| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, | 1The LORD said to Moses, |
| 2“Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.” | 2“Give Aaron the following instructions: When you set up the seven lamps in the lampstand, place them so their light shines forward in front of the lampstand.” |
| 3And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses. | 3So Aaron did this. He set up the seven lamps so they reflected their light forward, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. |
| 4And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand. | 4The entire lampstand, from its base to its decorative blossoms, was made of beaten gold. It was built according to the exact design the LORD had shown Moses. The Levites Dedicated |
| 5And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, | 5Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 6“Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. | 6“Now set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel and make them ceremonially clean. |
| 7Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. | 7Do this by sprinkling them with the water of purification, and have them shave their entire body and wash their clothing. Then they will be ceremonially clean. |
| 8Then let them take a bull from the herd and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another bull from the herd for a sin offering. | 8Have them bring a young bull and a grain offering of choice flour moistened with olive oil, along with a second young bull for a sin offering. |
| 9And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel. | 9Then assemble the whole community of Israel, and present the Levites at the entrance of the Tabernacle. |
| 10When you bring the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, | 10When you present the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel must lay their hands on them. |
| 11and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the LORD. | 11Raising his hands, Aaron must then present the Levites to the LORD as a special offering from the people of Israel, thus dedicating them to the LORD’s service. |
| 12Then 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 the LORD to make atonement for the Levites. | 12“Next the Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls. Present one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the LORD, to purify the Levites and make them right with the LORD. |
| 13And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the LORD. | 13Then have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and raise your hands and present them as a special offering to the LORD. |
| 14“Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. | 14In this way, you will set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel, and the Levites will belong to me. |
| 15And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering. | 15After this, they may go into the Tabernacle to do their work, because you have purified them and presented them as a special offering. |
| 16For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. | 16“Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes. |
| 17For all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself, | 17For all the firstborn males among the people of Israel are mine, both of people and of animals. I set them apart for myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. |
| 18and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel. | 18Yes, I have claimed the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel. |
| 19And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary.” | 19And of all the Israelites, I have assigned the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They will serve in the Tabernacle on behalf of the Israelites and make sacrifices to purify the people so no plague will strike them when they approach the sanctuary.” |
| 20Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the people of Israel did to them. | 20So Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel dedicated the Levites, carefully following all the LORD’s instructions to Moses. |
| 21And the Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the LORD, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. | 21The Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron lifted them up and presented them to the LORD as a special offering. He then offered a sacrifice to purify them and make them right with the LORD. |
| 22And after that the Levites went in to do 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. | 22After that the Levites went into the Tabernacle to perform their duties, assisting Aaron and his sons. So they carried out all the commands that the LORD gave Moses concerning the Levites. |
| 23And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, | 23The LORD also instructed Moses, |
| 24“This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. | 24“This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty-five, |
| 25And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. | 25and they must retire at the age of fifty. |
| 26They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.” | 26After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by serving as guards at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service. This is how you must assign duties to the Levites.” |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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