The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

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- Kapitel 8 -

(Exodus 25:31–40; Exodus 37:17–24)

Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

“Speak to Aaron. Say to him, ‘The seven lamps must give light in front of the lampstand when you light them.'”

Aaron did this. He lit the lamps on the lampstand to give light toward the front of it, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

The lampstand was made in this way and Yahweh showed Moses the pattern for it. It was to be hammered gold from its base to its top, with hammered cups like blossoms.

Cleansing the Levites

Again, Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

“Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and purify them.

Do this to them to purify them: Sprinkle the water of atonement on them. Make them shave their entire body, wash their clothes, and in this way purify themselves.

Then have them take a young bull and its grain offering of fine flour mingled with oil. Let them take another young bull as a sin offering.

Present the Levites in front of the tent of meeting, and assemble the whole community of the people of Israel.

Present the Levites before me, Yahweh. The people of Israel must lay their hands on the Levites.

Aaron must offer the Levites before Yahweh, as a wave offering from the people of Israel. He must do this so that the Levites may serve me.

The Levites must place their hands on the heads of the bulls. You must offer one bull for a sin offering and the other bull for a burnt offering to me, to atone for the Levites.

Present the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and lift them up as a wave offering to me.

In this way you must separate the Levites from among the people of Israel. The Levites will belong to me.

After that, the Levites must go in to serve in the tent of meeting. You must purify them. You must offer them as a wave offering.

Do this, because they are entirely mine from among the people of Israel. They will take the place of each male child who opens the womb, the firstborn of all the descendants of Israel. I have taken the Levites for myself.

All the firstborn from among the people of Israel are mine, both of people and of animals. On the day that I took the lives of all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set them apart for myself.

I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of all the firstborn.

I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons. I have taken them from among the people of Israel to do the work of the people of Israel in the tent of meeting. I have given them to atone for the people of Israel so that no plague will harm the people when they come near to the holy place.”

Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of the people of Israel did this with the Levites. They did everything that Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites. The people of Israel did this with them.

The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothing, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering to Yahweh and he made atonement for them to cleanse them.

After that, the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before Aaron’s sons. This was as Yahweh had commanded Moses about the Levites. They treated all the Levites in this way.

Retirement for Levites

Yahweh spoke again to Moses. He said,

“All of this is for the Levites who are twenty-five years old and more. They must join the company to serve in the tent of meeting.

They must stop serving in this way at the age of fifty years. At that age they must not serve any longer.

They may help their brothers who continue to work at the tent of meeting, but they must serve no more. You must direct the Levites in all these matters.”

(Exodus 25:31–40; Exodus 37:17–24)

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Speak to Aaron, and tell him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lamp stand.’”

Aaron did so. He lit its lamps to light the area in front of the lamp stand, as the LORD commanded Moses.

This was the workmanship of the lamp stand, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work. He made the lamp stand according to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses.

Cleansing the Levites

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

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

You shall do this to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.

Then let them take a young bull and its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and another young bull you shall take for a sin offering.

You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

You shall present the Levites before the LORD. The children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites,

and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave offering on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of the LORD.

“The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites.

You shall set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to the LORD.

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

“After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. You shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering.

For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me.

For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself.

I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.”

Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel did so to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them.

The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before the LORD and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

After that, the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

Retirement for Levites

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“This is what is assigned to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting;

and from the age of fifty years they shall retire from doing the work, and shall serve no more,

but shall assist their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall perform no service. This is how you shall have the Levites do their duties.”