Numbers

安置七盏灯

1耶和华晓谕摩西说：

2「你告诉亚伦说：点灯的时候，七盏灯都要向灯台前面发光。」

3亚伦便这样行。他点灯台上的灯，使灯向前发光，是照耶和华所吩咐摩西的。

4这灯台的做法是用金子锤出来的，连座带花都是锤出来的。摩西制造灯台，是照耶和华所指示的样式。

为利未人行洁净与奉献礼

5耶和华晓谕摩西说：

6「你从以色列人中选出利未人来，洁净他们。

7洁净他们当这样行：用除罪水弹在他们身上，又叫他们用剃头刀刮全身，洗衣服，洁净自己。

8然后叫他们取一只公牛犊，并同献的素祭，就是调油的细面；你要另取一只公牛犊作赎罪祭。

9将利未人奉到会幕前，招聚以色列全会众。

10将利未人奉到耶和华面前，以色列人要按手在他们头上。

11亚伦也将他们奉到耶和华面前，为以色列人当作摇祭，使他们好办耶和华的事。

12利未人要按手在那两只牛的头上；你要将一只作赎罪祭，一只作燔祭，献给耶和华，为利未人赎罪。

13你也要使利未人站在亚伦和他儿子面前，将他们当作摇祭奉给耶和华。

14「这样，你从以色列人中将利未人分别出来，利未人便要归我。

15此后利未人要进去办会幕的事，你要洁净他们，将他们当作摇祭奉上；

16因为他们是从以色列人中全然给我的，我拣选他们归我，是代替以色列人中一切头生的。

17以色列人中一切头生的，连人带牲畜，都是我的。我在埃及地击杀一切头生的那天，将他们分别为圣归我。

18我拣选利未人代替以色列人中一切头生的。

19我从以色列人中将利未人当作赏赐给亚伦和他的儿子，在会幕中办以色列人的事，又为以色列人赎罪，免得他们挨近圣所，有灾殃临到他们中间。」

20摩西、亚伦，并以色列全会众便向利未人如此行。凡耶和华指着利未人所吩咐摩西的，以色列人就向他们这样行。

21于是利未人洁净自己，除了罪，洗了衣服；亚伦将他们当作摇祭奉到耶和华面前，又为他们赎罪，洁净他们。

22然后利未人进去，在亚伦和他儿子面前，在会幕中办事。耶和华指着利未人怎样吩咐摩西，以色列人就怎样向他们行了。

23耶和华晓谕摩西说：

24「利未人是这样：从二十五岁以外，他们要前来任职，办会幕的事。

25到了五十岁要停工退任，不再办事，

26只要在会幕里，和他们的弟兄一同伺候，谨守所吩咐的，不再办事了。至于所吩咐利未人的，你要这样向他们行。」

The Lampstand

1Then the LORD said to Moses,

2“Speak to Aaron and tell him: ‘When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand.’”

3And Aaron did so; he set up the lamps facing toward the front of the lampstand, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

4This is how the lampstand was constructed: it was made of hammered gold from its base to its blossoms, fashioned according to the pattern the LORD had shown Moses.

Cleansing the Levites

5Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

6“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.

7This is what you must do to cleanse them: Sprinkle them with the water of purification. Have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.

8Then have them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.

9Bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting and assemble the whole congregation of Israel.

10You are to present the Levites before the LORD and have the Israelites lay their hands upon them.

11Aaron is to present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, so that they may perform the service of the LORD.

12And the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and offer to the LORD one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites.

13You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and then present them before the LORD as a wave offering.

14In this way you shall separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and the Levites will belong to Me.

15After you have cleansed them and presented them as a wave offering, they may come to serve at the Tent of Meeting.

16For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

17For every firstborn male in Israel is Mine, both man and beast. I set them apart for Myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.

18But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.

19And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to perform the service for the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”

20So Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of Israel did with the Levites everything that the LORD had commanded Moses they should do.

21The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them.

22After that, the Levites came to perform their service at the Tent of Meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Thus they did with the Levites just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Retirement for Levites

23And the LORD said to Moses,

24“This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years of age or older shall enter to perform the service in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

25But at the age of fifty, they must retire from performing the work and no longer serve.

26After that, they may assist their brothers in fulfilling their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves are not to do the work. This is how you are to assign responsibilities to the Levites.”