The Fourth Book of Moses, called Numbers 8

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying

2 Speak unto Aaron and say unto him When thou lightest the lamps the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick

3 And Aaron did so he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick as the LORD commanded Moses

4 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

5 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying

6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them

7 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

8 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

9 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

10 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites

11 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

12 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

13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons and offer them for an offering unto the LORD

14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel and the Levites shall be mine

15 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

16 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

17 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

18 And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel

19 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

20 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

21 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

22 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

23 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying

24 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

25 And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof and shall serve no more

26 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