The Lampstand
(Exodus 25:31–40; Exodus 37:17–24)

1And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you lift up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light to the front of the face of the lampstand.’”

3And Aaron did so. He lifted up the lamps toward the front face of the lampstand, as YHWH had commanded Moses.

4And this was the workmanship of the lampstand: Hammered gold—from its shaft to its flowers it was hammered work; according to the pattern that YHWH had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

Cleansing the Levites

5And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them. 7Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle on them waters of purification, and let a razor pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes and make themselves clean.

8And let them take a bull, a son of the herd, and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with the oil; and a second bull, a son of the herd, you shall take as a sin offering. 9And you shall bring the Levites before the face of the Tent of Meeting, and you shall gather together all the congregation of the sons of Israel. 10And you shall bring the Levites before the face of YHWH, and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites. 11And Aaron shall offer the Levites a wave offering before the face of YHWH from the sons of Israel, that they may perform the service of YHWH. 12And the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the one for a burnt offering to YHWH, to make atonement upon the Levites.

13And you shall stand the Levites before the face of Aaron and his sons, and wave them as a wave offering to YHWH. 14And you shall separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be unto Me. 15And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the Tent of Meeting. And you shall cleanse them and offer them as a wave offering.

16For they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. Instead of him who opens every womb—the firstborn of all the sons of Israel—I have taken them for Myself. 17For Mine are all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, the man and the beast. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them to Myself. 18And I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the sons of Israel. 19And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the sons of Israel, to do the work of the sons of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement upon the sons of Israel, and there will be no plague among the sons of Israel at the coming of the sons of Israel to the sanctuary.”

20And Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the sons of Israel did to the Levites according to all that YHWH commanded Moses concerning the Levites; so the sons of Israel did to them. 21And the Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the face of YHWH, and Aaron made atonement upon them to cleanse them. 22And after that, the Levites went in to do their work in the Tent of Meeting before the face of Aaron and his sons. As YHWH commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

Retirement for Levites

23And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 24“This is what is unto the Levites: From a son of five and twenty years and above, one may enter to perform the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting. 25And from a son of fifty years, they must cease from the host of the service, and shall not serve anymore.

26And they may minister with their brothers in the Tent of Meeting to keep the charge, and they shall not do work. Thus you shall do for the Levites in their duties.”