Setting Up the Lamps
1The Lord said to Moses, 2“Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand.’ ”
3Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses. 4This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold—from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.
The Setting Apart of the Levites
5The Lord said to Moses: 6“Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean. 7To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. And so they will purify themselves. 8Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil; then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.8:8 Or purification offering; also in verse 12 9Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting and assemble the whole Israelite community. 10You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them. 11Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the Lord.
12“Then the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, using one for a sin offering to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites. 13Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to the Lord. 14In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.
15“After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting. 16They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman. 17Every firstborn male in Israel, whether human or animal, is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself. 18And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel. 19From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”
20Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses. 21The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement for them to purify them. 22After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses.
23The Lord said to Moses, 24“This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting, 25but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. 26They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”
安置七盏灯
1耶和华对摩西说： 2“你告诉亚伦，‘你安放灯的时候，七盏灯都要照在灯台前面。’” 3亚伦就照耶和华对摩西的吩咐把灯放好，使灯照亮灯台前面。 4整座灯台，从灯座到花朵，都是照耶和华指示摩西的样式用金子锤制而成的。
为利未人行洁净与奉献礼
5耶和华对摩西说： 6“你要把利未人从其他以色列人中分别出来，洁净他们。 7要用以下的方法洁净他们，把洁净水洒在他们身上，叫他们用剃刀剃净全身，洗净衣服，这样他们就洁净了。 8然后叫他们带来一头公牛犊及作素祭的调了油的细面粉，你要另献一头公牛犊作赎罪祭。 9你要招聚以色列全体会众，将利未人带到会幕前， 10带到耶和华面前，会众要把手按在他们身上。 11亚伦要把他们献给耶和华，作为以色列人献的摇祭，使他们可以事奉耶和华。 12利未人要把手按在那两头公牛的头上，然后你要把一头作为赎罪祭，一头作为燔祭献给耶和华，好为利未人赎罪。 13你要让利未人站在亚伦父子们面前，把他们当作摇祭献给耶和华。 14这样，你就把利未人从其他以色列人中分别出来，使他们归给我。 15利未人被洁净、当作摇祭献上以后，就可以进会幕司职， 16因为在以色列人中，他们完全属于我，我拣选他们归我所有，以代替以色列人所有的长子。 17以色列人所有的长子和头生的牲畜都属于我。我击杀埃及人所有的长子和头生的牲畜那天，已把以色列人所有的长子和头生的牲畜都分别出来，使之圣洁，归给我。 18我现在已拣选利未人代替以色列人所有的长子。 19我从以色列人中把利未人作为礼物交给亚伦父子们，替以色列人在会幕中司职，为以色列人赎罪，免得以色列人因接近圣所而遭祸。”
20摩西、亚伦和以色列全体会众，就按照耶和华对摩西的吩咐把利未人献上。 21利未人自洁、洗净衣服后，亚伦把他们当作摇祭献给耶和华，又为他们赎罪，使他们洁净。 22之后，利未人便进入会幕，在亚伦父子们的监督下司职。以色列人照耶和华对摩西的吩咐奉献了利未人。
23耶和华对摩西说： 24“二十五岁以上的利未人都要到会幕司职， 25五十岁时退休，不再司职。 26退休之后，他们可以协助本族弟兄看守会幕，不用再司职。你要这样给他们分派工作。”
