Numbers 8 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

The Seven Lamps

1 Then the LORD ^H3068 spoke ^H1696 to Moses ^H4872, saying ^H559,

2 “Speak ^H1696 to Aaron ^H175 and say ^H559 to him, ‘When you [fn]mount ^H5927 the lamps ^H5216, the seven ^H7651 lamps ^H5216 will provide ^H215 light ^H215 in the front ^H4136 H6440 of the lampstand ^H4501.’” 3 Therefore Aaron ^H175 did ^H6213 so ^H3651; he [fn]mounted ^H5927 its lamps ^H5216 at the front ^H6440 of the lampstand ^H4501, just ^H834 as ^H834 the LORD ^H3068 had commanded ^H6680 Moses ^H4872. 4 Now this ^H2088 was the workmanship ^H4639 of the lampstand ^H4501, hammered ^H4749 work ^H4749 of gold ^H2091; from its base ^H3409 to its flower ^H6525 ornamentation ^H6525 it was hammered ^H4749 work ^H4749; according to the [fn]pattern ^H4758 which ^H834 the LORD ^H3068 had shown ^H7200 Moses ^H4872, so ^H3651 he made ^H6213 the lampstand ^H4501.

Cleansing the Levites

5 Again the LORD ^H3068 spoke ^H1696 to Moses ^H4872, saying ^H559,

6 “Take ^H3947 the Levites ^H3881 from among ^H8432 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 and cleanse ^H2891 them. 7 This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 you shall do ^H6213 to them, for their cleansing ^H2891: sprinkle ^H5137 [fn]purifying ^H2891 water ^H4325 on them, and have them [fn]use ^H5674 a razor ^H8593 over ^H5921 their whole ^H3605 [fn]body ^H1320, and they shall wash ^H3526 their clothes ^H899 and cleanse ^H2891 themselves. 8 Then have them take ^H3947 a [fn]bull ^{H6499 H1121 H1241} with its grain offering ^H4503, fine ^H5560 flour ^H5560 mixed ^H1101 with oil ^H8081; and you shall take ^H3947 a second ^H8145 [fn]bull ^H6499 as a sin ^H2403 offering ^H2403. 9 So you shall present ^H7126 the Levites ^H3881 in front ^H6440 of the tent ^H168 of meeting ^H4150. You shall also assemble ^H6950 the whole ^H3605 congregation ^H5712 of the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, 10 and present ^H7126 the Levites ^H3881 before ^H6440 the LORD ^H3068; and the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 shall lay ^H5564 their hands ^H3027 on the Levites ^H3881. 11 Aaron ^H175 then shall [fn]present ^H5130 the Levites ^H3881 before ^H6440 the LORD ^H3068 as a wave ^H8573 offering ^H8573 from the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, so that they may [fn]qualify ^H1961 to perform ^H5647 the service ^H5656 of the LORD ^H3068. 12 Now the Levites ^H3881 shall lay ^H5564 their hands ^H3027 on the heads ^H7218 of the bulls ^H6499; then you are to offer ^H6213 the one ^H259 as a sin ^H2403 offering ^H2403 and the other ^H259 as a burnt ^H5930 offering ^H5930 to the LORD ^H3068, to make ^H3722 atonement ^H3722 for the Levites ^H3881. 13 And you shall have the Levites ^H3881 stand ^H5975 before ^H6440 Aaron ^H175 and his sons ^H1121 so as to present ^H5130 them as a wave ^H8573 offering ^H8573 to the LORD ^H3068.

14 “So you shall single ^H914 out ^H914 the Levites ^H3881 from among ^H8432 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, and the Levites ^H3881 shall be Mine. 15 Then after ^H310 that the Levites ^H3881 may go ^H935 in ^H935 to serve ^H5647 the tent ^H168 of meeting ^H4150. But you shall cleanse ^H2891 them and present ^H5130 them as a wave ^H8573 offering ^H8573; 16 for they are exclusively ^H5414 given ^H5414 to Me from among ^H8432 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478. I have taken ^H3947 them for Myself instead ^H8478 of ^H8478 the firstborn ^H6363 of every ^H3605 womb ^H7358, the firstborn ^H1060 of all ^H3605 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478. 17 For every ^H3605 firstborn ^H1060 among the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 is Mine, among the people ^H120 and among the animals ^H929; on the day ^H3117 that I fatally ^H5221 struck ^H5221 all ^H3605 the firstborn ^H1060 in the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714, I sanctified ^H6942 them for Myself. 18 But I have taken ^H3947 the Levites ^H3881 instead ^H8478 of ^H8478 every ^H3605 firstborn ^H1060 among the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478. 19 And I have given ^H5414 the Levites ^H3881 as [fn]a gift ^H5414 to Aaron ^H175 and to his sons ^H1121 from among ^H8432 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, to perform ^H5647 the service ^H5656 of the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 at the tent ^H168 of meeting ^H4150 and to make ^H3722 atonement ^H3722 on ^H5921 behalf ^H5921 of ^H5921 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, so that there will be no ^H3808 affliction ^H5063 among the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 due to [fn]their approaching ^H5066 the sanctuary ^H6944.”

20 So this is what Moses ^H4872, Aaron ^H175, and all ^H3605 the congregation ^H5712 of the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 did ^H6213 to the Levites ^H3881; according to everything ^H3605 that the LORD ^H3068 had commanded ^H6680 Moses ^H4872 regarding the Levites ^H3881, so ^H3651 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 did ^H6213 to them. 21 The Levites ^H3881, too, purified ^H2398 themselves from ^H2398 sin ^H2398 and washed ^H3526 their clothes ^H899; and Aaron ^H175 presented ^H5130 them as a wave ^H8573 offering ^H8573 before ^H6440 the LORD ^H3068. Aaron ^H175 also made ^H3722 atonement ^H3722 for them to cleanse ^H2891 them. 22 Then after ^H310 that the Levites ^H3881 went ^H935 in ^H935 to perform ^H5647 their service ^H5656 in the tent ^H168 of meeting ^H4150 before ^H6440 Aaron ^H175 and his sons ^H1121; just ^H834 as ^H834 the LORD ^H3068 had commanded ^H6680 Moses ^H4872 concerning ^H5921 the Levites ^H3881, so ^H3651 they did ^H6213 to them.

Retirement for the Levites

23 Now the LORD ^H3068 spoke ^H1696 to Moses ^H4872, saying ^H559,

24 “This ^H2088 is what ^H834 applies to the Levites ^H3881: from twenty-five ^H6242 H2568 years ^H8141 old ^H1121 and upward ^H4605 [fn]they shall enter ^H935 to perform ^H6633 service ^H6635 in the work ^H5656 of the tent ^H168 of meeting ^H4150. 25 But at the age ^H1121 of fifty ^H2572 years ^H8141 they shall [fn]retire ^H7725 from service ^H6635 in the work ^H5656 and not work ^H5647 anymore ^H5750. 26 They may, however, [fn]assist ^H8334 their brothers ^H251 in the tent ^H168 of meeting ^H4150, to fulfill ^H8104 an obligation ^H4931, but they themselves shall do ^H5647 no ^H3808 work ^H5656. In ^H3602 this ^H3602 way ^H3602 you shall deal ^H6213 with the Levites ^H3881 in their obligations ^H4931.”