The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
New Living Translation NLT
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
“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.”
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 did this. He set up the seven lamps so they reflected their light forward, just as the LORD had 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
The 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.
5 ADONAI said to Moshe,
5
Then the LORD said to Moses,
6 "Take the L'vi'im from among the people of Isra'el and cleanse them.
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“Now set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel and make them ceremonially 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
Do 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.
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.
8
Have 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.
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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Then assemble the whole community of Israel, and present the Levites at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
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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When you present the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel must lay 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.
11
Raising 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.
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.
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 .
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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Then 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 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.
14
In this way, you will set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel, and the Levites will belong to me.
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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After this, they may go into the Tabernacle to do their work, because you have purified them and presented them as a special offering.
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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“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.
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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For 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.
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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Yes, I have claimed the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel.
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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And 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.”
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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So Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel dedicated the Levites, carefully following all the LORD ’s instructions to Moses.
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.
21
The 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 .
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 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.
23 ADONAI said to Moshe,
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The LORD also instructed 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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“This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty-five,
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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and they must retire at the age of fifty.
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
After 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.”
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.