1 And the LORD{YHWH, Faithful Communicator} spoke to Moses{Mosheh: deliverer}, saying,
2 Speak to Aaron and say to him, “When you raise the lamps {nerot: Lit Flames}, the seven lamps shall shine toward the front of the lampstand {menorah: Sacred Lamp}.”
3 Aaron did so; he raised and set its lamps to shine toward the front of the lampstand {hamenorah: sacred lampstand}, just as the LORD {YHWH, Command Giver} had commanded Moses.
4 Now this was the workmanship {ma‘aseh: structured design} of the lampstand: hammered work of gold, from its base to its blossom; it was hammered work, and it was made according to the pattern that the LORD {YHWH, Divine Designer} had shown Moses.
5 And the LORD {YHWH, Lawgiver} spoke to Moses {Mosheh: drawn out of water}, saying
6 Take the Levites {ha-leviyim: dedicated tribe} from among the sons of Israel, and you shall purify them {tiharta: make ritually clean}.
7 And this is what you shall do to them for their purification: Sprinkle this water of purification {mei chattat: cleansing water} upon them, and let them pass a razor over all their flesh. Then they shall wash their garments {bigdehem: everyday clothing} and purify themselves.
8 And they shall take a young bull from the herd, and its grain offering {minchah: sacrificial gift} of fine flour mixed with oil; and you shall take a second young bull for a sin offering {chatat: purification sacrifice}.
9 And you shall bring forward the Levites {leviyim: set-apart servants} before the Tent of Meeting, and summon the entire congregation {adat: worshiping community} of the sons of Israel.
10 And you shall bring the Levites near, before the LORD {YHWH, Divine Judge}, and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands {yad: symbol of authority} upon the Levites.
11 And Aaron shall wave the Levites as a wave offering before the LORD {YHWH, Worship Receiver} from among the Israelites, so that they may carry out the service {avodah: dedicated temple work} of the LORD.
12 And the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Purifier}, to make atonement {lechapper: removal of guilt} for the Levites.
13 And you shall place the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and you shall wave them as a wave offering {tenufah: lifted offering} to the LORD {YHWH, Worship Recipient}.
14 And you shall set apart the Levites {ha-levi’im: designated tribe} from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine {lî: divine possession}.
15 And after that, the Levites will enter to serve at the Tent of Meeting once you have purified{tiharta: made ritually clean} them and waved them as a wave offering{tenufah: special dedication}.
16 For they are entirely dedicated {netunim: devoted ones} to Me {YHWH, Sovereign Owner} from among the sons of Israel; in exchange for every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites, I have taken them as Mine.
17 For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine {YHWH, Exclusive Possessor}, both human and animal. On the day I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated {hikdashti: set apart} them to Myself.
18 And I {YHWH: Sovereign Giver} have taken the Levites {haLeviyim: set-apart tribe} in the place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.
19 And I {YHWH, Giver of Levites} have given the Levites {Leviyim: set-apart servants} to Aaron and his sons as gifts from among the children of Israel, to carry out the service on behalf of the sons of Israel in the Tent of Meeting and to make atonement for the sons of Israel, so that no plague will come upon the sons of Israel when they draw near to the sanctuary.
20 And Moses, Aaron, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel carried out for the Levites {la-leviim: Levitical tribe} everything that the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Commander} had commanded Moses; so the sons of Israel did to them.
21 The Levites {haleviim: Temple Ministers} purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes. Then Aaron waved them as a wave offering before the LORD {YHWH, Ritual Sanctifier} and made atonement for them to purify them.
22 And after that, the Levites came to perform their service {avodah: sacred duty} in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron and before his sons, just as the LORD {YHWH, Divine Commander} had commanded Moses regarding the Levites; thus they did for them.
23 And the LORD {YHWH, Speaker of Command} spoke to Moses {Mosheh: Covenant Mediator}, saying,
24 This applies to the Levites {leviim: set-apart servants}: from twenty-five years of age and upward, they shall present themselves to serve {litzvo: ceremonial attendance} in the work of the Tent of Meeting.
25 And from the age of fifty years, they shall withdraw from active service {avodah: ministry labor} and shall serve no more {od: continue as before}.
26 And he shall serve his brothers {echav: familial bond} in the tent of meeting to keep watch over the charge {mishmeret: sacred responsibility}, but he shall not perform the work itself. Thus you shall do for the Levites in their responsibilities.