8:1¹ And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 8:2 “Speak to Aaron, and say to him, ‘When you set up² the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light³ in front of the lampstand.’”

8:3 And Aaron did so; he set up the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses. 8:4 And this is how the lampstand was made:⁴ it was beaten work in gold;⁵ from its shaft to its flowers it was beaten work. According to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

8:5 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 8:6 “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and purify⁶ them. 8:7 And do this⁷ to them to purify them: sprinkle water of purification⁸ on them; then have them shave⁹ all their body and wash¹⁰ their clothes, and so purify themselves.¹¹ 8:8 Then let them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil; and you must take a second young bull for a purification offering.¹² 8:9 And you must bring the Levites before the tent of meeting, and assemble the entire community of the Israelites. 8:10 Then you must bring the Levites before the LORD, and the Israelites must lay their hands on the Levites;¹³ 8:11 and Aaron must offer¹⁴ the Levites before the LORD as a waved offering from the Israelites, that they may do the work¹⁵ of the LORD. 8:12 When¹⁶ the Levites lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, offer¹⁷ the one for a purification offering and the other for a whole burnt offering to the LORD,¹⁸ to make atonement for the Levites. 8:13 And you must have the Levites stand before Aaron¹⁹ and his sons, and then offer them as a waved offering to the LORD. 8:14 And so²⁰ you must separate the Levites from among the Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.

8:15 And after this the Levites will go in²¹ to do the work²² of the tent of meeting. So you must cleanse them²³ and offer them like a wave offering.²⁴ 8:16 For they are entirely given²⁵ to me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for myself instead of²⁶ all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the Israelites. 8:17 For all the firstborn among the Israelites are mine, both man and beast; when I destroyed²⁷ all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I set them apart for myself. 8:18 So I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the Israelites. 8:19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to do the work for the Israelites in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the Israelites, that there be no plague among the Israelites when the Israelites come near the sanctuary.²⁸

8:20 So Moses and Aaron and the entire community of the Israelites did with the Levites: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the Israelites did with them. 8:21 And the Levites purified themselves²⁹ and washed their clothing; then Aaron presented them like a wave offering before the LORD, and Aaron made atonement for them to purify them. 8:22 And after this the Levites went in to do their work in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons. As the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites; so did they.

8:23 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 8:24 “This is what pertains to the Levites:³⁰ At the age of 25 years old³¹ and higher one may enter to join the company³² in the work of the tent of meeting; 8:25 and at the age of 50 years they must retire from performing the work, and may no longer work. 8:26 They may assist³³ their brethren in the tent of meeting, to attend to needs, but they must do no work. This is the way you must establish³⁴ the Levites regarding their duties.”