Numbers 8

1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.

3And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof so as to give light in front of the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.

4And this was the work of the candlestick, beaten work of gold; unto the base thereof, and unto the flowers thereof, it was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

5And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

6Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

7And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of expiation upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.

8Then let them take a young bullock, and its meal offering, fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.

9And thou shalt present the Levites before the tent of meeting: and thou shalt assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel:

10and thou shalt present the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites:

11and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave offering, on the behalf of the children of Israel, that they may be to do the service of the LORD.

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

13And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for a wave offering unto the LORD.

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

15And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tent of meeting: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for a wave offering.

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

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

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

19And 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 tent of meeting, and to make 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.

20Thus did Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the Levites: according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses touching the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.

21And the Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before the LORD; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

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

23And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

24This is that which belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service in the work of the tent of meeting:

25and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the work, and shall serve no more;

26but shall minister with their brethren in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charges.