavaron sus vestidos; y Aarón los ofreció en ofrenda delante de Jehová, é hizo Aarón expiación por ellos para purificarlos.

22 Y así vinieron después los Levitas para servir en su ministerio en el tabernáculo del testimonio, delante de Aarón y delante de sus hijos: de la manera que mandó Jehová á Moisés acerca de los Levitas, así hicieron con ellos.

23 Y habló Jehová á Moisés, diciendo:

24 Esto cuanto á los Levitas: de veinte y cinco años arriba entrarán á hacer su oficio en el servicio del tabernáculo del testimonio:

25 Mas desde los cincuenta años volverán del oficio de su ministerio, y nunca más servirán:

26 Pero servirán con sus hermanos en el tabernáculo del testimonio, para hacer la guarda, bien que no servirán en el ministerio. Así harás de los Levitas cuanto á sus oficios.

The Seven Lamps

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you [a]mount the lamps, the seven lamps will (A)give light in the front of the lampstand.’” Aaron therefore did so; he [b]mounted its lamps at the front of the lampstand, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses. (B)Now this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold; from its base to its flowers it was hammered work; (C)according to the pattern which Yahweh had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

Cleansing of the Levites

Again Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and (D)cleanse them. Thus you shall do to them, for their [c]cleansing: sprinkle [d]purifying (E)water on them, and let them [e](F)use a razor over their whole [f]body and (G)wash their clothes, and they will be clean. Then let them take a bull from the herd with (H)its grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and a second bull from the herd you shall take for a sin offering. So (I)you shall bring the Levites near before the tent of meeting. (J)You shall also assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, 10 and bring the Levites near before Yahweh; and the sons of Israel (K)shall lay their hands on the Levites. 11 Aaron then shall [g]present the Levites before Yahweh as a (L)wave offering from the sons of Israel, that they may be qualified to perform the service of Yahweh. 12 Now (M)the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; then offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to Yahweh, to make atonement for the Levites. 13 And you shall have the Levites stand before Aaron and before his sons so as to present them as a wave offering to Yahweh.

14 “Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and (N)the Levites shall be Mine. 15 Then after that the Levites may go in to serve the tent of meeting. But you shall cleanse them and (O)present them as a wave offering; 16 for they are (P)wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself (Q)instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel. 17 For (R)every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the men and among the animals; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself. 18 But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel. 19 (S)And I have given the Levites as [h]a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no (T)plague among the sons of Israel by [i]their coming near to the sanctuary.”

20 Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the sons of Israel to the Levites; according to all that Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them. 21 (U)The Levites, too, purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes; and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before Yahweh. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 Then after that the Levites went in to perform their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons; just as Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

Retirement of the Levites

23 Now Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This is what applies to the Levites: from (V)twenty-five years old and upward [j]they shall enter to perform their duty in the service of the tent of meeting. 25 But at the age of fifty years they shall [k]retire from their duty in the service and not serve anymore. 26 They may, however, minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting (W)in order to keep up their responsibility, but they themselves shall perform no service. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their responsibilities.”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 8:2 Lit raise up
  2. Numbers 8:3 Lit raised up
  3. Numbers 8:7 Lit this their cleansing
  4. Numbers 8:7 Lit water of sin
  5. Numbers 8:7 Lit cause to pass
  6. Numbers 8:7 Lit flesh
  7. Numbers 8:11 Lit wave, so in ch
  8. Numbers 8:19 Lit given ones
  9. Numbers 8:19 Lit the sons of Israel’s
  10. Numbers 8:24 Lit he
  11. Numbers 8:25 Lit return

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto Aaron and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.

And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the Lord commanded Moses.

And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the Lord had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.

Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.

And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:

10 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:

11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the Lord.

12 And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the Lord, to make an atonement for the Levites.

13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the Lord.

14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.

15 And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.

16 For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

17 For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.

18 And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.

20 And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.

21 And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the Lord; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.

22 And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.

23 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

24 This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:

25 And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:

26 But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.