Chapter 8

And the LORD spake¹⁷ unto Moses, saying,²

Speak¹⁶ unto Aaron, and say¹ unto him, When thou lightest⁵³ the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light⁵⁵ over against ⁴¹³⁶ the candlestick.

And Aaron did⁴ so; he lighted⁵² the lamps thereof over against ⁶⁴⁴⁰ the candlestick, as the LORD commanded¹⁴ Moses.

And this work of the candlestick [was of] beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, [was] beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed⁵² Moses, so he made¹ the candlestick.

And the LORD spake¹⁷ unto Moses, saying,²

Take³ the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse¹⁴ them.

And thus shalt thou do⁴ unto them, to cleanse¹⁵ them: Sprinkle⁵⁴ water of purifying upon them, and let them shave ^{5674 52} all their flesh, and let them wash¹⁴ their clothes, and [so] make themselves clean.⁹⁸

Then let them take¹ a young ¹¹²¹ bullock with his meat offering, [even] fine flour mingled⁷ with oil, and another young ¹¹²¹ bullock shalt thou take⁴ for a sin offering.

And thou shalt bring⁵² the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:⁵²

And thou shalt bring⁵² the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put¹ their hands upon the Levites:

And Aaron shall offer⁵² the Levites before the LORD [for] an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute² the service of the LORD.

And the Levites shall lay⁴ their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer³ the one [for] a sin offering, and the other [for] a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement¹⁵ for the Levites.

And thou shalt set⁵² the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer⁵² them [for] an offering unto the LORD.

Thus shalt thou separate⁵² the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.

And after that shall the Levites go in⁴ to do the service² of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse¹⁴ them, and offer⁵² them [for] an offering.

For they [are] wholly⁷ given⁷ unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, [even instead of] the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken¹ them unto me.

For all the firstborn of the children of Israel [are] mine, [both] man and beast: on the day that I smote⁵³ every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified⁵² them for myself.

And I have taken⁴ the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

And I have given⁴ the Levites [as] a gift⁷ to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do² the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement¹⁵ for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh² unto the sanctuary.

And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did⁴ to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded¹⁴ Moses concerning the Levites, so did¹ the children of Israel unto them.

And the Levites were purified,¹⁰¹ and they washed¹⁷ their clothes; and Aaron offered⁵⁵ them [as] an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement¹⁷ for them to cleanse¹⁵ them.

And after that went¹ the Levites in to do² their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded¹⁴ Moses concerning the Levites, so did¹ they unto them.

And the LORD spake¹⁷ unto Moses, saying,²

This [is it] that [belongeth] unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in⁴ to wait² upon the service ⁵⁶⁵⁶ of the tabernacle of the congregation:

And from the age of fifty years they shall cease⁴ waiting upon the service [thereof], and shall serve⁴ no more:

But shall minister¹⁴ with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep² the charge, and shall do⁴ no service. Thus shalt thou do⁴ unto the Levites touching their charge.