| NET Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The LORD spoke to Moses: | 1The LORD spoke to Moses: |
| 2"Speak to Aaron and tell him, 'When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light in front of the lampstand.'" | 2"Speak to Aaron and tell him: When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light in front of the lampstand." |
| 3And Aaron did so; he set up the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses. | 3So Aaron did this; he set up its lamps to give light in front of the lampstand just as the LORD had commanded Moses. |
| 4This is how the lampstand was made: It was beaten work in gold; from its shaft to its flowers it was beaten work. According to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand. | 4This is the way the lampstand was made: it was a 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. |
| 5Then the LORD spoke to Moses: | 5The LORD spoke to Moses: |
| 6"Take the Levites from among the Israelites and purify them. | 6"Take the Levites from among the Israelites and ceremonially cleanse them. |
| 7And do this to them to purify them: Sprinkle water of purification on them; then have them shave all their body and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves. | 7Do this to them for their purification: Sprinkle them with the purification water. Have them shave their entire bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves. |
| 8Then they are to take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with olive oil; and you are to take a second young bull for a purification offering. | 8"They are to take a young bull and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering. |
| 9You are to bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the entire community of the Israelites. | 9Bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the entire Israelite community. |
| 10Then you are to bring the Levites before the LORD, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on the Levites; | 10Then present the Levites before the LORD, and have the Israelites lay their hands on them. |
| 11and Aaron is to offer the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the Israelites, that they may do the work of the LORD. | 11Aaron is to present the Levites before the LORD as a presentation offering from the Israelites, so that they may perform the LORD's work. |
| 12When the Levites lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, offer the one for a purification offering and the other for a whole burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites. | 12Next the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. Sacrifice one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites. |
| 13You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and then offer them as a wave offering to the LORD. | 13"You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and you are to present them before the LORD as a presentation offering. |
| 14And so you are to separate the Levites from among the Israelites, and the Levites will be mine. | 14In this way you are to separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites so that the Levites will belong to me. |
| 15"After this, the Levites will go in to do the work of the tent of meeting. So you must cleanse them and offer them like a wave offering. | 15After that the Levites may come to serve at the tent of meeting, once you have ceremonially cleansed them and presented them as a presentation offering. |
| 16For they are entirely given to me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn sons of all the Israelites. | 16For they have been exclusively assigned to me from the Israelites. I have taken them for myself in place of all who come first from the womb, every Israelite firstborn. |
| 17For all the firstborn males among the Israelites are mine, both humans and animals; when I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I set them apart for myself. | 17For every firstborn among the Israelites is mine, both man and animal. I consecrated them to myself on the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt. |
| 18So I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn sons among the Israelites. | 18But I have taken the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites. |
| 19I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to do the work for the Israelites in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the Israelites, so there will be no plague among the Israelites when the Israelites come near the sanctuary." | 19From the Israelites, I have given the Levites exclusively to Aaron and his sons to perform the work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary." |
| 20So Moses and Aaron and the entire community of the Israelites did this with the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, this is what the Israelites did with them. | 20Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community did this to the Levites. The Israelites did everything to them the LORD commanded Moses regarding the Levites. |
| 21The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothing; then Aaron presented them like a wave offering before the LORD, and Aaron made atonement for them to purify them. | 21The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented them before the LORD as a presentation offering. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them ceremonially. |
| 22After this, the Levites went in to do their work in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons. As the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did. | 22After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. So they did to them as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites. |
| 23Then the LORD spoke to Moses: | 23The LORD spoke to Moses: |
| 24"This is what pertains to the Levites: At the age of twenty-five years and upward one may begin to join the company in the work of the tent of meeting, | 24"In regard to the Levites: From twenty-five years old or more, a man enters the service in the work at the tent of meeting. |
| 25and at the age of fifty years they must retire from performing the work and may no longer work. | 25But at fifty years old he is to retire from his service in the work and no longer serve. |
| 26They may assist their colleagues in the tent of meeting, to attend to needs, but they must do no work. This is the way you must establish the Levites regarding their duties." | 26He may assist his brothers to fulfill responsibilities at the tent of meeting, but he must not do the work. This is how you are to deal with the Levites regarding their duties." |
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