Numbers Chapter 8
So the Lord was like to Moses,
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Tell Aaron, when you fire up the lamps, those seven lamps are gonna shine bright over the candlestick.
Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.
Aaron was like, "Bet," and lit up the lamps just as the Lord instructed Moses.
And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.
This candlestick was all decked out in pure gold, looking fancy and crafted, exactly how the Lord showed Moses, so he made it pop.
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.
Then the Lord hit up Moses again, saying,
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Gather the Levites from the Israelites and get them all freshened up.
Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
Here’s the move: sprinkle purifying water on them, have them shave all their hair, clean their clothes, and get fresh.
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. {let them shave...: Heb. let them cause a razor to pass over, etc}
They gotta bring a young bull and a meat offering with fine flour mixed with oil, plus another young bull for a sin offering.
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.
Bring the Levites to the tabernacle and gather everyone from Israel, no cap.
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:
Bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites will place their hands on the Levites, periodt.
And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:
Aaron's gotta present the Levites to the Lord as an offering from the squad, so they can serve God.
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. {offer: Heb. wave} {offering: Heb. wave offering} {they...: Heb. they may be to execute, etc}
The Levites need to lay their hands on the bulls' heads: one for sin and the other for a burnt offering, to vibe with the Lord and atone for themselves.
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.
Position the Levites in front of Aaron and his crew, and offer them up to the Lord, no cap.
And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them {for} an offering unto the LORD.
This is how you set apart the Levites from the squad of Israel: they’re truly mine.
Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.
After that, the Levites will roll in to do their thing at the tabernacle, and you gotta cleanse them and offer them up.
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.
They’re all in for me from the squad of Israel; instead of every firstborn, I chose them for myself, fr.
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.
All the firstborns of Israel are mine, both people and livestock: when I took out every firstborn in Egypt, I set them aside for myself.
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.
I took the Levites as a substitute for all the firstborns of Israel.
And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
I gave the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his crew from Israel, to handle their service in the tabernacle and atone for the squad, so there's no plague when they come to the sanctuary.
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. {a gift: Heb. given}
Moses, Aaron, and the whole crew did exactly what the Lord told Moses about the Levites, and Israel followed through, periodt.
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.
The Levites got cleaned up, washed their fits; Aaron was like, "Here’s my offering for the Lord," and he made sure they were all solid, no cap.
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.
After that, the Levites popped off to do their thing in the tabernacle, just as God told Moses, and they totally kept the vibe.
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.
Then the Lord hit up Moses with a message, fr.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
This is the deal for the Levites: once they hit 25, they’re in for the tabernacle service, no questions asked.
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: {to...: Heb. to war the warfare of, etc}
But once they turn 50, they chill from serving, and that’s a wrap, periodt.
And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service {thereof}, and shall serve no more: {cease...: Heb. return from the warfare of the service}
They’ll still vibe with their crew in the tabernacle, keeping things on lock, but no actual service. That’s how you roll with the Levites and their duties.
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.