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vii. The Lampstand (8:1-4)

(i) 1 ADONAI told Moshe, 2 “Speak to Aharon, and tell him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the menorah.’”

3 Aharon did so. He lit its lamps to light the area in front of the menorah, as ADONAI commanded Moshe. 4 This was the workmanship of the menorah, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work. He made the menorah according to the pattern which ADONAI had shown Moshe.

viii. The Cleansing of the Levites (8:5-26)

5 ADONAI told Moshe, 6 “Take the L’vi’im from among the people of Isra'el, and cleanse them. 7 You shall do this to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves. 8 Then let them take a young bull and its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and another young bull you shall take for a sin offering. 9 You shall present the L’vi’im before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole community of the people of Isra'el. 10 You shall present the L’vi’im in the presence of ADONAI. The people of Isra'el shall lay their hands on the L’vi’im, 11 and Aharon shall offer the L’vi’im in the presence of ADONAI for a wave offering on the behalf of the people of Isra'el, that it may be theirs to do the service of ADONAI.

12 “The L’vi’im shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to ADONAI, to make atonement for the L’vi’im. 13 You shall set the L’vi’im before Aharon and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to ADONAI. 14 Thus you shall separate the L’vi’im from among the people of Isra'el, and the L’vi’im shall be mine.

[TO PARSHA TOP]
 

(ii) 15 “After that, the L’vi’im shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. You shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering. 16 For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Isra'el; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the people of Isra'el, I have taken them to me. 17 For all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself. 18 I have taken the L’vi’im instead of all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el. 19 I have given the L’vi’im as a gift to Aharon and to his sons from among the people of Isra'el, to do the service of the people of Isra'el in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the people of Isra'el, so that there will be no plague among the people of Isra'el when the people of Isra'el come near to the sanctuary.”

20 Moshe, and Aharon, and all the community of the people of Isra'el did so to the L’vi’im. According to all that ADONAI commanded Moshe concerning the L’vi’im, so the people of Isra'el did to them. 21 The L’vi’im purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aharon offered them for a wave offering in the presence of ADONAI and Aharon made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 After that, the L’vi’im went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aharon and before his sons: as ADONAI had commanded Moshe concerning the L’vi’im, so they did to them.

23 ADONAI told Moshe, 24 “This is what is assigned to the L’vi’im: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting; 25 and from the age of fifty years they shall retire from doing the work, and shall serve no more, 26 but shall assist their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall perform no service. This is how you shall have the L’vi’im do their duties.”

[TO PARSHA TOP]
 

Chapter 9