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¹ The LORD spoke to Moshe, saying, 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 the LORD commanded Moshe. ⁴ This was the workmanship of the menorah, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work: according to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moshe, so he made the menorah.

⁵ The LORD spoke to Moshe, saying, ⁶ "Take the Levites from among the children of Yisra'el, and cleanse them. ⁷ Thus shall you do to them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, and 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 Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Yisra'el. ¹⁰ You shall present the Levites before the LORD. The children of Yisra'el shall lay their hands on the Levites, ¹¹ and Aharon shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave offering, on the behalf of the children of Yisra'el, that it may be theirs to do the service of the LORD. ¹² The Levites 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 the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites. ¹³ You shall set the Levites before Aharon, and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to the LORD. ¹⁴ Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Yisra'el, and the Levites shall be mine. ¹⁵ "After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting: and you shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering. ¹⁶ For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Yisra'el; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Yisra'el, I have taken them to me. ¹⁷ For all the firstborn among the children of Yisra'el are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Mitzrayim, I sanctified them for myself. ¹⁸ I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Yisra'el. ¹⁹ I have given the Levites as a gift to Aharon and to his sons from among the children of Yisra'el, to do the service of the children of Yisra'el in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Yisra'el; that there be no plague among the children of Yisra'el, when the children of Yisra'el come near to the sanctuary." ²⁰ Thus did Moshe, and Aharon, and all the congregation of the children of Yisra'el, to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moshe concerning the Levites, so the children of Yisra'el did to them. ²¹ The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aharon offered them for a wave offering before the LORD; and Aharon made atonement for them to cleanse them. ²² After that, the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aharon, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moshe concerning the Levites, so they did to them. ²³ The LORD spoke to Moshe, saying, ²⁴ "This is that which belongs to the Levites: 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 cease waiting on the work, and shall serve no more, ²⁶ but shall minister with their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites concerning their duties."