Numbers 8

1 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, communicate] to Moses [the Israelite leader, deliverer of God’s people], word study 2 “Speak [to communicate, declare] to Aaron [the brother of Moses, the first high priest] and tell him [instruct, command]: ‘When you set up [arrange, establish] the seven lamps [devices for giving light, illumination], they are to light [shine, give light] the area [space, region] in front of [opposite, before] the lampstand.’” word study 3 And Aaron [the first high priest] did so; he set up [lit the lamps of, lighted] the lamps [devices that hold a flame, providing light] facing toward [over against, opposite] the front [presence, face] of the lampstand [candlestick, a chandelier], just as [in accordance with] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had commanded [given orders, appointed] Moses. word study 4 This is how the lampstand [candlestick, chandelier] was constructed: it was made of hammered [beaten, molded] gold [a valuable, brilliant metal] from its base [foundation, bottom] to its blossoms [flowers, decorations], fashioned according to the pattern [design, blueprint] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] had shown Moses [the Israelite leader, prophet]. word study 5 Again the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] spoke [to communicate, to command] to Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s chosen servant], saying [to declare, to command], word study 6 “Take [separate, set apart] the Levites [descendants of Levi, a tribe of Israel] from among [in the midst of] the Israelites [children of Israel, God’s chosen people] and make [cleanse, purify] them [ritually pure] ceremonially clean. word study 7 This is what you must do to [ritually] cleanse them: Sprinkle them with the [holy, purifying] water of purification [for sin]. Have them shave their whole bodies [with a razor, completely] and wash their clothes [garments, robes], and so [morally and ceremonially] purify themselves [be clean, free from guilt]. word study 8 Then have them take [get, acquire] a young bull [ox, cattle] with its grain offering [meal offering, gift] of fine flour [crushed grain, wheat] mixed [blended, combined] with oil [olive oil, anointing oil], and you are to take [receive, obtain] a second [another, additional] young bull [ox, cattle] for a sin [guilt, punishment] offering [sacrifice, atonement]. word study 9 Bring the Levites [descendants of Levi, the priestly tribe] before the Tent [tabernacle, sacred dwelling] of Meeting [appointed gathering place, sacred season] and assemble [gather, convene] the whole congregation [gathering, assembly] of Israel [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob]. word study 10 You are to present [bring near, approach] the Levites [descendants of Levi, set apart for God’s service] before the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] and have the Israelites [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob] lay [place, rest] their hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] upon [on, over, or to support] them. word study 11 Aaron [the first high priest] is to present the Levites [descendants of Levi, set apart for God’s service] before the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] as a wave offering [a shake offring] from the sons [descendants, children] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s chosen people], so that they may perform [execute, carry out] the service [ministry, work] of the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God]. word study 12 And the Levites [descendants of Levi, a tribe of Israel] are to lay their hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] on the heads of the bulls [young oxen, used for sacrifice], and offer to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] one as a sin offering [a sacrifice to atone for guilt] and the other as a burnt offering [a sacrifice completely consumed by fire], to make atonement [to cover or purify] for the Levites [the tribe of Levi, set apart for God’s service]. word study 13 You are to have the Levites [descendants of Levi, the priestly tribe] stand [in a strong sense, like in Exodus 17:12] before Aaron [the brother of Moses and first high priest] and his sons [descendants, or spiritual leaders] and then present them [as an offering, a gift to God] before the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] as a wave offering [a specific type of offering, where a portion is waved before God]. word study 14 In this way [thus, by this ritual] you shall separate [set apart, distinguish] the Levites [descendants of Levi, a tribe set apart for God’s service] from the rest of the Israelites [the children of Israel, God’s chosen people], and the Levites will belong [be mine, be dedicated] to Me [as my special possession, for my service]. word study 15 After you have [thoroughly, ceremonially] cleansed them and presented them as a [special, ceremonial] wave offering [a gift lifted up to God], they may come to [faithfully, obediently] serve at the [sacred, appointed] Tent of Meeting [the place of divine presence, the tabernacle]. word study 16 For the Levites [wholly given, completely dedicated] have been wholly given [set apart, dedicated] to Me from among the sons [descendants, people] of Israel. I have taken [received, accepted] them for Myself in place of [instead of, as a substitute for] all who come first [open, are the first to come out] from the womb [the place of birth, the mother’s body], the firstborn [the first child, the one with special rights] of all the sons [descendants, people] of Israel. word study 17 For every [first in order, most important] firstborn male in Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants] is Mine, both man [human being, created in God’s image] and beast [animal, especially large quadruped mammals]. I set them apart [consecrated, sanctified] for Myself on the day I struck down [smote, defeated] all the firstborn in the land [soil, ground, country] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa]. word study 18 But I have taken [received, chosen] the Levites [descendants of Levi, a tribe set apart] in place of [instead of, as a substitute for] all [every single one] the firstborn [the initial, premier, or most important child] among [within, as part of] the sons [children, descendants] of Israel [the nation, the people of God]. word study 19 And I have given the Levites [a present] as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob], to perform the service [ministry, worship] for the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting [the tabernacle, the place of assembly] and to make atonement [expiation, reconciliation] on their behalf, so that no plague [punishment, judgment] will come against the Israelites when they approach [draw near, come close to] the sanctuary [the Holy Place, the sacred area].” word study 20 So Moses [the Israelite leader], Aaron, and the whole congregation [gathering of people] of Israel did with the Levites [descendants of Levi] everything that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] had commanded [given orders to] Moses they should do [according to all that He had instructed]. word study 21 The Levites [as a tribe, descendants of Levi] purified [made clean, cleansed from sin] themselves and washed [trampled or stamped on] their clothes [garments, robes], and Aaron [the first high priest] presented [offered, gave] them as a wave offering [a shaken or lifted offering] before the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. Aaron also made atonement [covered, reconciled] for them to cleanse [purify, make holy] them. word study 22 After that [following this event], the Levites [descendants of Levi, set apart for service] came to perform [to carry out, to fulfill] their service [ministry, work, or worship] at the Tent of Meeting [the tabernacle, a place of divine encounter] in the presence [face, or before] of Aaron [the high priest, brother of Moses] and his sons [the priestly lineage]. Thus [in this manner, accordingly] they did with the Levites [treated them, or acted towards them] just as [exactly as, in accordance with] the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] had commanded [given orders, instructed] Moses [the leader, prophet, and mediator]. word study 23 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, communicate, or command] to Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed], word study 24 “This [specifically, that which belongs to them] applies to the Levites [descendants of Levi]: Men [sons, male descendants] twenty-five [from a son of five and twenty] years of age or older [and upward, from that point] shall enter [go in, come to serve] to perform the service [wait upon, minister in] in the work [service, ministry] at the Tent [tabernacle, sacred dwelling] of Meeting [appointed gathering, sacred assembly]. word study 25 But at the age [of maturity, fifty years old] of fifty, they must retire [cease waiting upon the service, stop serving] from performing the work [service, ministry, labor] and no longer [shall not, will not] serve [work, minister, be in bondage]. word study 26 After that, they may assist [help, support] their brothers [fellow Levites, relatives] in fulfilling [carrying out, performing] their duties [responsibilities, tasks] at the Tent [tabernacle, sacred dwelling] of Meeting [assembly, gathering], but they themselves are not to do [perform, undertake] the work [service, labor]. This is how [thus, in this manner] you are to assign [give, appoint] responsibilities [charges, tasks] to the Levites [descendants of Levi, temple servants].” word study