¶¹And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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

And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded³ Moses.

And this work⁴ of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work⁵: according unto the pattern⁶ which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them⁷.

And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle⁸ water⁹ of purifying upon them, and let them shave¹⁰ all their flesh, and let them wash their¹¹ clothes, and so make themselves clean.

Then let them take a young¹² bullock with his meat¹³ offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another¹⁴ young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.

And thou shalt bring¹⁵ the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole¹⁶ assembly of the children of Israel together:

¶¹⁷And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:

And Aaron shall offer¹⁸ the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute¹⁹ the service of the LORD.

And the Levites²⁰ shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one²¹ for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement²² for the Levites.

And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them²³ for an offering unto the LORD.

Thus shalt thou separate²⁴ the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites²⁵ shall be mine.

And after that shall the Levites go in²⁶ to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer²⁷ them for an offering.

For they are wholly given²⁸ unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such²⁹ as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

For all the³⁰ firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day³¹ that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified³² them for myself.

And I have taken³³ the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

And I have given³⁴ the Levites as a gift³⁵ 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.

¶ And 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.

And the Levites were purified³⁶, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered³⁷ them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made³⁸ an atonement for them to cleanse them.

And after that³⁹ went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD⁴⁰ had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty⁴¹ and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon⁴² the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:

And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof,⁴³ and shall serve no more:

But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep⁴⁴ the charge, and shall⁴⁵ do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.