1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak
unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps
shall give light over against the candlestick.
3 And
Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the
LORD commanded Moses.
4 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.
5 And
the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
6 Take
the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
