Numbers

The Candlestick

The Lord spoke to Moses and said:

“Say this to Aaron: Set up the lamps so that the seven lamps throw their light toward the front of the lampstand.”

Aaron set up the lamps in front of the lampstand, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

This lampstand was made of hammered gold; from its stem to its petals, it was of hammered gold. This lampstand was made according to the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.

Consecration of the Levites

The Lord spoke to Moses and said:

“Separate the Levites from the other Israelites and purify them.

You shall sprinkle them with the water of purification, and they shall shave their bodies all over and wash their clothing. They will then be clean.

They shall next take a young bull, with the accompanying grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take a second young bull for a sacrifice for sin.

Then bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting and call together the whole community of Israel.

When you have brought the Levites before the Lord, the sons of Israel must lay their hands on them.

Aaron shall then offer the Levites, and a gesture of offering, waving them before the Lord on behalf of the Israelites. From that time, they will be dedicated to the service of the Lord.

The Levites must then lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, one of which you are to offer as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord; this is the rite of atonement for the Levites.

Having brought the Levites before Aaron and his sons, you will present them to the Lord and wave them before him.

So you shall set the Levites apart from the rest of the sons of Israel, so that they may be mine.

The Levites may begin their ministry in the Tent of Meeting when you have purified them and offered them with the gesture of offering.

They are given to me from among all the sons of Israel. They are to replace all the firstborn sons of all the Israelites. I have taken them for my own.

For all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, man, and beast, belong to me: the day I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them to myself,

and now, in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, I have taken the Levites.

But now I give them to Aaron and his sons from among the sons of Israel, and they will minister in the Tent of Meeting on behalf of the sons of Israel, and perform the rite of atonement over them, so that none of the sons of Israel may be struck down for approaching the Sanctuary.”

Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of the sons of Israel dealt with the Levites exactly as the Lord had ordered Moses; this is what the sons of Israel did with them.

The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them and waved them before the Lord. Then, he performed the rite of atonement over them.

The Levites were then allowed to perform their ministry in the Tent of Meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. As the Lord had ordered Moses concerning the Levites, so it was done to them.

The Lord spoke to Moses and said:

After the age of fifty, he is no longer bound to the ministry; he shall have no further duties;

“This concerns the Levites. The Levite shall exercise his ministry and do his duties in the Tent of Meeting from twenty-four onward.

but he can still help his brothers perform the services in the Tent of Meeting, though he will no longer have any ministry. See that this is the rule for the ministry of the Levites.”