Bamidbar 8

Then God spoke to Moses in speech.

'Command Aaron and say to him: when you light the lamp, toward what faces the front of the lampstand shall its seven lamps give light.'

And so Aaron did — he lit the lamps of the lampstand toward what faces its front, as God had commanded Moses.

And this is the workmanship of the lampstand: solid gold — even its base and its blossoms were solid — like the appearance which God had shown to Moses; so he made it.

Then God spoke to Moses in speech.

'Bring forward the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and purify them.'

'And thus shall you do for them in their purification: sprinkle upon them of the water of purification, and let them pass a razor over all their body, and let them wash their garments — and they shall be purified.'

'And they shall bring forward an ox from the herd, and with it wheat-flour, fine semolina mixed with oil; and a second ox from the herd — take it for the purification-offering.'

'And bring forward the Levites before the tent of meeting, and assemble the congregation of the sons of Israel.'

'And present them before God, and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands upon them.'

'And Aaron shall present them as a presentation before God, from the sons of Israel — that they may be for serving the service of God.'

'And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bulls; and make one of them a purification-offering, and the other a burnt-offering to God, and seek forgiveness for them.'

'And station them before Aaron and his sons, and present them as a presentation to God.'

'And separate them from among the sons of Israel, and they shall be Mine.'

'And after that they shall enter to serve the tent of meeting — for you will have purified them and presented them as a presentation.'

'For they are appointed to Me from among the sons of Israel: in place of every firstborn, the opener of every womb among the sons of Israel — I have taken them for Myself.'

'Just as every firstborn among the sons of Israel was Mine — of human and of beast — on the day I destroyed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them to Me.'

'Thus I took the Levites in their stead.'

'And I appointed them for Aaron and his sons, from among the sons of Israel, to perform their service in the tent of meeting, and to seek forgiveness for them — that no pestilence may come upon them when they approach the sanctuary.'

And Moses and Aaron, and the rest of the congregation of the sons of Israel, did for the Levites according to all that God had commanded Moses concerning them — so they did for them.

And they were purified and washed their garments; and Aaron presented them as a presentation before God, and sought forgiveness for them and purified them.

And after that they entered to perform their service in the tent of meeting, before Aaron and his sons — according to all that God had commanded Moses concerning them, so they did for them.

Then God spoke to Moses in speech.

'This is the ordinance for the Levites: from twenty-five years of age and upward, one shall enter the host for the service of the tent of meeting.'

'And from fifty years of age he shall retire from it, and shall serve no more at all.'

'But he may serve alongside his brothers in guarding the tent of meeting; as for his former service, he shall not serve. Thus shall you do for them in their charge.'