Placing the Lamps
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell Aaron that when he puts the seven lamps on the lampstand, he should place them so that the light shines toward the front.” 3 Aaron obeyed and placed the lamps facing the front of the lampstand. 4 From top to bottom the lampstand was made of hammered gold, according to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses.
The Purification and Dedication of the Levites
5 The Lord said to Moses, 6 “Separate the Levites from the rest of the people of Israel and purify them 7 in the following way: sprinkle them with the water of purification and have them shave their whole bodies and have them wash their clothes. Then they will be ritually clean. 8 Then they are to take a young bull and the required grain offering of flour mixed with olive oil; and you are to take another bull for the sin offering. 9 Then assemble the whole community of Israel and have the Levites stand in front of the Tent of my presence. 10 The people of Israel are to place their hands on the heads of the Levites, 11 and then Aaron shall dedicate the Levites to me as a special gift from the Israelites, so that they may do my work. 12 The Levites shall then put their hands on the heads of the two bulls; one is to be offered as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, in order to perform the ritual of purification for the Levites.
13 “Dedicate the Levites as a special gift to me, and put Aaron and his sons in charge of them. 14 Separate the Levites in this way from the rest of the Israelites, so that they will belong to me. 15 After you have purified and dedicated the Levites, they will be qualified to work in the Tent. 16 I have claimed them in the place of all the first-born sons of the Israelites, and they belong to me alone. 17 When I killed all the first-born in Egypt, I consecrated as my own the oldest son of each Israelite family and the first-born of every animal. 18 I am now taking the Levites instead of all the first-born of the Israelites, 19 and I assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons, as a gift from the Israelites, to work in the Tent for the people of Israel and to protect the Israelites from the disaster that would strike them if they came too near the Holy Place.”
20 So Moses, Aaron, and all the people of Israel dedicated the Levites, as the Lord commanded Moses. 21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron dedicated them as a special gift to the Lord. He also performed the ritual of purification for them. 22 The people did everything the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites. And so the Levites were qualified to work in the Tent under Aaron and his sons.
23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 “From the age of twenty-five each Levite shall perform his duties in the Tent of my presence, 25 and at the age of fifty he shall retire. 26 After that, he may help his fellow Levites in performing their duties in the Tent, but he must not perform any service by himself. This is how you are to regulate the duties of the Levites.”
1 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 2 Speake vnto Aaron, and say vnto him, When thou lightest the lampes, the seuen lampes shall giue light towarde the forefront of the Candlesticke. 3 And Aaron did so, lighting the lampes thereof towarde ye forefront of the Candlesticke, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 4 And this was the worke of the Candlesticke, euen of golde beaten out with the hammer, both the shafte, and the flowres thereof was beaten out with the hammer: according to the paterne, which the Lord had shewed Moses, so made he the Candlesticke. 5 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 6 Take the Leuites from among the children of Israel, and purifie them. 7 And thus shalt thou doe vnto them, when thou purifiest them, Sprinckle water of purification vpon them, and let them shaue all their flesh, and wash their clothes: so they shalbe cleane. 8 Then they shall take a yong bullocke with his meate offring of fine floure, mingled with oyle, and another yong bullocke shalt thou take for a sinne offring. 9 Then thou shalt bring the Leuites before the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and asseble all the Congregation of the children of Israel. 10 Thou shalt bring the Leuites also before the Lord, and the children of Israel shall put their handes vpon the Leuites. 11 And Aaron shall offer the Leuites before the Lord, as a shake offring of ye childre of Israel, that they may execute the seruice of the Lord. 12 And the Leuites shall put their handes vpon the heades of the bullockes, and make thou the one a sinne offring, and the other a burnt offring vnto the Lord, that thou mayest make an atonement for the Leuites. 13 And thou shalt set the Leuites before Aaron and before his sonnes, and offer the as a shake offring to the Lord. 14 Thus thou shalt separate the Leuites from among the children of Israel, and the Leuites shall be mine. 15 And afterwarde shall the Leuites goe in, to serue in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and thou shalt purifie them and offer them, as a shake offering. 16 For they are freely giuen vnto me from among the children of Israel, for such as open any wombe: for all the first borne of the children of Israel haue I taken them vnto me. 17 For all the first borne of the children of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast: since the day that I smote euery first borne in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for my selfe. 18 And I haue taken the Leuites for all the first borne of the children of Israel, 19 And haue giuen the Leuites as a gift vnto Aaron, and to his sonnes from among the children of Israel, to do the seruice 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 neere vnto the Sanctuarie. 20 Then Moses and Aaron and all the Cogregation of the children of Israel did with the Leuites, according vnto all that the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Leuites: so did the children of Israel vnto them. 21 So the Leuites were purified, and washed their clothes, and Aaron offred them as a shake offring before the Lord, and Aaron made an atonement for them, to purifie them. 22 And after that, went the Leuites in to doe their seruice in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, before Aaron and before his sonnes: as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Leuites, so they did vnto them. 23 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 24 This also belongeth to the Leuites: from fiue and twentie yeere olde and vpwarde, they shall goe in, to execute their office in the seruice of the Tabernacle of the Congregation. 25 And after the age of fiftie yeere, they shall cease from executing the office, and shall serue no more: 26 But they shall minister with their brethre in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, to keepe things committed to their charge, but they shall doe no seruice: thus shalt thou doe vnto the Leuites touching their charges.