The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 ADONAI said to Moshe,
1
The LORD said to Moses,
2 "Tell Aharon, 'When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to cast their light forward, in front of the menorah.'"
2
"Speak to Aaron and tell him: When you set up the seven lamps on the lamp stand, they should light up the area in front of it."
3 Aharon did this: he lit its lamps so as to give light in front of the menorah, as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.
3
So Aaron set up the lamps on the lamp stand to light up the area in front of it, as the LORD commanded Moses.
4 Here is how the menorah was made: it was hammered gold from its base to its flowers, hammered work, following the pattern ADONAI had shown Moshe. This is how he made the menorah.
4
This is how the lamp stand was made: The whole lamp stand, from top to bottom, was hammered out of gold. It was made exactly like the one the LORD had shown Moses.
5 ADONAI said to Moshe,
5
The LORD said to Moses,
6 "Take the L'vi'im from among the people of Isra'el and cleanse them.
6
"Separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and make them clean.
7 Here is how you are to cleanse them: sprinkle the purification water on them, have them shave their whole body with a razor, and have them wash their clothes and cleanse themselves.
7
This is what you must do to make them clean: Sprinkle them with water to take away their sins. Make them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. Then they will be clean.
8 Then they are to take a young bull with its grain offering, which is to be fine flour mixed with olive oil; while you take another bull for a sin offering.
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Next, they must take a young bull and the grain offering of flour mixed with olive oil that is offered with it. You must take a second young bull as an offering for sin.
9 You are to present the L'vi'im in front of the tent of meeting, and assemble the entire community of the people of Isra'el.
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Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting, and assemble the whole community of Israel.
10 You will present the L'vi'im before ADONAI, the people of Isra'el will lay their hands on the L'vi'im,
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Then bring the Levites into the LORD's presence, and the Israelites will place their hands on them.
11 and Aharon will offer the L'vi'im before ADONAI as a wave offering from the people of Isra'el, so that they may do ADONAI's service.
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Aaron will present the Levites to the LORD as an offering from the Israelites. Then they will be ready to do the LORD's work.
12 The L'vi'im will lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; the one you will offer as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to ADONAI to make atonement for the L'vi'im.
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"The Levites will place their hands on the heads of the young bulls. Sacrifice one of them as an offering for sin and the other one as a burnt offering to the LORD. These sacrifices will make peace with the LORD for the Levites.
13 You are to place the L'vi'im before Aharon and his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to ADONAI.
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Make the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and present them as an offering to the LORD.
14 In this way you will separate the L'vi'im from the people of Isra'el, and the L'vi'im will belong to me.
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In this way you will separate the Levites from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.
15 "After that, the L'vi'im will enter and do the service of the tent of meeting. You will cleanse them and offer them as a wave offering,
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"Once you have made them clean and presented them as an offering, the Levites may come and do their work at the tent of meeting.
16 because they are entirely given to me from among the people of Isra'el; I have taken them for myself in place of all those who come first out of the womb, that is, the firstborn males of the people of Isra'el.
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They will be the only Israelites given to me. I have taken them to be mine as substitutes for every firstborn male offspring of the Israelites.
17 For all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el are mine, both humans and animals; on the day I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set them apart for myself.
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Every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal, is mine. The day I killed every firstborn male in Egypt, I set them apart as holy to me.
18 But I have taken the L'vi'im in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el,
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So I have taken the Levites as substitutes for all the firstborn sons of the Israelites.
19 and I have given the L'vi'im to Aharon and his sons from among the people of Isra'el to do the service of the people of Isra'el in the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Isra'el, so that no plague will fall on the people of Isra'el in consequence of their coming too close to the sanctuary."
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The Levites will be the only Israelites I give to Aaron and his sons. They will work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting. They will make peace with the LORD for the Israelites. Then no plague will strike the Israelites when they come near the holy place."
20 This is what Moshe, Aharon and all the community of the people of Isra'el did to the L'vi'im. The people of Isra'el acted in accordance with everything that ADONAI had ordered Moshe in regard to the L'vi'im.
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Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel did what the LORD commanded Moses to do to the Levites.
21 The L'vi'im purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aharon offered them as a holy gift before ADONAI and made atonement for them in order to cleanse them.
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The Levites performed the ceremonies to take away their sins and washed their clothes. Aaron presented them as an offering to the LORD and made peace with the LORD for them in order to make them clean.
22 After that, the L'vi'im came to do their service in the tent of meeting in front of Aharon and his sons; they acted in accordance with ADONAI's orders to Moshe in regard to the L'vi'im.
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After that, the Levites came and did their work at the tent of meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. They did as the LORD had commanded Moses.
23 ADONAI said to Moshe,
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The LORD said to Moses,
24 "Here are instructions concerning the L'vi'im: when they reach the age of twenty-five, they are to begin performing their duties serving in the tent of meeting;
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"These are the instructions for the Levites: Men 25 years old or older are eligible to serve at the tent of meeting.
25 and when they reach the age of fifty, they are to stop performing this work and not serve any longer.
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But when they're 50 years old, they must retire from active service and not work anymore.
26 They will assist their brothers who are performing their duties in the tent of meeting, but they themselves will not do any of the work. This is what you are to do with the L'vi'im in regard to their duties."
26
They may assist the other Levites in their duties at the tent of meeting, but they may not do any regular work. This is how you will handle the Levites' duties."
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.