| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1The LORD said to Moses, | 1Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 2“Give Aaron the following instructions: When you set up the seven lamps in the lampstand, place them so their light shines forward in front of the lampstand.” | 2“Speak to Aaron and tell him: ‘When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand.’ ” |
| 3So Aaron did this. He set up the seven lamps so they reflected their light forward, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. | 3And Aaron did so; he set up the lamps facing toward the front of the lampstand, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. |
| 4The entire lampstand, from its base to its decorative blossoms, was made of beaten gold. It was built according to the exact design the LORD had shown Moses. The Levites Dedicated | 4This is how the lampstand was constructed: it was made of hammered gold from its base to its blossoms, fashioned according to the pattern the LORD had shown Moses. |
| 5Then the LORD said to Moses, | 5Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, |
| 6“Now set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel and make them ceremonially clean. | 6“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean. |
| 7Do this by sprinkling them with the water of purification, and have them shave their entire body and wash their clothing. Then they will be ceremonially clean. | 7This is what you must do to cleanse them: Sprinkle them with the water of purification. Have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves. |
| 8Have them bring a young bull and a grain offering of choice flour moistened with olive oil, along with a second young bull for a sin offering. | 8Then have them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering. |
| 9Then assemble the whole community of Israel, and present the Levites at the entrance of the Tabernacle. | 9Bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting and assemble the whole congregation of Israel. |
| 10When you present the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel must lay their hands on them. | 10You are to present the Levites before the LORD and have the Israelites lay their hands upon them. |
| 11Raising his hands, Aaron must then present the Levites to the LORD as a special offering from the people of Israel, thus dedicating them to the LORD’s service. | 11Aaron is to present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, so that they may perform the service of the LORD. |
| 12“Next the Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls. Present one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the LORD, to purify the Levites and make them right with the LORD. | 12And the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and offer to the LORD one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites. |
| 13Then have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and raise your hands and present them as a special offering to the LORD. | 13You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and then present them before the LORD as a wave offering. |
| 14In this way, you will set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel, and the Levites will belong to me. | 14In this way you shall separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and the Levites will belong to Me. |
| 15After this, they may go into the Tabernacle to do their work, because you have purified them and presented them as a special offering. | 15After you have cleansed them and presented them as a wave offering, they may come to serve at the Tent of Meeting. |
| 16“Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes. | 16For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel. |
| 17For all the firstborn males among the people of Israel are mine, both of people and of animals. I set them apart for myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. | 17For every firstborn male in Israel is Mine, both man and beast. I set them apart for Myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. |
| 18Yes, I have claimed the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel. | 18But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel. |
| 19And of all the Israelites, I have assigned the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They will serve in the Tabernacle on behalf of the Israelites and make sacrifices to purify the people so no plague will strike them when they approach the sanctuary.” | 19And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to perform the service 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.” |
| 20So Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel dedicated the Levites, carefully following all the LORD’s instructions to Moses. | 20So Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of Israel did with the Levites everything that the LORD had commanded Moses they should do. |
| 21The Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron lifted them up and presented them to the LORD as a special offering. He then offered a sacrifice to purify them and make them right with the LORD. | 21The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them. |
| 22After that the Levites went into the Tabernacle to perform their duties, assisting Aaron and his sons. So they carried out all the commands that the LORD gave Moses concerning the Levites. | 22After that, the Levites came to perform their service at the Tent of Meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Thus they did with the Levites just as the LORD had commanded Moses. |
| 23The LORD also instructed Moses, | 23And the LORD said to Moses, |
| 24“This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty-five, | 24“This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years of age or older shall enter to perform the service in the work at the Tent of Meeting. |
| 25and they must retire at the age of fifty. | 25But at the age of fifty, they must retire from performing the work and no longer serve. |
| 26After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by serving as guards at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service. This is how you must assign duties to the Levites.” | 26After that, they may assist their brothers in fulfilling their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves are not to do the work. This is how you are to assign responsibilities to the Levites.” |
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