The Lighting in the Tabernacle
1The Lord spoke to Moses:
2“Speak to Aaron and tell him: When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light in front of the lampstand.”
3So Aaron did this; he set up its lamps to give light in front of the lampstand just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
4This is the way the lampstand was made: it was a hammered work of gold, hammered from its base to its flower petals. The lampstand was made according to the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.8:2–4 Ex 25:31–40
Consecration of the Levites
5The Lord spoke to Moses:
6“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and ceremonially cleanse them.
8“They are to take a young bull and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.
9Bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the entire Israelite community.8:9 Ex 29:4; Lv 8:1–6
10Then present the Levites before the Lord, and have the Israelites lay their hands on them.
13“You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and you are to present them before the Lord as a presentation offering.
14In this way you are to separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites so that the Levites will belong to me.8:14 Nm 3:12,45; 16:8–9
15After that the Levites may come to serve at the tent of meeting, once you have ceremonially cleansed them and presented them as a presentation offering.8:15 Ex 29:26–27; Lv 8:26–29; Nm 6:20
16For they have been exclusively assigned to me from the Israelites.8:16 Nm 3:9; 18:6 I have taken them for myself in place of all who come first from the womb, every Israelite firstborn.8:16 Ex 13:2,12,15; 32:26–29; Nm 3:6,12–13,41–45; 8:16–19; 18:1; Dt 10:8–9; 18:1–2; 21:5
17For every firstborn among the Israelites is mine, both man and animal. I consecrated them to myself8:17 Ex 13:1–2,11–12,15–16 on the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt.
18But I have taken the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites.
19From the Israelites, I have given the Levites exclusively to Aaron and his sons to perform the work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”8:19 Nm 1:51,53; 16:1–3,32–50; 18:1–7
20Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community did this to the Levites. The Israelites did everything to them the Lord commanded Moses regarding the Levites.
21The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented8:21 Lit waved them before the Lord as a presentation offering. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them ceremonially.
22After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. So they did to them as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.
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