Numbers Chapter 8

The Seven Lamps

         8^:1The LORD told Moses ² to have Aaron put up the 7 lamps to shine in front of the lampstand. ³ Aaron did that. ⁴ The lampstand was hammered gold from its base to its flowers in the pattern the LORD showed Moses.                         

Num 8:1-4

The Levites Dedicated

            ⁵ Again the LORD told Moses,

⁶ “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and cleanse them. ⁷ For their cleansing, sprinkle purifying water on them, have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. ⁸ Then have them take a bull with its grain offering—fine flour mixed with olive oil. Take a second bull for a sin offering. ⁹ Present the Levites at the Tent of Meeting and gather the community. ¹⁰ Have them put their hands on the Levites. ¹¹ Then Aaron will present the Levites to the LORD as a wave offering from the people to qualify them to perform service to the LORD. ¹² The Levites will put their hands on the bulls’ heads. They’ll offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, to atone for the Levites. ¹³ Have the Levites stand in the presence of Aaron and his sons to present them as a wave offering to the LORD.                                                                                              

Num 8:5-13

            ¹⁴ “In that way, set the Levites apart from among the Israelites. The Levites will belong to me. ¹⁵ Then they can serve in the Tent of Meeting. But you’ll cleanse them and present them as a wave offering, ¹⁶ because I’ve dedicated them to myself in place of every firstborn in Israel. ¹⁷ Every firstborn belongs to me among people and animals. The day I struck down the firstborn in Egypt, I sanctified them to myself. [ ¹⁸ ] ¹⁹ I’ve given the Levites to Aaron and his sons to perform the service for the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting, and to atone for them so there won’t be a plague on Israel from coming near the sanctuary.”

²⁰ That’s what Moses, Aaron, and the community did with the Levites. ²¹ The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Aaron presented them as a wave offering and atoned for them. ²² Afterwards they went into the Tent of Meeting to perform their service with Aaron and his sons.                                                                                                                           

Num 8:14-22

            ²³ The LORD told Moses,

²⁴ “The Levites will serve in the Tent of Meeting from age 25 to 50 ²⁵ and then retire. ²⁶ They can, however, help their relatives in the Tent of Meeting in keeping an obligation, but they themselves can’t work.”

Num 8:23-26