The Lampstand (Exodus 25:31–40; Exodus 37:17–24)
1 Brenton And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses,
2 Brenton Speak to Aaron, and thou shalt say to him, Whenever thou shalt set the lamps in order, the seven lamps shall give light opposite the candlestick. BSB BSB: “Speak to Aaron and tell him: ‘When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand.’”
3 Brenton And Aaron did so: on one side opposite the candlestick he lighted its lamps, as the Lord appointed Moses. BSB BSB: And Aaron did so; he set up the lamps facing toward the front of the lampstand, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
4 Brenton And this is the construction of the candlestick: it is solid, golden—its stem, and its lilies—all solid: according to the pattern which the Lord shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick. BSB BSB: This 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 5 Brenton And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, BSB BSB: Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
6 Brenton Take the Levites out of the midst of the children of Israel, and thou shalt purify them. BSB BSB: “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.
7 Brenton And thus shalt thou perform their purification: thou shalt sprinkle them with water of purification, and a razor shall come upon the whole of their body, and they shall wash their garments, and shall be clean. BSB BSB: This 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.
8 Brenton And they shall take one calf of the herd, and its meat-offering, fine flour mingled with oil: and thou shalt take a calf of a year old of the herd for a sin-offering. BSB BSB: Then 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.
9 Brenton And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of witness; and thou shalt assemble all the congregation of the sons of Israel. BSB BSB: Bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting and assemble the whole congregation of Israel.
10 Brenton And thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord; and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites. BSB BSB: You are to present the Levites before the LORD and have the Israelites lay their hands upon them.
11 Brenton And Aaron shall separate the Levites for a gift before the Lord from the children of Israel: and they shall be prepared to perform the works of the Lord. BSB BSB: Aaron 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.
12 Brenton And the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the calves; and thou shalt offer one for a sin-offering, and the other for a whole-burnt-offering to the Lord, to make atonement for them. BSB BSB: And 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.
13 Brenton And thou shalt set the Levites before the Lord, and before Aaron, and before his sons; and thou shalt give them as a gift before the Lord. BSB BSB: You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and then present them before the LORD as a wave offering.
14 Brenton And thou shalt separate the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and they shall be mine. BSB BSB: In this way you shall separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and the Levites will belong to Me.
15 Brenton And afterwards the Levites shall go in to perform the works of the tabernacle of witness; and thou shalt purify them, and present them before the Lord. BSB BSB: After you have cleansed them and presented them as a wave offering, they may come to serve at the Tent of Meeting.
16 Brenton For these are given to me for a present out of the midst of the children of Israel: I have taken them to myself instead of all the first-born of the sons of Israel that open every womb. BSB BSB: For 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.
17 Brenton For every first-born among the children of Israel is mine, whether of man or beast: in the day in which I smote every first-born in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them to myself. BSB BSB: For 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.
18 Brenton And I took the Levites in the place of every first-born among the children of Israel. BSB BSB: But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.
19 Brenton And I gave the Levites presented as a gift to Aaron and his sons out of the midst of the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of witness, and to make atonement for the children of Israel: thus there shall be none among the sons of Israel to draw nigh to the holy things. BSB BSB: And 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.”
20 Brenton And Moses and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites as the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them. BSB BSB: So Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of Israel did with the Levites everything that the LORD had commanded Moses they should do.
21 Brenton So the Levites purified themselves and washed their garments; and Aaron presented them as a gift before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to purify them. BSB BSB: The 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.
22 Brenton And afterwards the Levites went in to minister in their service in the tabernacle of witness before Aaron, and before his sons; as the Lord appointed Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them. BSB BSB: After 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 23 Brenton And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, BSB BSB: And the LORD said to Moses,
24 Brenton This is the ordinance for the Levites; From five and twenty years old and upward, they shall go in to minister in the tabernacle of witness. BSB BSB: “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.
25 Brenton And from fifty years old the Levite shall cease from the ministry, and shall not work any longer. BSB BSB: But at the age of fifty, they must retire from performing the work and no longer serve.
26 Brenton And his brother shall serve in the tabernacle of witness to keep charges, but he shall not do works: so shalt thou do to the Levites in their charges. BSB BSB: After 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.”
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