Numbers 8

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:	1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2 'Speak to Aaron and say, "When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps must throw their light towardsthe front of the lamp-stand." '	2 Speak to Aaron, and thou shalt say to him: When thou shalt place the seven lamps, let the candlestick be set up on the south side. Give orders therefore that the lamps look over against the north, towards the table of the leaves of proposition, over against that part shall they give light, towards which the candlestick looketh.
3 Aaron did this. He set up the lamps to the front of the lamp-stand, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.	3 And Aaron did so, and he put the lamps upon the candlestick, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
4 This lamp-stand was worked in beaten gold, including its stem and its petals, which were also ofbeaten gold. This lamp-stand had been made according to the pattern Yahweh had shown to Moses.	4 Now this was the work of the candlestick, it was of beaten gold, both the shaft in the middle, and all that came out of both sides of the branches: according to the pattern which the Lord had shewn to Moses, so he made the candlestick.
5 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,	5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying :
6 'Separate the Levites from the Israelites and purify them.	6 Take the Levites out of the midst of the children of Israel, and thou shalt purify them,
7 This is how you must purify them: you wil sprinkle them with purifying water, and they wil shave theirbodies al over and wash their clothes. They will then be clean.	7 According to this rite: Let them be sprinkled with the water of purification, and let them shave all the hairs of their flesh. And when they shall have washed their garments, and are cleansed,
8 They wil then take a young bul , with the accompanying cereal offering of fine flour mixed with oil, andyou wil take a second young bull for a sacrifice for sin.	8 They shall take an ox of the herd, and for the offering thereof fine flour tempered with oil: and thou shalt take another ox of the herd for a sin offering:
9 You wil then bring the Levites in front of the Tent of Meeting, and assemble the whole community ofIsraelites.	9 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the covenant, calling together all the multitude of the children of Israel:
10 Once you have brought the Levites before Yahweh, the Israelites wil lay their hands on them.	10 And when the Levites are before the Lord, the children of Israel shall put their hands upon them:
11 Aaron wil then offer the Levites, making the gesture of offering before Yahweh on behalf of theIsraelites, admitting them to Yahweh's service.	11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites, as a gift in the sight of the Lord from the children of Israel, that they may serve in his ministry.
12 'The Levites will then lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, one of which you wil offer as asacrifice for sin, and the other as a burnt offering to Yahweh, to perform the rite of expiation for the Levites.	12 The Levites also shall put their hands upon the heads of the oxen, of which thou shalt sacrifice one for sin, and the other for a holocaust to the Lord, to pray for them.
13 Having brought the Levites before Aaron and his sons, you wil present them to Yahweh with thegesture of offering.	13 And thou shalt set the Levites in the sight of Aaron and of his sons, and shalt consecrate them being offered to the Lord,
14 That is how you wil set the Levites apart from the Israelites, for them to be mine.	14 And shalt separate them from the midst of the children of Israel, to be mine.
15 The Levites wil then begin their ministry in the Tent of Meeting. 'You wil purify them and offer themwith the gesture of offering	15 And afterwards they shall enter into the tabernacle of the covenant, to serve me. And thus shalt thou purify and consecrate them for an oblation of the Lord: for as a gift they were given me by the children of Israel.
16 because, of the Israelites, they have been dedicated to me in place of al those who first emerge fromthe womb, instead of the first-born; of al the Israelites, I have taken them for my own.	16 I have taken them instead of the firstborn that open every womb in Israel,
17 For al the first-born of the Israelites, whether human or animal, do indeed belong to me: the day Istruck down al the first-born in Egypt, I consecrated them to myself,	17 For all the firstborn of the children of Israel, both of men and of beasts, are mine. From the day that I slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, have I sanctified them to myself:
18 and now, in place of al the first-born of the Israelites, I have taken the Levites.	18 And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel:
19 Of the Israelites, I give the Levites to Aaron and his sons, as dedicated men, to minister in the Tent ofMeeting on behalf of the Israelites and perform the rite of expiation for them, so that no disaster befal s theIsraelites when the Israelites come close to the sanctuary.'	19 And have delivered them for a gift to Aaron and his sons out of the midst of the people, to serve me for Israel in the tabernacle of the covenant, and to pray for them, lest there should be a plague among the people, if they should presume to approach unto my sanctuary.
20 Moses, Aaron and the whole community of Israelites dealt with the Levites exactly as Yahweh hadordered Moses concerning them; this is what the Israelites did with them.	20 And Moses and Aaron and all the multitude of the children of Israel did with the Levites all that the Lord had commanded Moses:
21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them with thegesture of offering before Yahweh. He then performed the rite of expiation for them to purify them.	21 And they were purified, and washed their garments. And Aaron lifted them up in the sight of the Lard, and prayed for them,
22 The Levites were then al owed to perform their ministry in the Tent of Meeting in the presence ofAaron and his sons. As Yahweh had ordered Moses concerning the Levites, so it was done with them.	22 That being purified they might go into the tabernacle of the covenant to do their services before Aaron and his sons. As the Lord had commanded Moses touching the Levites, so was it done.
23 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:	23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
24 'This concerns the Levites. From the age of twenty-five onwards, the Levite will exercise his ministryand do duty in the Tent of Meeting.	24 This is the law of the Levites: From twenty-five years old and upwards, they shall go in to minister in the tabernacle of the covenant.
25 After the age of fifty, he is no longer bound to the ministry; he wil have no further duties;	25 And when they shall have accomplished the fiftieth year of their age, they shall cease to serve:
26 but he will stil help his brothers to assure the services in the Tent of Meeting, though he himself willno longer have any ministry. That is how you wil act as regards the ministry of the Levites.'	26 And they shall be the ministers of their brethren in the tabernacle of the covenant, to keep the things that are committed to their care, but not to do the works. Thus shalt thou order the Levites touching their charge.