Aaron Puts the Gold Lamps in Place
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell Aaron to put the seven lamps on the lampstand so they shine toward the front.”
3 Aaron obeyed and placed the lamps as he was told. 4 The lampstand was made of hammered gold from its base to the decorative flowers on top, exactly like the pattern the Lord had described to Moses.
Instructions for Ordaining the Levites
5 The Lord said to Moses:
6 The Levites must be acceptable to me before they begin working at the sacred tent. So separate them from the rest of the Israelites 7 and sprinkle them with the water that washes away their sins. Then have them shave their entire bodies and wash their clothes.
8 They are to bring a bull and its proper grain sacrifice of flour mixed with olive oil. And they must bring a second bull as a sacrifice for sin.
9 Then you, Moses, will call together all the people of Israel and send the Levites to my sacred tent, 10 where the people will place their hands on them. 11 Aaron will present the Levites to me as a gift from the people, so that the Levites will do my work.
12 After this, the Levites are to place their hands on the heads of the bulls. Sacrifice one of the bulls for the forgiveness of sin, and the other to make sure that I am pleased. Then the Levites will be acceptable to me. 13 They will stand at my altar in front of Aaron and his sons, who will dedicate the Levites to me.
14 This ceremony will show that the Levites are different from the other Israelites and belong to me in a special way. 15 After they have been made acceptable and have been dedicated, they will be allowed to work at my sacred tent. 16 They are mine and will take the place of the first-born Israelite sons. 17 When I killed the oldest sons of the Egyptians, I decided that the first-born sons in each Israelite family would be mine, as well as every first-born male from their flocks and herds. 18 But now I have chosen these Levites as substitutes for the first-born sons, 19 and I have given them as gifts to Aaron and his sons to serve at the sacred tent. I will hold them responsible for what happens to anyone who gets too close to the sacred tent.
The Levites Are Dedicated to the Lord
20 Moses, Aaron, and the other Israelites made sure that the Levites did everything the Lord had commanded. 21 The Levites sprinkled themselves with the water of forgiveness and washed their clothes. Then Aaron brought them to the altar and offered sacrifices to forgive their sins and make them acceptable to the Lord. 22 After this, the Levites worked at the sacred tent as assistants to Aaron and his sons, just as the Lord had commanded.
23 The Lord also told Moses, 24-25 “Levites who are between the ages of 25 and 50 must work at my sacred tent. But once they turn 50, they must retire. 26 They may help the other Levites in their duties, but they must no longer be responsible for any work themselves. Remember this when you assign their duties.”
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.