| New King James Version | International Standard Version |
| 1And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: | 1The LORD told Moses, |
| 2“Speak to Aaron, and say to him, ‘When you arrange the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.’ ” | 2"Tell Aaron, 'When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps will illuminate the area in front of the lamp stand.'" |
| 3And Aaron did so; he arranged the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses. | 3So Aaron did so, setting up the lamps to illuminate the area in front of the lamp stand, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. |
| 4Now this workmanship of the lampstand was hammered gold; from its shaft to its flowers it was hammered work. According to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand. | 4This was how the lamp stand was crafted from hammered gold: From its base to its flowers, it was made of hammered gold. Moses crafted the lamp stand just as the LORD had showed him. |
| 5Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: | 5Then the LORD told Moses, |
| 6“Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially. | 6"Take the descendants of Levi from the Israelis and purify them. |
| 7Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purification on them, and let them shave all their body, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. | 7This is what you are to do for them in order to purify them: Sprinkle purifying water over them, have them shave their skin, and then have them wash their garments, and they will be purified. |
| 8Then let them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another young bull as a sin offering. | 8They are to take a young bull along with its meal offering made of flour mixed with oil. Then you are to take a second young bull as a sin offering. |
| 9And you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall gather together the whole congregation of the children of Israel. | 9Assemble the descendants of Levi in front of the appointed place of meeting, and assemble the whole congregation of Israel, too. |
| 10So you shall bring the Levites before the LORD, and the children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites; | 10Bring the descendants of Levi into the LORD's presence and have the Israelis lay their hands on the descendants of Levi. |
| 11and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD like a wave offering from the children of Israel, that they may perform the work of the LORD. | 11"Then Aaron is to present the descendants of Levi as a wave offering before the LORD from the Israelis, because they are to work in the service of the LORD. |
| 12Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls, and you shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites. | 12The descendants of Levi are then to lay their hands on the head of the bulls, offering one for a sin offering and the other one for a burnt offering to the LORD to atone for the descendants of Levi. |
| 13“And you shall stand the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and then offer them like a wave offering to the LORD. | 13You are to make the descendants of Levi stand in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Then you are to wave them as wave offerings to the LORD. |
| 14Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine. | 14This is how you are to separate the descendants of Levi from among the Israelis. The descendants of Levi belong to me. |
| 15After that the Levites shall go in to service the tabernacle of meeting. So you shall cleanse them and offer them like a wave offering. | 15"After this, the descendants of Levi are to come to serve at the appointed place of meeting, after you have purified them and presented them as wave offerings, |
| 16For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel. | 16since they've been set apart for me from among the Israelis. I've taken them for myself instead of the first to open the womb—every firstborn of the Israelis, |
| 17For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast; on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them to Myself. | 17since every firstborn of Israel belongs to me, from human beings to livestock. On the same day that I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them to myself, |
| 18I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel. | 18taking the descendants of Levi instead of every firstborn of the Israelis. |
| 19And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the work for the children of Israel in the tabernacle of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near the sanctuary.” | 19I've set the descendants of Levi apart from the Israelis so that Aaron and his sons would work in service at the appointed place of meeting, making atonement on behalf of the Israelis so that there won't be a plague among the Israelis whenever they approach the sanctuary." |
| 20Thus Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel did to the Levites; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them. | 20So Moses and Aaron and the Israelis did this on behalf of the descendants of Levi. The Israelis did everything that the LORD commanded concerning the descendants of Levi. |
| 21And the Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented them like a wave offering before the LORD, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. | 21The descendants of Levi therefore purified themselves, washed their clothes, and then Aaron presented them as wave offerings to the LORD. Aaron provided atonement for them to purify them. |
| 22After that the Levites went in to do their work in the tabernacle of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them. | 22After this, the descendants of Levi entered into their work of service at the appointed place, in the presence of Aaron and his sons. They did everything that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the descendants of Levi. |
| 23Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, | 23Later, the LORD told Moses, |
| 24“This is what pertains to the Levites: From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting; | 24"Now regarding a descendant of Levi who is 25 years and above, he is to enter work in the service at the appointed place of meeting, |
| 25and at the age of fifty years they must cease performing this work, and shall work no more. | 25but starting at 50 years of age, he is to retire from service and is no longer to work. |
| 26They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties.” | 26He may minister to his brothers at the Tent of Meeting by keeping watch, but he is not to engage in service. This is how you are to act with respect to the obligations of the descendants of Levi." |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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