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And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

`Speak unto Aaron, and thou hast said unto him, In thy causing the lights to go up, over-against the face of the candlestick do the seven lights give light.'

And Aaron doth so; over-against the face of the candlestick he hath caused its lights to go up, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

And this [is] the work of the candlestick: beaten work of gold; unto its thigh, unto its flower it [is] beaten work; as the appearance which Jehovah shewed Moses, so he hath made the candlestick.

And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

`Take the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and thou hast cleansed them.

`And thus thou dost to them to cleanse them: sprinkle upon them waters of atonement, and they have caused a razor to pass over all their flesh, and have washed their garments, and cleansed themselves,

and have taken a bullock, a son of the herd, and its present, flour mixed with oil, -- and a second bullock a son of the herd thou dost take for a sin-offering,

and thou hast brought near the Levites before the tent of meeting, and thou hast assembled the whole company of the sons of Israel,

10 and thou hast brought near the Levites before Jehovah, and the sons of Israel have laid their hands on the Levites,

11 and Aaron hath waved the Levites -- a wave-offering before Jehovah, from the sons of Israel, and they have been -- for doing the service of Jehovah.

12 `And the Levites lay their hands on the head of the bullocks, and make thou the one a sin-offering, and the one a burnt-offering to Jehovah, to atone for the Levites,

13 and thou hast caused the Levites to stand before Aaron, and before his sons, and hast waved them -- a wave-offering to Jehovah;

14 and thou hast separated the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and the Levites have become Mine;

15 and afterwards do the Levites come in to serve the tent of meeting, and thou hast cleansed them, and hast waved them -- a wave-offering.

16 `For they are certainly given to Me out of the midst of the sons of Israel, instead of him who openeth any womb -- the first-born of all -- from the sons of Israel I have taken them to Myself;

17 for Mine [is] every first-born among the sons of Israel, among man and among beast; in the day of my smiting every first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself;

18 and I take the Levites instead of every first-born among the sons of Israel:

19 `And I give the Levites gifts to Aaron and to his sons, from the midst of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the sons of Israel in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the sons of Israel, and there is no plague among the sons of Israel in the sons of Israel's drawing nigh unto the sanctuary.'

20 And Moses doth -- Aaron also, and all the company of the sons of Israel -- to the Levites according to all that Jehovah hath commanded Moses concerning the Levites; so have the sons of Israel done to them.

21 And the Levites cleanse themselves, and wash their garments, and Aaron waveth them a wave-offering before Jehovah, and Aaron maketh atonement for them to cleanse them,

22 and afterwards have the Levites gone in to do their service in the tent of meeting, before Aaron and before his sons; as Jehovah hath commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they have done to them.

23 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

24 `This [is] that which [is] the Levites': from a son of five and twenty years and upward he doth go in to serve the host in the service of the tent of meeting,

25 and from a son of fifty years he doth return from the host of the service, and doth not serve any more,

26 and he hath ministered with his brethren in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, and doth not do service; thus thou dost to the Levites concerning their charge.'

And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, in the wilderness of Sinai, in the second year of their going out of the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying,

`Also, the sons of Israel prepare the passover in its appointed season;

in the fourteenth day of this month between the evenings ye prepare it in its appointed season; according to all its statutes, and according to all its ordinances ye prepare it.'

And Moses speaketh unto the sons of Israel to prepare the passover,

and they prepare the passover in the first [month], on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that Jehovah hath commanded Moses, so have the sons of Israel done.

And there are men who have been defiled by the body of a man, and they have not been able to prepare the passover on that day, and they come near before Moses, and before Aaron, on that day,

and those men say unto him, `We are defiled by the body of a man; why are we withheld so as not to bring near the offering of Jehovah in its appointed season, in the midst of the sons of Israel?'

And Moses saith unto them, `Stand ye, and I hear what Jehovah hath commanded concerning you.'

And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

10 `Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, Though any man is unclean by a body or in a distant journey (of you or of your generations), yet he hath prepared a passover to Jehovah;

11 in the second month, on the fourteenth day, between the evenings they prepare it; with unleavened and bitter things they eat it;

12 they do not leave of till morning; and a bone they do not break in it: according to all the statute of the passover they prepare it.

13 `And the man who is clean, and hath not been on a journey, and hath ceased to prepare the passover, even that person hath been cut off from his people; because the offering of Jehovah he hath not brought near, in its appointed season, that man doth bear his sin.

14 `And when a sojourner sojourneth with you, then he hath prepared a passover to Jehovah, according to the statute of the passover, and according to its ordinance, so he doth; one statute is to you, even to a sojourner, and to a native of the land.'

15 And in the day of the raising up of the tabernacle hath the cloud covered the tabernacle, even the tent of the testimony; and in the evening there is on the tabernacle as an appearance of fire till morning;

16 so it is continually; the cloud covereth it, also the appearance of fire by night.

17 And according to the going up of the cloud from off the tent and afterwards do the sons of Israel journey; and in the place where the cloud doth tabernacle, there do the sons of Israel encamp;

18 by the command of Jehovah the sons of Israel journey, and by the command of Jehovah they encamp; all the days that the cloud doth tabernacle over the tabernacle they encamp.

19 And in the cloud prolonging itself over the tabernacle many days, then have the sons of Israel kept the charge of Jehovah, and journey not,

20 and so when the cloud is a number of days over the tabernacle; by the command of Jehovah they encamp, and by the command of Jehovah they journey.

21 And so when the cloud is from evening till morning, when the cloud hath gone up in the morning, then they have journeyed; whether by day or by night, when the cloud hath gone up, then they have journeyed.

22 Whether two days, or a month, or days, in the cloud prolonging itself over the tabernacle, to tabernacle over it, the sons of Israel encamp, and journey not; and in its being lifted up they journey;

23 by the command of Jehovah they encamp, and by the command of Jehovah they journey; the charge of Jehovah they have kept, by the command of Jehovah in the hand of Moses.

10 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

`Make to thee two trumpets of silver; beaten work thou dost make them, and they have been to thee for the convocation of the company, and for the journeying of the camps;

and they have blown with them, and all the company have met together unto thee, unto the opening of the tent of meeting.

And if with one they blow, then have the princes, heads of the thousands of Israel, met together unto thee;

`And ye have blown -- a shout, and the camps which are encamping eastward have journeyed.

`And ye have blown -- a second shout, and the camps which are encamping southward have journeyed; a shout they blow for their journeys.

`And in the assembling of the assembly ye blow, and do not shout;

and sons of Aaron, the priests, blow with the trumpets; and they have been to you for a statute age-during to your generations.

`And when ye go into battle in your land against the adversary who is distressing you, then ye have shouted with the trumpets, and ye have been remembered before Jehovah your God, and ye have been saved from your enemies.

10 `And in the day of your gladness, and in your appointed seasons, and in the beginnings of your months, ye have blown also with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings, and they have been to you for a memorial before your God; I, Jehovah, [am] your God.'

11 And it cometh to pass -- in the second year, in the second month, in the twentieth of the month -- the cloud hath gone up from off the tabernacle of the testimony,

12 and the sons of Israel journey in their journeyings from the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud doth tabernacle in the wilderness of Paran;

13 and they journey at first, by the command of Jehovah, in the hand of Moses.

14 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Judah journeyeth in the first [place], by their hosts, and over its host [is] Nahshon son of Amminadab.

15 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Issachar [is] Nathaneel son of Zuar.

16 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun [is] Eliab son of Helon;

17 And the tabernacle hath been taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari have journeyed, bearing the tabernacle.

18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben hath journeyed, by their hosts, and over its host [is] Elizur son of Shedeur.

19 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Simeon [is] Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

20 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Gad [is] Eliasaph son of Deuel;

21 And the Kohathites have journeyed, bearing the tabernacle, and the [others] have raised up the tabernacle until their coming in.

22 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim hath journeyed, by their hosts, and over its host [is] Elishama son of Ammihud.

23 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh [is] Gamalial son of Pedahzur.

24 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin [is] Abidan son of Gideoni.

25 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Dan hath journeyed (rearward to all the camps), by their hosts, and over its host [is] Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

26 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Asher [is] Pagiel son of Ocran.

27 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali [is] Ahira son of Enan.

28 These [are] journeyings of the sons of Israel by their hosts -- and they journey.

29 And Moses saith to Hobab son of Raguel the Midianite, father-in-law of Moses, `We are journeying unto the place of which Jehovah hath said, I give it to you; go with us, and we have done good to thee; for Jehovah hath spoken good concerning Israel.'

30 And he saith unto him, `I do not go; but unto my land and unto my kindred do I go.'

31 And he saith, `I pray thee, forsake us not, because thou hast known our encamping in the wilderness, and thou hast been to us for eyes;

32 and it hath come to pass when thou goest with us, yea, it hath come to pass -- that good which Jehovah doth kindly with us -- it we have done kindly to thee.'

33 And they journey from the mount of Jehovah a journey of three days; and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah is journeying before them the journey of three days, to spy out for them a resting-place;

34 and the cloud of Jehovah [is] on them by day, in their journeying from the camp.

35 And it cometh to pass in the journeying of the ark, that Moses saith, `Rise, O Jehovah, and Thine enemies are scattered, and those hating Thee flee from Thy presence.'

36 And in its resting he saith, `Return, O Jehovah, [to] the myriads, the thousands of Israel.'

Setting Up the Lamps

The Lord said to Moses, “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.(A)’”

Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses. This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold(B)—from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern(C) the Lord had shown Moses.

The Setting Apart of the Levites

The Lord said to Moses: “Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.(D) To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing(E) on them; then have them shave their whole bodies(F) and wash their clothes.(G) And so they will purify themselves.(H) Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil;(I) then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.[a](J) Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting(K) and assemble the whole Israelite community.(L) 10 You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them.(M) 11 Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering(N) 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,(O) using one for a sin offering(P) to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering,(Q) to make atonement(R) for the Levites. 13 Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering(S) to the Lord. 14 In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.(T)

15 “After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering,(U) they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting.(V) 16 They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn,(W) the first male offspring(X) from every Israelite woman. 17 Every firstborn male in Israel, whether human or animal,(Y) is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself.(Z) 18 And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel.(AA) 19 From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons(AB) to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites(AC) and to make atonement for them(AD) so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”

20 Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses. 21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes.(AE) Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement(AF) for them to purify them.(AG) 22 After that, the Levites came to do their work(AH) at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses.

23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more(AI) shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting,(AJ) 25 but at the age of fifty,(AK) they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. 26 They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work.(AL) This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”

The Passover

The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first month(AM) of the second year after they came out of Egypt.(AN) He said, “Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover(AO) at the appointed time.(AP) Celebrate it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month,(AQ) in accordance with all its rules and regulations.(AR)

So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover,(AS) and they did so in the Desert of Sinai(AT) at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.(AU) The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.(AV)

But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean(AW) on account of a dead body.(AX) So they came to Moses and Aaron(AY) that same day and said to Moses, “We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?(AZ)

Moses answered them, “Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you.”(BA)

Then the Lord said to Moses, 10 “Tell the Israelites: ‘When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body(BB) or are away on a journey, they are still to celebrate(BC) the Lord’s Passover, 11 but they are to do it on the fourteenth day of the second month(BD) at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.(BE) 12 They must not leave any of it till morning(BF) or break any of its bones.(BG) When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations.(BH) 13 But if anyone who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, they must be cut off from their people(BI) for not presenting the Lord’s offering at the appointed time. They will bear the consequences of their sin.

14 “‘A foreigner(BJ) residing among you is also to celebrate the Lord’s Passover in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have the same regulations for both the foreigner and the native-born.’”

The Cloud Above the Tabernacle

15 On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law,(BK) was set up,(BL) the cloud(BM) covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.(BN) 16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.(BO) 17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out;(BP) wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.(BQ) 18 At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained(BR) in camp. 19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s order(BS) and did not set out.(BT) 20 Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. 22 Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. 23 At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out. They obeyed the Lord’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.

The Silver Trumpets

10 The Lord said to Moses: “Make two trumpets(BU) of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community(BV) together and for having the camps set out.(BW) When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the tent of meeting. If only one is sounded, the leaders(BX)—the heads of the clans of Israel—are to assemble before you. When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out.(BY) At the sounding of a second blast, the camps on the south are to set out.(BZ) The blast will be the signal for setting out. To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets,(CA) but not with the signal for setting out.(CB)

“The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come.(CC) When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you,(CD) sound a blast on the trumpets.(CE) Then you will be remembered(CF) by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies.(CG) 10 Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed festivals and New Moon feasts(CH)—you are to sound the trumpets(CI) over your burnt offerings(CJ) and fellowship offerings,(CK) and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the Lord your God.(CL)

The Israelites Leave Sinai

11 On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year,(CM) the cloud lifted(CN) from above the tabernacle of the covenant law.(CO) 12 Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran.(CP) 13 They set out, this first time, at the Lord’s command through Moses.(CQ)

14 The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, under their standard.(CR) Nahshon son of Amminadab(CS) was in command. 15 Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the tribe(CT) of Issachar,(CU) 16 and Eliab son of Helon(CV) was over the division of the tribe of Zebulun.(CW) 17 Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, set out.(CX)

18 The divisions of the camp of Reuben(CY) went next, under their standard.(CZ) Elizur son of Shedeur(DA) was in command. 19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the tribe of Simeon,(DB) 20 and Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of Gad.(DC) 21 Then the Kohathites(DD) set out, carrying the holy things.(DE) The tabernacle was to be set up before they arrived.(DF)

22 The divisions of the camp of Ephraim(DG) went next, under their standard. Elishama son of Ammihud(DH) was in command. 23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh,(DI) 24 and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin.(DJ)

25 Finally, as the rear guard(DK) for all the units, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai(DL) was in command. 26 Pagiel son of Okran was over the division of the tribe of Asher,(DM) 27 and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali.(DN) 28 This was the order of march for the Israelite divisions as they set out.

29 Now Moses said to Hobab(DO) son of Reuel(DP) the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law,(DQ) “We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’(DR) Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

30 He answered, “No, I will not go;(DS) I am going back to my own land and my own people.(DT)

31 But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.(DU) 32 If you come with us, we will share with you(DV) whatever good things the Lord gives us.(DW)

33 So they set out(DX) from the mountain of the Lord and traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the Lord(DY) went before them during those three days to find them a place to rest.(DZ) 34 The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp.(EA)

35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,

“Rise up,(EB) Lord!
    May your enemies be scattered;(EC)
    may your foes flee before you.(ED)(EE)

36 Whenever it came to rest, he said,

“Return,(EF) Lord,
    to the countless thousands of Israel.(EG)

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 8:8 Or purification offering; also in verse 12