Numbers 8:16-26

16 for by free gift they be given to me (out) of the sons of Israel. I have taken them for the first begotten things that open each womb in Israel; (for they be given to me as a special gift from all the Israelites. I have taken them in place of the first-born males that open every womb in Israel;)
17 for all the first begotten things of the sons of Israel be mine, as well of men as of beasts (for all the first-born males of the Israelites be mine, of people as well as of beasts), (yea,) from the day in which I smote each first engendered (male) thing in the land of Egypt, I [have] hallowed them to me.
18 And I took the Levites for all the first begotten (sons) of the sons of Israel; (And I took the Levites in place of all the first-born sons of the Israelites;)
19 and I gave them by free gift to Aaron and to his sons, from the midst of the people, that they serve me for Israel, in the tabernacle of the bond of peace, and that they pray for them, lest vengeance be in the people, if they be hardy to nigh to the saintuary. (and I gave them as a gift to Aaron and to his sons, out of the midst of the people, to serve me for all the Israelites, in the Tabernacle of the Covenant, and to make amends for them, lest vengeance come upon the people, if they be fool-hardy enough to come near to the sanctuary.)
20 And Moses and Aaron, and all the multitude of the sons of Israel, did upon the Levites those things that the Lord commanded to Moses. (And so Moses and Aaron, and all the multitude of the Israelites, did with the Levites those things that the Lord commanded to Moses.)
21 And (so) the Levites were cleansed, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron raised, or presented, them in the sight of the Lord, and he prayed for them, that they shall be cleansed (and he made amends for them, to purify them),
22 and should enter to their offices into the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace, before Aaron and his sons (and then they entered into the Tabernacle of the Covenant to perform their service, before Aaron and his sons); as the Lord commanded to Moses of the Levites, so it was done.
23 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,
24 This is the law of [the] Levites; from five and twenty years and above they shall enter, for to minister in the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace; (This is the law for the Levites; from twenty-five years of age and older, they shall serve in the Tabernacle of the Covenant;)
25 and when they have filled the fiftieth year of age, they shall cease to serve.
26 And they shall be the ministers of their brethren in the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace, that they keep (watch on) those things that be betaken to them; soothly they shall not do those works, as they did before; thus thou shalt dispose [the] Levites in their keepings. (And afterward, they shall help their brothers in the Tabernacle of the Covenant, and do those tasks that be assigned to them; but they shall not do the work that they did before; thus thou shalt ordain the Levites in their duties.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.