Numbers 8

The LORD spoke to Moses and said, “Speak to Aaron and tell him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light toward the front of the lampstand.’” Aaron did so. He lit its lamps toward the front of the lampstand, as the LORD had commanded Moses. This was the workmanship of the lampstand: hammered gold, from its base to its blossoms it was hammered work. The lampstand was made according to the pattern the LORD had shown Moses. The LORD spoke to Moses and said, “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and cleanse them. This is what you shall do to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification on them. They shall pass a razor over their whole body, wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves. They shall take a young bull and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take a second young bull as a sin offering. Bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the Israelites. Bring the Levites before the LORD, and the Israelites shall lay their hands on the Levites. Aaron shall present the Levites as a wave offering before the LORD on behalf of the Israelites, so that they may perform the service of the LORD. The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. Offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites. Have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and present them as a wave offering to the LORD. Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the Israelites, and the Levites shall be mine. Afterward the Levites shall enter to serve at the Tent of Meeting. You shall have cleansed them and presented them as a wave offering. For they are wholly given to me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for myself in place of all who first open the womb, every firstborn among the Israelites. For every firstborn among the Israelites is mine, both human and animal. On the day I struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them to myself. I have taken the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites. I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to perform the service of the Israelites in the Tent of Meeting and make atonement for the Israelites, so that no plague comes among the Israelites when the Israelites draw near to the sanctuary.” Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of the Israelites did to the Levites according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites. So the Israelites did to them. The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. Afterward the Levites entered to perform their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron and his sons. As the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them. The LORD spoke to Moses and said, “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward, a Levite shall enter the service company for work in the Tent of Meeting. From fifty years old, he shall retire from the service company and no longer perform the work. He shall assist his brothers in the Tent of Meeting in keeping charge, but he must not perform the work. Thus you shall deal with the Levites regarding their duties.”

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