Numbers 8

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

1The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

2Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.

2"Tell Aaron this. When you set up the seven lamps, they must shine on the space in front of the lampstand."

3And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.

3Aaron did just that. He set up the lamps so they shone in front of the lampstand. He did what the LORD told Moses.

4And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

4The lampstand was made from gold that had been hammered into shape. The base and the flower shapes were all hammered gold. It was made just like the plan God showed Moses.

5And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

5The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

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

6"Take the Levites out from the rest of the people of Israel. Make them clean. The Levites were the family group that helped care for God's tent."

7And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.

7"Here is how to make them clean. Sprinkle the special water on them. Have them shave all the hair off their bodies. Have them wash their clothes. Then they will be clean."

NoteThe "water of purifying" was a special water used in the old rules to make people clean for God's service. It was not about washing off dirt.

8Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.

8"Then have them bring a young bull. Bring fine flour mixed with olive oil with it. Take a second young bull to take away sin."

NoteThe KJV calls the flour and oil a "meat offering." In 1611, "meat" meant any kind of food. It was a gift of grain, not of meat from an animal.

9And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:

9"Bring the Levites to the front of the tent where God met his people. Then gather all the people of Israel together."

10And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:

10"Bring the Levites before the LORD. The people of Israel will lay their hands on them."

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

11"Aaron will hold the Levites up before the LORD. They are a gift from the people. Then the Levites can do the LORD's work."

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

12"The Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. Offer one bull to take away sin. Burn the other one as a gift to the LORD. This makes things right for the Levites."

13And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD.

13"Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons. Then hold them up as a gift to the LORD."

14Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.

14"This is how you set the Levites apart from the other people of Israel. The Levites will belong to me."

15And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.

15"After you make them clean and give them to me, they may come and work at the tent where God met his people."

16For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

16"They are fully given to me from among the people of Israel. Every firstborn son in Israel belongs to me. I have taken the Levites instead of them."

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

17"Every firstborn male in Israel is mine, both people and animals. I set them apart for myself on the day I struck down every firstborn in Egypt."

18And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

18"So I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn sons of Israel."

19And 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 tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.

19"I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons. They will do the work at the tent for the people. They will help make things right between the people and me. Then no sickness will strike the people when they come near the holy place."

20And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.

20So Moses, Aaron, and all the people of Israel did this. They did everything the LORD told Moses to do with the Levites.

21And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.

21The Levites made themselves clean and washed their clothes. Aaron held them up as a gift before the LORD. He also made things right for them, so they were clean.

22And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.

22After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent. They worked under Aaron and his sons. It was done just as the LORD told Moses.

23And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

23The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

24This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:

24"This is the rule for the Levites. Men who are twenty-five years old or older may come and work at the tent."

25And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:

25"When they turn fifty, they must stop doing that work. They will not serve that way again."

26But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.

26"They may still help their brothers watch over the tent. But they must not do the heavy work. This is how you will give the Levites their jobs."

NoteIn the KJV, verse 24 says the Levites "wait upon" the service. That means to do the work, not to sit and wait.