New International Version NIV
Common English Bible CEB
1 The LORD said to Moses,
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The LORD spoke to Moses:
2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand.’ ”
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Speak to Aaron and say to him: When you set them up, the seven lamps will give light in front of the lampstand.
3 Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the LORD commanded Moses.
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Aaron did so. He set up its lamps in front of the lampstand as the LORD commanded Moses.
4 This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold—from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the LORD had shown Moses.
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This is how the lampstand was made: it was hammered gold; from its base to its flower it was hammered. Moses made the lampstand according to the vision that the LORD had shown Moses.
5 The LORD said to Moses:
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The LORD spoke to Moses:
6 “Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.
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Separate the Levites from the Israelites and cleanse them.
7 To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. And so they will purify themselves.
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This is what you will do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purification on them, have them shave their bodies, wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.
8 Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil; then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.
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They will take a bull from the herd, with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil. You will take a second bull from the herd for a purification offering.
9 Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting and assemble the whole Israelite community.
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You will bring the Levites before the meeting tent and gather the entire Israelite community.
10 You are to bring the Levites before the LORD, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them.
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Then you will bring the Levites into the LORD's presence, and the Israelites will lay their hands on the Levites.
11 Aaron is to present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the LORD.
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Aaron will present the Levites as an uplifted offering in the LORD's presence from the Israelites so that they may do the LORD's service.
12 “Then the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, using one for a sin offering to the LORD and the other for a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites.
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Then the Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and Aaron will offer one as a purification offering and the other as an entirely burned offering to the LORD in order to seek reconciliation for the Levites.
13 Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to the LORD.
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You will have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and you will present them as an uplifted offering to the LORD.
14 In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.
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You will separate the Levites from the Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.
15 “After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting.
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The Levites will enter to serve the meeting tent, after you have cleansed them and presented them as an uplifted offering.
16 They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman.
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They are given over to me from the Israelites in place of all the newborn, the oldest of all the Israelites. I take them for myself.
17 Every firstborn male in Israel, whether human or animal, is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself.
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Every oldest male among the Israelites is mine, whether human or animal. When I killed all the oldest males in the land of Egypt, I dedicated them to myself.
18 And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel.
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I have taken the Levites in place of all the oldest among the Israelites.
19 From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”
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I have selected the Levites from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons to perform the service of the Israelites in the meeting tent and to seek reconciliation for the Israelites so that there will not be a plague when the Israelites approach the sanctuary.
20 Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the LORD commanded Moses.
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Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community carried out for the Levites everything the LORD had commanded Moses. That is what the Israelites did for the Levites.
21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD and made atonement for them to purify them.
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The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Aaron presented them as an uplifted offering in the LORD's presence, and he sought reconciliation for them in order to cleanse them.
22 After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the LORD commanded Moses.
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After this the Levites went in to perform their service in the meeting tent before Aaron and his sons. They did for the Levites just as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning them.
23 The LORD said to Moses,
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The LORD spoke to Moses:
24 “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting,
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This rule applies to the Levites: Everyone 25 years old and above will enter into service, performing the duties for the meeting tent.
25 but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer.
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At 50 years old each will retire from service. They will perform their duties no longer.
26 They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”
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Each may assist his fellow Levites in the meeting tent with some responsibilities, but he may not perform service. This is how you should assign responsibilities to the Levites.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible