The Holy Bible

Setting up the Lamps

Lord said to Moses,  2  “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light in front of the lampstand’.”

3 And Aaron did so; he set up its lamps to give light at the front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses.  4  This is how the lampstand was made: it was made out of hammered work of gold, hammered from its base to its flower petals. The lampstand was made according to the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.

Consecration of the Levites

5 The Lord said to Moses,  6  “Take the Levites from among the other Israelites and ceremonially cleanse them.  7  This is what you must do to purify them: Sprinkle the water of purification on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.

8 “Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil; and you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.  9  Bring the Levites to the front of the Tent of Meeting and assemble the whole Israelite community.  10  Then present the Levites before the Lord, and have the Israelites lay their hands on the Levites.  11  Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may carry out the Lord’s work.

• The Lord instructed Moses about the regulations for consecrating the priests.

Bible illustration © Sweet Publishing

12  “The Levites are to then lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. One is to be offered as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites.  13  You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and you are to present them as a wave offering to the Lord.  14  In this way you will separate the Levites from among the rest of the Israelites, and the Levites will be Mine.

15  “After you have cleansed the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they may go in to do service at the Tent of Meeting.  16  For they are wholly given to Me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who open the womb, every Israelite firstborn.  17  For all the firstborn among the Israelites is Mine, whether man and animal. On the day I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set them apart for Myself.  18  But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites.  19  Of all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons to perform the work at the Tent of Meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike down the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”

20  Moses, Aaron, and the whole Israelite community did this with the Levites. According to everything that the Lord commanded the Levites, the Israelites did to them.  21  The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.  22  After that the Levites went in to perform their work in the Tent of Meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

23  The Lord said to Moses,  24  “This applies to the Levites: Men from twenty-five years old or more shall come to perform the service of the Tent of Meeting,  25  and at the age of fifty years they are to retire from their service in the work and serve no more.  26  They may assist their brothers in performing their duties in the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This is how you are to deal with the Levites regarding their duties.”