Numbers 8

1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2“Speak to Aaron, and tell him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lamp stand.’”Cross-references: Ex 25:37 · Ex 37:18 · Ex 37:23 · Ex 40:25 · Lev 24:1 · Lev 24:4 · +9 more

3Aaron did so. He lit its lamps to light the area in front of the lamp stand, as Yahweh commanded Moses.

4This was the workmanship of the lamp stand, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work. He made the lamp stand according to the pattern which Yahweh had shown Moses.Cross-references: Ex 25:9 · Ex 25:18 · Ex 25:31 · Ex 37:7 · Ex 37:17 · 1Chr 28:11 · +2 more

5Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

6“Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.Cross-references: Ex 19:15 · Isa 52:11 · 2Cor 7:1 · James 4:8

7You shall do this to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.Cross-references: Gen 35:2 · Ex 19:10 · Lev 8:6 · Lev 14:7 · Lev 15:6 · Lev 15:10 · +17 more

8Then let them take a young bull and its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and another young bull you shall take for a sin offering.Cross-references: Ex 29:1 · Ex 29:3 · Lev 1:3 · Lev 2:1 · Lev 4:3 · Lev 4:14 · +6 more

9You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel.Cross-references: Ex 29:4 · Ex 40:12 · Lev 8:3

10You shall present the Levites before Yahweh. The children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites,Cross-references: Lev 1:4 · Num 3:45 · Acts 6:6 · Acts 13:2 · 1Tim 4:14 · 1Tim 5:22

11and Aaron shall offer the Levites before Yahweh for a wave offering on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of Yahweh.Cross-references: Ex 29:24 · Lev 7:30 · Lev 8:27 · Lev 8:29 · Num 1:49 · Num 3:5 · +1 more

12“The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to Yahweh, to make atonement for the Levites.Cross-references: Ex 29:10 · Lev 1:4 · Lev 4:20 · Lev 4:35 · Lev 5:7 · Lev 5:9 · +15 more

13You shall set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to Yahweh.Cross-references: Num 8:11 · Num 8:21 · Num 18:6 · Rom 12:1 · Rom 15:16

14Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.Cross-references: Num 3:12 · Num 3:45 · Num 6:2 · Num 8:17 · Num 16:9 · Num 18:6 · +5 more

15“After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. You shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering.Cross-references: Ex 29:24 · Num 3:12 · Num 3:23 · Num 4:3 · Num 8:11 · Num 8:13 · +2 more

16For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me.Cross-references: Num 3:9 · Num 3:12 · Num 3:45

17For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself.Cross-references: Ex 12:29 · Ex 13:2 · Ex 13:12 · Ex 29:44 · Lev 27:14 · Lev 27:26 · +11 more

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

19I 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, so that there will be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.”Cross-references: Num 1:53 · Num 3:6 · Num 16:46 · Num 18:2 · 1Sam 6:19 · 1Chr 23:28 · +2 more

20Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel did so to the Levites. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them.

21The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before Yahweh and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.Cross-references: Num 3:12 · Num 8:7 · Num 8:11 · Num 8:15 · Num 19:12 · Num 19:19

22After that, the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron and before his sons: as Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.Cross-references: Num 8:15 · 2Chr 30:15 · 2Chr 30:27 · 2Chr 31:2 · 2Chr 35:8

23Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

24“This is what is assigned to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting;Cross-references: Num 4:3 · Num 4:23 · 1Chr 23:3 · 1Chr 23:24 · 1Chr 28:12 · 1Cor 9:7 · +4 more

25and from the age of fifty years they shall retire from doing the work, and shall serve no more,Cross-references: Num 4:23 · 2Tim 4:7

26but shall assist their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall perform no service. This is how you shall have the Levites do their duties.”Cross-references: Num 1:53 · Num 3:32 · Num 18:4 · Num 31:30 · 1Chr 23:32 · 1Chr 26:20 · +3 more