Numbers 8:1-18 ▼

1 THE LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.

3 And Aaron did so; he lighted the seven lamps thereof in front of the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.

4 And the work of the candlestick was of molten gold; from its base to its flower was of cast work; according to the pattern which the LORD had shown to Moses, so he made the candlestick.

5 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

7 And thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle purifying water upon them, and let them shave all the body, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.

8 Then let them take a young bullock with its meal offering, a dish full of fine flour mixed with oil, and another young bullock shall you offer for a sin offering.

9 And you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation; and you shall gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together;

10 Then you shall bring the Levites before the LORD; and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites;

11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering from the children of Israel, that they may perform the service of the LORD.

12 And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites.

13 And you shall make the Levites stand before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them for an offering to the LORD.

14 Thus shall you separate the Levites from among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine.

15 And after that the Levites shall go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and you shall cleanse them, and offer them for an offering before the LORD.

16 For they are wholly given to me as a gift from among the children of Israel; instead of all that open the womb, even instead of the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them to me.

17 For all the first-born of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast; on the day that I smote every first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.

18 And I have taken the Levites for all the first-born of the children of Israel.