God tells Aaron to set up the lamps in front of the lampstand. The Levites are cleansed and presented to the LORD, and serve from age twenty-five to fifty.
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses , saying ,
2 Speak unto Aaron , and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps , the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick .
3 And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick , as the LORD commanded Moses .
4 And 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 .
5 And the LORD spake unto Moses , saying ,
6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel , and cleanse them.
7 And 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 .
8 Then 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 .
9 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation : and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together :
10 And thou shalt 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 of the children of Israel , that they may execute the service of the LORD .
12 And 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 .
13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron , and before his sons , and offer them for an offering unto the LORD .
14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel : and the Levites shall be mine.
15 And 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 .
16 For 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.
17 For 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.
18 And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel .
19 And 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 .
20 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.
21 And 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.
22 And 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.
23 And the LORD spake unto Moses , saying ,
24 This 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 :
25 And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:
26 But 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 .