Numbers 8 Cross References - ISV

¹ The Seven Lamps
The LORD told Moses, ² “Tell Aaron, ‘When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps will illuminate the area in front of the lamp stand.’” ³ So Aaron did so, setting up the lamps to illuminate the area in front of the lamp stand, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. ⁴ This was how the lamp stand was crafted from hammered gold: From its base to its flowers, it was made of hammered gold. Moses crafted the lamp stand just as the LORD had showed him.
⁵ Purifying the Descendants of LeviThen the LORD told Moses, ⁶ “Take the descendants of Levi from the Israelis and purify them. ⁷ This is what you are to do for them in order to purify them: Sprinkle purifying water over them, have them shave their skin, and then have them wash their garments, and they will be purified. ⁸ They are to take a young bull along with its meal offering made of flour mixed with oil. Then you are to take a second young bull as a sin offering. ⁹ Assemble the descendants of Levi in front of the appointed place of meeting, and assemble the whole congregation of Israel, too. ¹⁰ Bring the descendants of Levi into the LORD’s presence and have the Israelis lay their hands on the descendants of Levi.
¹¹ “Then Aaron is to present the descendants of Levi as a wave offering before the LORD from the Israelis, because they are to work in the service of the LORD. ¹² The descendants of Levi are then to lay their hands on the head of the bulls, offering one for a sin offering and the other one for a burnt offering to the LORD to atone for the descendants of Levi. ¹³ You are to make the descendants of Levi stand in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Then you are to wave them as wave offerings to the LORD. ¹⁴ This is how you are to separate the descendants of Levi from among the Israelis. The descendants of Levi belong to me.
¹⁵ “After this, the descendants of Levi are to come to serve at the appointed place of meeting, after you have purified them and presented them as wave offerings, ¹⁶ since they’ve been set apart for me from among the Israelis. I’ve taken them for myself instead of the first to open the womb—every firstborn of the Israelis, ¹⁷ since every firstborn of Israel belongs to me, from human beings to livestock. On the same day that I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them to myself, ¹⁸ taking the descendants of Levi instead of every firstborn of the Israelis. ¹⁹ I’ve set the descendants of Levi apart from the Israelis so that Aaron and his sons would work in service at the appointed place of meeting, making atonement on behalf of the Israelis so that there won’t be a plague among the Israelis whenever they approach the sanctuary.”
²⁰ So Moses and Aaron and the Israelis did this on behalf of the descendants of Levi. The Israelis did everything that the LORD commanded concerning the descendants of Levi. ²¹ The descendants of Levi therefore purified themselves, washed their clothes, and then Aaron presented them as wave offerings to the LORD. Aaron provided atonement for them to purify them. ²² After this, the descendants of Levi entered into their work of service at the appointed place, in the presence of Aaron and his sons. They did everything that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the descendants of Levi.
²³ Age Restrictions for the Descendants of LeviLater, the LORD told Moses, ²⁴ “Now regarding a descendant of Levi who is 25 years and above, he is to enter work in the service at the appointed place of meeting, ²⁵ but starting at 50 years of age, he is to retire from service and is no longer to work. ²⁶ He may minister to his brothers at the Tent of Meeting by keeping watch, but he is not to engage in service. This is how you are to act with respect to the obligations of the descendants of Levi.”

³⁷ “You are to make seven lamps for it, and its lamps are to be mounted so as to give light in front of it.

¹⁸ Six branches extended from its sides, three branches of the lamp stand from one side of it, and three branches of the lamp stand from its other side. ¹⁹ Three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and flowers were on one branch and three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and flowers were on the other branch, and so on for the six branches extending from the lamp stand.

²³ He made its seven lamps, its tongs, and its trays from pure gold.

²⁵ and set up the lamps in the LORD’s presence, just as the LORD had commanded him.

¹ The LampThe LORD spoke to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelis that they are to bring to you pure oil made from beaten olives in order to keep the lamp burning continuously.

⁴ He is to arrange the lamps so that they burn continuously on a ceremonially pure lamp stand in the LORD’s presence.

¹⁰⁵ Nun
God’s Word a LightYour word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my pathway.

¹³⁰ The disclosure of your words illuminates, providing understanding to the simple.

²⁰ for instruction and for testimony? Surely they are speaking like this because the truth hasn’t dawned on them.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.

⁹ This was the true light that enlightens every person by his coming into the world.

¹⁹ Therefore we regard the message of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp that is shining in a gloomy place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

¹² Then I turned to see who was talking to me, and when I turned I saw seven gold lamp stands.

²⁰ The secret meaning of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lamp stands is this: the seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands are the seven churches.”

⁵ Flashes of lightning, noises, and peals of thunder came from the throne. Burning in front of the throne were seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God.

⁹ This is how you are to make it: according to all that I’m showing you, according to the pattern for the tent and the pattern for all its furnishings.”

¹⁸ You are to make two cherubim of gold; you are to make them of hammered work at the two ends of the Mercy Seat.

³¹ The Lamp Stand
“You are to make a lamp stand of pure gold: the lamp stand and its base and stem shall be of hammered work, and its cups, calyxes, and flowers are to be of one piece with it. ³² Six branches are to extend from its sides, three branches of the lamp stand from one side of it and three branches of the lamp stand from its other side. ³³ Three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and flowers are to be on one branch and three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and flowers are to be on the other branch, and so for the six branches extending from the lamp stand.
³⁴ “On the lamp stand itself there are to be four cups shaped like almond blossoms with their calyxes and flowers. ³⁵ A calyx is to be under the two branches that extend out of the stem; a calyx is to be under the next pair of branches that extend out of the stem; and a calyx is to be under the last pair of branches that extend out of the stem, and so for the six branches extending from the lamp stand. ³⁶ Their calyxes and their branches are to be of one piece with it; all of it is to be made of one piece of hammered work of pure gold.
³⁷ “You are to make seven lamps for it, and its lamps are to be mounted so as to give light in front of it. ³⁸ Its tongs and trays are to be of pure gold. ³⁹ The lamp stand—together with all its furnishings—is to be made from a talent of pure gold. ⁴⁰ Now see that you make them according to the pattern for them which you are being shown on the mountain.”

⁷ He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the Mercy Seat.

¹⁷ The Lamp StandHe made the lamp stand of pure gold. He made the lamp stand, its base, and stem of hammered work and its cups, calyxes, and flowers were of one piece with it. ¹⁸ Six branches extended from its sides, three branches of the lamp stand from one side of it, and three branches of the lamp stand from its other side. ¹⁹ Three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and flowers were on one branch and three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and flowers were on the other branch, and so on for the six branches extending from the lamp stand. ²⁰ On the lamp stand itself there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms each with their calyxes and flowers. ²¹ A calyx was under the two branches that extended out of the stem; a calyx was under the next pair of branches that extended out of the stem; and a calyx was under the last pair of branches that extended out of the stem, and so on for the six branches extending from the lamp stand. ²² Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it, all of it was of one piece of hammered work of pure gold. ²³ He made its seven lamps, its tongs, and its trays from pure gold. ²⁴ He made it and all of its furnishings from a talent of pure gold.

¹¹ David Transfers Plans and Materials to SolomonAt this point in his address, David transferred to his son Solomon the construction plans for the Hall of Justice, its buildings, its treasure vaults, its upper rooms, its inner chambers, the housing for the Mercy Seat, ¹² and the plans for everything else that he had in mind for the courtyards of the Temple of the LORD. Included were plans for all of the surrounding vaults and treasuries of the Temple of God intended for storage of dedicated gifts, ¹³ for use by the ranks of priests and descendants of Levi, for all the work of service responsibilities in the Temple of the LORD, and for all of the utensils used in the work of the Temple of the LORD. ¹⁴ David also transferred to him by weight the gold that was to be used to craft the service utensils, the silver that was to be used to craft the service utensils, ¹⁵ the gold for the golden lamp stands and their lamps, the silver for a lamp stand and its lamps (each according to its intended use in the service), ¹⁶ the gold by weight for each table of the rows of bread, the silver for the silver tables, ¹⁷ pure gold for the forks, the basins, the cups, the golden bowls (along with enough gold by weight for each one), enough weight for each of the silver bowls, ¹⁸ refined gold for the altar of incense, by weight, along with his plans for crafting the golden chariot for the cherubim that spread out their wings to cover the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD.
¹⁹ David Continues His Address“All of these things the LORD made clear to me in writing at his direction—the construction plans for all of the building.”

⁵ They serve in a sanctuary that is a copy, a shadow of the heavenly one. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tent: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”

²³ The Messiah’s Perfect SacrificeThus it was necessary for these earthly copies of the things in heaven to be cleansed by these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves are made clean with better sacrifices than these.

¹⁵ He told the people, “Be ready for the third day; don’t go near a woman.”

¹¹ “Depart! Depart! Go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.

¹ Cleanse Yourselves in HolinessSince we have these promises, dear friends, let’s cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit by becoming mature in our holy fear of God.

⁸ Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

² Jacob announced to his household and to everyone with him, “Throw away the foreign gods that you’ve kept among you, purify yourselves, and change your clothes.

¹⁰ Preparation for the CovenantThe LORD told Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes,

⁶ Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.

⁷ He is to sprinkle the blood seven times on the person with the infectious skin disease and then pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird into the open fields. ⁸ The person who is clean is to wash his clothes, shave all his hair, and bathe in water, after which he is to be declared clean. Then he can be brought back to the camp, but he is to remain outside his tent for seven days. ⁹ On the seventh day, he is to shave the hair on his head, chin, back, and eyebrows. After he has shaved all his hair, washed his clothes, and bathed himself with water, then he will be clean.”

⁶ Whoever sits on any object on which the one with the discharge has sat is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening.

¹⁰ Whoever touches anything that was under him will be unclean until evening. Whoever carries these things is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening.
¹¹ “Anyone whom the one with the discharge touches without rinsing his hands with water is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening.

²⁷ Whoever touches them will become unclean. He is to wash his clothes and bathe with water and he will remain unclean until evening.

²⁸ The one who burns them is to wash his clothes and bathe his body with water. After doing so, he may enter the camp.”

⁷ The priest is to wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, after which he may enter the camp, but he is to remain unclean until evening. ⁸ Whoever takes part in the burning is to wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and is to remain unclean until the evening. ⁹ Then someone who is unclean is to gather the ashes of the heifer and lay them outside the camp in a clean place. This is to be done for the community of Israel to use for water of purification from sin. ¹⁰ Whoever gathers the ashes of the heifer is to wash his clothes and is to remain unclean until the evening. This ordinance is to remain for the benefit of both the Israelis and the resident aliens who live among them.”

¹³ Anyone who comes in contact with a dead person (that is, with the corpse of a human being who has died), but who does not purify himself, defiles the LORD’s tent. That person is to be eliminated from Israel, because the water of impurity wasn’t sprinkled on him. He remains unclean and his uncleanness will remain with him.

¹⁷ “Now as for the unclean, they are to take ashes from the burning sin offering, and pour running water on it inside a vessel. ¹⁸ A clean person is to take some hyssop, dip it in water, and then sprinkle it on the tent, on every vessel, and on whoever was there (that is, on whoever touched the bones, the killed person, or the dead body, including whoever dug the grave). ¹⁹ The clean person is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third day and seventh day and then he is to purify himself on the seventh day, wash his clothes, and bathe with water. He is to be considered clean at evening.

²⁰ Furthermore, you are to purify every garment—that is, everything made of leather, goat’s hair, or containing wood.”

² Wash me from my iniquity, cleanse me from my sin.

⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

¹⁵ so will he startle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths at him; for what had not been told them they will see, and what they had not heard they will understand.

¹⁴ Jerusalem, wash your evil from your heart so that you may be delivered. How long will you harbor evil schemes within you?

²⁵ I’ll sprinkle pure water on you all, and you’ll be cleansed from your impurity and from all of your idols.”

²⁵ “How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but on the inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that its outside may also be clean.

¹⁰ since they deal only with food, drink, and various washings, which are required for the body until the time when things would be set right.

¹³ For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are unclean purifies them physically,

²¹ Baptism, which is symbolized by that water, now saves you also, not by removing dirt from the body, but by asking God for a clear conscience based on the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah,

¹⁴ I told him, “Sir, you know.”
Then he told me, “These are the people who are coming out of the terrible suffering. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.

¹ The Consecration of the Priests“This is what you are to do to them in order to consecrate them to serve me as priests: Take a young bull, two rams without blemish,

³ You are to put them in one basket and bring them in the basket along with the bull and the two rams.

³ if his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to bring a male without any defect. He is to present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. At the appointed time, it is to be presented in the presence of the LORD so that he may be accepted.

¹ Grain Offerings“When a person brings an offering—that is, a grain offering—to the LORD, his offering is to consist of fine flour. He is to pour olive oil mixed with frankincense over it.

³ or if the anointed priest sins, thereby bringing guilt on the people, let him bring a young bull without defect as a sin offering to the LORD for his sin that he had committed.

¹⁴ When the sin that they have committed becomes known, the entire congregation is to bring a young bull as a sin offering to the Tent of Meeting,

² “Take Aaron, his sons with him, the clothing, the anointing oil, the bull for sin offering, two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread

³ Aaron is to enter the sacred place with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a whole burnt offering.

⁸ “When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering, or as a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, or for peace offerings to the LORD, ⁹ then the bullock is to be presented accompanied by a meal offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil.
¹⁰ “As for drink offerings, offer half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire is a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

¹⁰ The Exaltation of the Servant“Yet the LORD was willing to crush him, and he made him suffer. Although you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring, and he will prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will triumph in his hand.

³ For what the Law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did. By sending his own Son in the form of humanity, he condemned sin by being incarnate,

²¹ God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that God’s righteousness would be produced in us.

⁴ You are to bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water. ⁵ Take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breast piece, and then gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod. ⁶ Then put the turban on his head, and place the holy crown on the turban. ⁷ You are to take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him. ⁸ Then you are to bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. ⁹ You are to gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and tie headdresses on them. The priesthood is to belong to them by perpetual ordinance, and you are to ordain Aaron and his sons.
¹⁰ “You are to bring the bull in front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. ¹¹ Then you are to slaughter the bull in the LORD’s presence at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting. ¹² Take some of the blood of the bull, put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. ¹³ You are to take all the fat that covers the entrails, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them and send them up in smoke on the altar. ¹⁴ You are to burn the flesh of the bull, its hide, and its refuse with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering.
¹⁵ “You are to take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. ¹⁶ Then you are to slaughter the ram, take its blood, and scatter it around the altar. ¹⁷ You are to cut the ram into pieces, wash its entrails and legs, put them on the altar along with the pieces and its head, ¹⁸ and send up the whole ram in smoke on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD; it’s a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.
¹⁹ “You are to take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. ²⁰ You are to slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, the lobe of his sons’ right ears, the thumbs of their right hands, and the big toes of their right feet. Then you are to scatter the rest of the blood around the altar. ²¹ You are to take some of the blood which is on the altar, along with some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and their garments. He is to be consecrated with his garments, along with his sons and their garments
²² “You are to take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, the right thigh (for it’s a ram of ordination), ²³ and one loaf of bread, one cake of bread mixed with oil, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is in the LORD’s presence. ²⁴ You are to put all of these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and present them as a wave offering in the LORD’s presence. ²⁵ Then you are to take them from their hands and send them up in smoke on the altar on top of the burnt offering for a soothing aroma in the LORD’s presence. It is an offering by fire to the LORD.
²⁶ “You are to take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination, and present it as a wave offering in the LORD’s presence, and it is to be your portion. ²⁷ You are to consecrate the portion of the ram of ordination that belongs to Aaron and his sons: the breast of the wave offering that was waved and the thigh of the presented offering that was presented. ²⁸ These offerings from the Israelis are to be a perpetual ordinance for Aaron and his sons. They are presented offerings, and they are to be presented offerings from the Israelis out of their peace offerings. They are presented offerings to the LORD.
²⁹ “The holy garments of Aaron are to be for his sons after him so that they may be anointed in them and ordained in them. ³⁰ Aaron’s son, who is priest in his place, is to wear them for seven days when he comes into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place.
³¹ “You are to take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a Holy Place. ³² Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram along with the bread that is in the basket at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting. ³³ They shall eat these things by which atonement was made at their ordination to consecrate them, but an unqualified person is not to eat because these things are holy. ³⁴ If any of the flesh of the ordination ram or any of the bread is left until morning, you are to burn what is left with fire. Because it’s holy, what remains is not to be eaten. ³⁵ You are to do this for Aaron and his sons, just as I’ve commanded you. You are to ordain them for seven days, ³⁶ and every day you are to offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. Offer the sin offering on the altar when you make atonement for it and anoint the altar to consecrate it. ³⁷ You are to make atonement for the altar for seven days and consecrate it. It will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy.”

¹² Then you are to bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water.

³ and then assemble the entire congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”

⁴ He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted for him as an atonement on his behalf.

⁴⁵ “Separate the descendants of Levi in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel and the livestock of the descendants of Levi in place of their livestock. The descendants of Levi belong to me, since I am the LORD.

⁶ They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me to do the work for which I called them.” ³ Then they fasted and prayed, laid their hands on them, and let them go.

¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy when the elders laid their hands on you.

²² Do not ordain anyone hastily. Do not participate in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

²⁴ You are to put all of these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and present them as a wave offering in the LORD’s presence.

³⁰ He is to bring the offering made by fire with his own hands to the LORD. He is to bring the fat with the breast, since the breast is to be waved as a raised offering to the LORD.

²⁷ He put all of these things in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and they all waved them in a raised offering to the LORD.

²⁹ Moses took the breast and waved it as a raised offering in the LORD’s presence as the portion that belonged to Moses from the ram of consecration, just as the LORD had commanded him.

⁴⁹ “Be sure not to number or count the tribe of Levi with the rest of the Israelis. ⁵⁰ Instead, appoint the descendants of Levi over the Tent of Meeting, all the vessels, and everything in it. They are to carry the tent and all the vessels in it. They are to attend to it and camp around it. ⁵¹ Whenever the tent is ready for travel, the descendants of Levi are to take it down. When it’s time to encamp, the descendants of Levi are to set it up. Any unauthorized person who approaches it is to be executed. ⁵² Then the Israelis are to encamp around the tent, arranged according to their company and the standard of their army. ⁵³ But the descendants of Levi are to encamp on all sides of the Tent of Meeting so that divine wrath won’t fall on the congregation of Israel. The descendants of Levi are to take care of the Tent of Meeting.”

⁵ Appointment of the Descendants of Levi as PriestsThe LORD told Moses, ⁶ “Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them to Aaron the priest so they may serve him. ⁷ They are to take care of his needs and the needs of the whole congregation at the Tent of Meeting by performing duties at the tent. ⁸ They are to take charge of the utensils at the Tent of Meeting and meet the needs of the Israelis by performing duties on behalf of the tent. ⁹ Assign the descendants of Levi to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelis. ¹⁰ Appoint Aaron and his sons so that they are to take responsibility for their priesthood. Any unauthorized person who approaches it is to be put to death.”
¹¹ The Descendants of Levi as Substitutes for the First-bornLater, the LORD told Moses, ¹² “I’m taking the descendants of Levi for myself from among the Israelis in place of every first-born who opens the womb. The descendants of Levi belong to me ¹³ because all the first-born belong to me. When I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated all the first-born in Israel for myself—from human beings to livestock. They belong to me, since I am the LORD.”
¹⁴ Numbering the Descendants of LeviThe LORD also told Moses in the Sinai wilderness, ¹⁵ “Number the descendants of Levi according to their ancestral houses and tribes, numbering every male from a month old and above.”
¹⁶ So Moses numbered them according to the instruction of the LORD, as he had been commanded. ¹⁷ These are Levi’s descendants by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ¹⁸ These are names of Gershon’s descendants according to their families: Libni and Shimei. ¹⁹ These are the names of Kohath’s descendants according to their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁰ Merari’s descendants according to their families were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the descendants of Levi according to their ancestral house.
²¹ The Descendants of GershonThe families of Libni and Shimei were descendants of Gershon. As families of the descendants of Gershon, ²² all the males a month old and above numbered 7,500. ²³ The families of the descendants of Gershon encamped behind the tent toward the west. ²⁴ The leader of the tribe and family of Gershon was Lael’s son Eliasaph. ²⁵ The duties of the descendants of Gershon at the Tent of Meeting pertained to the tent, the tent covering, the curtain to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, ²⁶ the hangings at the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard that surrounded the tent, the altar, and all of the tent cords in use.
²⁷ The Descendants of Kohath and Their DutiesThe families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel were descendants of Kohath. As families of the descendants of Kohath, ²⁸ all the males a month old and above numbered 8,600. They were tasked to the care of the sanctuary. ²⁹ The descendants of Kohath encamped beside the tent toward the south. ³⁰ The leader of the tribe and family of Kohath was Uzziel’s son Elizaphan. ³¹ Their duties pertained to the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, and all the curtains in use. ³² The chief of all the leaders of the descendants of Levi was Aaron the priest’s son Eleazar. He was assigned to oversee those who were in charge of the services of the sanctuary.
³³ The Descendants of Merari and Their DutiesThe families of Mahli and Mushi were descendants of Merari. As families of Merari, ³⁴ all the males a month old and above numbered 6,200. ³⁵ The leader of the tribe and family of Merari was Abihail’s son Zuriel. The descendants of Merari encamped beside the tent toward the north. ³⁶ The duties of the caretakers from the descendants of Merari included the boards of the tent, its bars, crossbars, sockets, all its utensils for their services, ³⁷ the pillars around the courtyard, their sockets, pegs, and tent cords.
³⁸ The Encampment of Moses and AaronIn front of the tent and east of the Tent of Meeting, Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons encamped facing the east. They were tasked to perform the duties of the sanctuary and care for the needs of the Israelis. Any unauthorized person who approached was to be executed. ³⁹ As the LORD had instructed, everyone counted by Moses and Aaron from the descendants of Levi, according to their tribe, all males from a month old and above numbered 22,000.
⁴⁰ Numbering Israel’s First-bornLater the LORD instructed Moses: “Number all the first-born males of Israel from a month old and above and list their names. ⁴¹ Separate the descendants of Levi for me—since I am the LORD—in place of all the first-born sons of Israel. Also separate the livestock of the descendants of Levi in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of Israel.” ⁴² So Moses numbered all the firstborn from the sons of Israel just as the LORD commanded him. ⁴³ All the first-born males according to the list of their names from a month old and above numbered 22,273.

²⁰ The priest is to wave the offerings, that is, the breast and the thigh offering in the LORD’s presence. Then the Nazirite may drink wine afterward.

¹⁰ “You are to bring the bull in front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull.

²⁰ He is to do to this bull what he did to the bull for the sin offering. He is to do it this way so that the priest will make atonement for them and they will be forgiven.

³⁵ Then the presenter is to remove all its fat, just as the fat was removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering. The priest is to burn it on the altar over the offerings made by fire to the LORD. This is how the priest will make atonement for him concerning the sin that he had committed. It will be forgiven him.”

⁷ Inexpensive Offering Alternatives“If he can’t afford a goat, then he is to bring to the LORD for his sin offering two turtledoves or two young doves: one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

⁹ Then he is to sprinkle some of the blood from the sin offering on the sidewall of the altar. Now as to the remainder of the blood, he is to pour it out at the base of the altar for a sin offering. ¹⁰ With respect to the second offering, he is to prepare it as a burnt offering, according to the approved procedure. The priest is to make atonement for him on account of his sin that he had committed. Then it will be forgiven him.

¹⁴ Moses’ Sin and Whole OfferingsNext, he brought the bull for a sin offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the bull’s head for a sin offering.

¹⁸ Next, he brought the ram for the whole burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram,

³⁴ What has been done today has been commanded by the LORD to make atonement for you.

⁷ Moses then told Aaron, “Approach the altar and bring your sin and whole burnt offerings. Make atonement for yourself and the people. Then bring the people’s offering and make atonement for them, as the LORD commanded.”

¹⁹ This is how the priest is to present the sin offering to make atonement for the person being cleansed of his impurity. After this, he is to slaughter the whole burnt offering. ²⁰ The priest is to offer both the whole burnt and the grain offerings on the altar. After the priest makes atonement for him, he will be clean.”

²² and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, whichever he can afford. One is for a sin offering and the other is for a whole burnt offering.

⁶ Then Aaron is to bring the bull as a sin offering for himself and make atonement for himself and his household.

¹¹ The Sin Offering“Aaron is then to bring the bull for a sin offering for himself, thus making atonement for himself and his household. He is to slaughter the ox for himself.

¹⁶ Then he is to make atonement on the sacred place on account of the uncleanness of the Israelis, their transgressions, and all their sins. This is how he is to act in the Tent of Meeting, which will remain with them in the middle of their uncleanness.
¹⁷ “No person is to be there when he enters the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the sacred place, until he comes out and has made atonement on account of himself, his household, and the entire assembly of Israel. ¹⁸ When he goes to the altar in the LORD’s presence to make atonement for himself, he is to take some of the blood from the bull and the male goat, place it around the horns of the altar, ¹⁹ and sprinkle it with the blood on his forefinger seven times, cleansing and sanctifying it from Israel’s sins.”

²¹ Aaron is to lay his two hands upon the head of the male goat and confess over it the sins of Israel, all their transgressions, and all their sins, thus placing them on the head of the male goat that he’ll then send out to the wilderness by the hand of a man capable of carrying out this task.

¹⁴ He is to bring an offering to the LORD, a year old male lamb, and a year old ewe female lamb, both without blemish, for a sin offering and a ram without blemish for a peace offering,

¹⁶ The priest is to come into the LORD’s presence and present his sin and burnt offerings.

⁸ They are to take a young bull along with its meal offering made of flour mixed with oil. Then you are to take a second young bull as a sin offering.

²² In fact, under the Law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of the blood there is no forgiveness.

⁴ for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
⁵ The Messiah Offered One SacrificeFor this reason, the Scriptures say, when the Messiah was about to come into the world: “You did not want sacrifices and offerings, but you prepared a body for me. ⁶ In burnt offerings and sin offerings you never took delight. ⁷ Then I said, ‘See, I have come to do your will, O God’ In the volume of the scroll this is written about me.” ⁸ In this passage he says, “You never wanted or took delight in sacrifices, offerings, burnt offerings, and sin offerings,” which are offered according to the Law. ⁹ Then he says, “See, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰ By God’s will we have been sanctified once and for all through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus, the Messiah.

¹¹ “Then Aaron is to present the descendants of Levi as a wave offering before the LORD from the Israelis, because they are to work in the service of the LORD.

²¹ The descendants of Levi therefore purified themselves, washed their clothes, and then Aaron presented them as wave offerings to the LORD. Aaron provided atonement for them to purify them.

⁶ Notice that I’ve taken your brothers, the descendants of Levi, from among the Israelis, giving them to you as a gift from the LORD to perform the service of the Tent of Meeting.

¹ Dedicate Your Lives to GodI therefore urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercies, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, for this is the reasonable way for you to worship.

¹⁶ to be a minister of the Messiah Jesus to the gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering brought by gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

¹² “I’m taking the descendants of Levi for myself from among the Israelis in place of every first-born who opens the womb. The descendants of Levi belong to me

² “Tell the Israelis that a man or woman who commits to the vow of the Nazirite, is to be separated to the LORD,

¹⁷ since every firstborn of Israel belongs to me, from human beings to livestock. On the same day that I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them to myself,

⁹ Is it such an insignificant thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the Israelis to draw you to himself, appointing you to do the work of the tent of the LORD and to stand before the community to minister to them? ¹⁰ He brought you near, along with all of your relatives, the descendants of Levi. Are you also seeking the priesthood?

⁸ At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, to stand in the LORD’s presence, to serve, and to bless his name until this day.

¹⁷ “They’ll be mine,” says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, “in the day when I prepare my treasured possession. I’ll spare them, just as a man spares his own son who serves him.

¹ Greetings from PaulFrom: Paul, a servant of Jesus the Messiah, called to be an apostle and set apart for God’s gospel,

¹⁵ But when God, who set me apart before I was born and who called me by his grace, was pleased

²⁶ We need such a high priest—one who is holy, innocent, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.

²³ The families of the descendants of Gershon encamped behind the tent toward the west. ²⁴ The leader of the tribe and family of Gershon was Lael’s son Eliasaph. ²⁵ The duties of the descendants of Gershon at the Tent of Meeting pertained to the tent, the tent covering, the curtain to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, ²⁶ the hangings at the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard that surrounded the tent, the altar, and all of the tent cords in use.
²⁷ The Descendants of Kohath and Their DutiesThe families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel were descendants of Kohath. As families of the descendants of Kohath, ²⁸ all the males a month old and above numbered 8,600. They were tasked to the care of the sanctuary. ²⁹ The descendants of Kohath encamped beside the tent toward the south. ³⁰ The leader of the tribe and family of Kohath was Uzziel’s son Elizaphan. ³¹ Their duties pertained to the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, and all the curtains in use. ³² The chief of all the leaders of the descendants of Levi was Aaron the priest’s son Eleazar. He was assigned to oversee those who were in charge of the services of the sanctuary.
³³ The Descendants of Merari and Their DutiesThe families of Mahli and Mushi were descendants of Merari. As families of Merari, ³⁴ all the males a month old and above numbered 6,200. ³⁵ The leader of the tribe and family of Merari was Abihail’s son Zuriel. The descendants of Merari encamped beside the tent toward the north. ³⁶ The duties of the caretakers from the descendants of Merari included the boards of the tent, its bars, crossbars, sockets, all its utensils for their services, ³⁷ the pillars around the courtyard, their sockets, pegs, and tent cords.

³ from 30 years and older through the age of 50 years, from everyone who can enter the service to perform work at the Tent of Meeting.
⁴ “Here’s what the descendants of Kohath are to do regarding the Tent of Meeting and what’s inside the Most Holy Place: ⁵ When the camp is about to travel, Aaron and his sons are to come and take down the veil of the curtain and cover the Ark of the Testimony with it. ⁶ They are to set a leather-dyed skin covering over it, cover it with a pure blue cloth, and then insert its poles.
⁷ “They are to spread a blue cloth over the table of the Presence and on top of it the dishes, pans, bowls, pitchers for drink offerings, and the bread of presence are to be on it continually. ⁸ They are to spread over them a scarlet cloth and a leather-dyed skin covering and then insert its poles.
⁹ “They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand for the light with its lamp, lamp-snuffers, censer, and all the utensils for its oil with which they minister. ¹⁰ Then they are to put them with all the other utensils on the leather-dyed skin covering and set them on the beams for transport.
¹¹ “On the golden altar, they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with a leather-dyed skin covering, and then insert its poles. ¹² Then they are to take all the utensils for service with which they minister at the sanctuary, set them on the blue cloth, cover them with the leather-dyed skin covering, and then set them on the beams for transport. ¹³ They are also to remove the ashes on the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. ¹⁴ Then they are to put all the instruments with which they minister there—trays, forks, shovels, bowls, and all the utensils of the altar. They are to spread over it a leather-dyed skin covering and then insert its poles.
¹⁵ “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the utensils of the sanctuary, and the camp is about to travel, then the descendants of Kohath are to come and carry them, but they are not to touch the most sacred objects, so they won’t die. These are the duties of the descendants of Kohath at the Tent of Meeting.”
¹⁶ “Now the duty of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest is to maintain the oil for the light, the spiced incense, the daily offerings, the oil for anointing, and to carry out all the duties of the tent and the sanctuary, and to maintain its utensils.”
¹⁷ Protecting the Descendants of KohathThen the LORD told Moses and Aaron, ¹⁸ “You are not to eliminate the tribe of the families of the descendants of Kohath from the descendants of Levi. ¹⁹ But do this for them so that they may live and not die when they approach the Most Holy Place: Aaron and his sons are to go in and set specific responsibilities for each of them to carry out. ²⁰ But they are not to go in to see the sanctuary as it is being covered, so they won’t die.”
²¹ Eleazar’s DutiesThen the LORD told Moses, ²² “Take a census of the descendants of Gershon according to their ancestral house and tribes. ²³ Count their number from between 30 to 50 years old, including everyone who can enter the service to perform work at the Tent of Meeting.”
²⁴ Gershonite Responsibilities“These are the responsibilities that the descendants of Gershon are to have: ²⁵ They are to carry the curtain of the tent, the covering of the Tent of Meeting, the dyed leather covering that goes over it, the curtain for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, ²⁶ the hangings for the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance to the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the tent, the altar, the ropes, all the service utensils, and everything made for them. This is to be their service area. ²⁷ The descendants of Gershon are to carry out the instructions of Aaron and his sons. You are to assign them their responsibilities to carry out. ²⁸ This is the work of the tribes of Gershon at the Tent of Meeting—their duties under the supervision of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.
²⁹ Merarite Responsibilities“For the descendants of Merari, number them according to their tribes and ancestral houses ³⁰ from 30 to 50 years old as you count them, including everyone who can enter service and perform work at the Tent of Meeting. ³¹ This is to be their area of responsibility to carry out with respect to their service at the Tent of Meeting: the board of the tent, its bars, its crossbars, its sockets, ³² the pillars around the courtyard, their sockets, their pegs, their ropes, and all the utensils for all their services. Assign the utensils by name to each person whose responsibility it will be to carry them.

¹³ You are to make the descendants of Levi stand in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Then you are to wave them as wave offerings to the LORD.

¹ The Levitical DivisionsAfter David had reached old age, and had completed his reign, he set his son Solomon as king over Israel. ² David then gathered together all of the leaders of Israel, including the priests and descendants of Levi. ³ descendants of Levi 30 years old and above were counted for a total of 38,000. ⁴ “24,000 of these,” David said, “are to be set in charge of the work of the Temple of the LORD, with 6,000 serving as officers and judges, ⁵ with 4,000 gatekeepers, and with 4,000 offering praises to the LORD with the musical instruments that I have had crafted.”
⁶ David divided them into divisions based on Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, Levi’s sons.
⁷ An Abbreviated Genealogy of Levi’s SonsThe descendants of Gershon were Ladan and Shimei. ⁸ The three descendants of Ladan included Jehiel (their chief), Zetham, and Joel. ⁹ The three descendants of Shimei included Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. These were the heads of families of Ladan.
¹⁰ The descendants of Shimei included Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were sons of Shimei. ¹¹ Jahath served as chief and Zizah was second in rank, but since Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, they were enrolled as a single family unit.
¹² The four descendants of Kohath included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ¹³ The descendants of Amram included Aaron and Moses. Aaron had been set apart to consecrate the most holy things, with the intent that he and his sons should present offerings in the LORD’s presence forever, ministering to him and pronouncing blessings in his name forever.
¹⁴ Meanwhile, as for Moses the man of God, his sons were considered among the tribe of Levi. ¹⁵ The descendants of Moses included Gershom and Eliezer. ¹⁶ The descendants of Gershom included Shebuel as their chief.
¹⁷ The descendants of Eliezer included Rehabiah as their chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many descendants.
¹⁸ The descendants of Izhar included Shelomith their chief.
¹⁹ The descendants of Hebron included Jeriah their chief, Amariah their second in rank, Jahaziel their third, and Jekameam their fourth.
²⁰ The descendants of Uzziel included Micah their chief and Isshiah their second in rank.
²¹ The descendants of Merari included Mahli and Mushi. The descendants of Mahli included Eleazar and Kish, ²² but Eleazar died having no sons, but only daughters. Their relatives (the descendants of Kish) married them. ²³ The three descendants of Mushi included Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.
²⁴ These were the descendants of Levi according to their ancestral households, with family heads documented according to the names of persons 20 years and older who were appointed to perform work in service to the Temple of the LORD.
²⁵ For David had said “The LORD God of Israel has granted rest to his people, and he has taken Israel as his eternal residence. ²⁶ Therefore the descendants of Levi are no longer to carry the Tent or its service implements.” ²⁷ Since, according to David’s final instructions, the list above contains the total number of descendants of Levi from the age of 20 years and upward, ²⁸ David issued these orders: “Instead, they are to assist by lending a hand to the descendants of Aaron regarding service to the Temple of the LORD relating to the courts, the chambers, purification of everything pertaining to holiness, and to anything else pertaining to service on behalf of the Temple of God, ²⁹ including assisting with the rows of showbread, selecting flour for the grain offerings, the unleavened bread, baked offerings, and oil-based offerings, no matter what the quantity or sizes. ³⁰ They are to take their stand morning by morning, thanking and praising the LORD right through until the evening, ³¹ whenever burnt offerings are presented to the LORD, whether on Sabbaths, New Moons, or scheduled festivals, regularly in the LORD’s presence in accordance with the number required to conduct their service. ³² By doing this, they will fulfill their obligation as trustees over the Tent of Assembly and the Sanctuary, attending to the needs of their relatives, who are descendants of Aaron, in keeping with their service on behalf of the Temple of the LORD.”

¹ The MusiciansAlong with officers in his army, David consecrated to assist in service to the descendants of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun those who prophesy with lyres, harps, and cymbals.
The list of those who participated in this service included: ² from the descendants of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah, sons of Asaph mentored by Asaph himself, who prophesied under the supervision of the king; ³ from Jeduthun, these six of his descendants: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, mentored by their father Jeduthun, who played a lyre and prophesied, giving thanks and praise to the LORD; ⁴ from Heman, these descendants: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. ⁵ All of these were descendants of Heman the king’s seer, according to God’s promise to exalt him, since God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. ⁶ They were all under their father’s supervision regarding music in the Temple of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the Temple of God.
Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under command of the king. ⁷ They and their relatives who had been skillfully trained in singing to the LORD, numbered 288. ⁸ Their duties, whether significant or insignificant, whether performed by teacher or pupil alike, were assigned by lottery.
⁹ Asaph’s first lottery was cast in favor of Joseph; the second went to Gedaliah, that is, to him, to his relatives, and his sons, for a total of twelve; ¹⁰ the third to Zaccur, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹¹ the fourth to Izri, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹² the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹³ the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹⁴ the seventh to Jesharelah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹⁵ the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹⁶ the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹⁷ the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹⁸ the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹⁹ the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ²⁰ the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ²¹ the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ²² the fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ²³ the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ²⁴ the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ²⁵ the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ²⁶ the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve;

⁹ Assign the descendants of Levi to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelis.

²⁹ The Death of the Firstborn in EgyptAnd so at midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock.

² “Consecrate to me every firstborn male. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the Israelis, both of humans and of animals, belongs to me.”

¹² you are to dedicate to the LORD everything that first opens the womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD. ¹³ You are to redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you don’t redeem it, you are to break its neck. You are to redeem every firstborn among your sons. ¹⁴ Then when your child asks you in the future, ‘What is this?’, you are to say to him, ‘The LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage with a strong show of force. ¹⁵ And when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of humans to the firstborn of animals. Therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD every male that first opens the womb, but I redeem every firstborn of my sons.

⁴⁴ I’ll consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and I’ll consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve as my priests.

¹⁴ Gifts of Residences“If a person consecrates his house to be holy to the LORD, then the priest is to set a value for it as to its worth, whether good or bad. As the priest sets value on it, so it will stand. ¹⁵ And if he that consecrated it wishes to redeem his house, he is to add one fifth to your valuation, after which it is to belong to him.

²⁶ “No person is to consecrate the firstborn, because the firstborn of the animals already belongs to the LORD. Whether ox or goat, it belongs to the LORD.

¹³ because all the first-born belong to me. When I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated all the first-born in Israel for myself—from human beings to livestock. They belong to me, since I am the LORD.”

⁵¹ He struck every firstborn in Egypt, the first fruits of their manhood in the tents of Ham.

³⁶ He struck down every firstborn in their land, the first fruits of all their progeny.

⁸ It was the LORD who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, including both men and animals.

¹² Also, I instituted my Sabbath for them as a sign between me and them, so they would know that I am the LORD, who has set them apart.”

²³ as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn son is to be designated as holy to the Lord.”

³⁶ how can you say to the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You’re blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I’m the Son of God’?

¹⁹ It is for their sakes that I sanctify myself, so that they, too, may be sanctified by the truth.

²⁹ How much more severe a punishment do you think that person deserves who tramples on God’s Son, treats as common the blood of the covenant by which it was sanctified, and insults the Spirit of grace?

²⁸ By faith he established the Passover and the sprinkling of blood to keep the destroyer of the firstborn from touching the people.

¹⁸ In accordance with his will he made us his children by the word of truth, so that we might become the most important of his creatures.

⁵³ But the descendants of Levi are to encamp on all sides of the Tent of Meeting so that divine wrath won’t fall on the congregation of Israel. The descendants of Levi are to take care of the Tent of Meeting.”

⁶ “Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them to Aaron the priest so they may serve him. ⁷ They are to take care of his needs and the needs of the whole congregation at the Tent of Meeting by performing duties at the tent. ⁸ They are to take charge of the utensils at the Tent of Meeting and meet the needs of the Israelis by performing duties on behalf of the tent. ⁹ Assign the descendants of Levi to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelis.

⁴⁶ Then Moses told Aaron. “Take the censer, put fire on it from the altar, and burn some incense. Then walk quickly to the congregation and atone for them, because wrath has already come out from the LORD—the plague has begun.”

² Moreover, bring your brothers from your father’s tribe of Levi with you, so they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you stand in the presence of the Tent of Testimony. ³ They are to take care of your concerns and all the responsibilities involved with the tent. But they’re not to approach the holy vessels or the altar. That way, neither you nor they will die. ⁴ They are to join you to maintain services related to the Tent of Meeting, for all the responsibilities involved with the tent. But no unauthorized person is to approach you. ⁵ Take care of the sanctuary and the services of the altar so that there won’t be any more wrath on the Israelis. ⁶ Notice that I’ve taken your brothers, the descendants of Levi, from among the Israelis, giving them to you as a gift from the LORD to perform the service of the Tent of Meeting.

¹⁹ God struck down the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the Ark of the LORD. He struck down 50,070 men among the people, and the people mourned because the LORD struck down the people with a great slaughter.

¹⁶ Uzziah’s Arrogance and Apostasy
But after he had become strong, in his arrogance he acted corruptly and became unfaithful to the LORD his God, and he dared to enter the LORD’s Temple to burn incense on the incense altar. ¹⁷ Azariah the priest ran after him, along with 80 of the LORD’s valiant priests, ¹⁸ and they opposed King Uzziah. “Uzziah, it’s not for you to burn incense to the LORD,” they told him, “but for the priests to do, Aaron’s descendants who are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary now, because you have been unfaithful and won’t receive any honor from the LORD God.”
¹⁹ Uzziah flew into a rage while he held in his hand a censer to burn incense. As he got angry at the priests, leprosy broke out all over his forehead right in front of the priests beside the incense altar in the LORD’s Temple. ²⁰ So Azariah the chief priest and all the priests stared at Uzziah, who was infected with leprosy in his forehead! They all rushed at him and hurried him out of the Temple. Uzziah was in a hurry to get out anyway, because the LORD had struck him.

¹¹ Nevertheless, they are to serve in my sanctuary, overseeing the gates of the Temple, taking care of the Temple, slaughtering the burnt offerings and the sacrifices presented for the people, standing in the presence of the people, and ministering to them. ¹² Because they kept serving them in the presence of their idols, becoming a sin-filled stumbling block to the house of Israel,’ declares the Lord GOD.
“‘I have sworn to them that they are to bear the consequences of their iniquity. ¹³ They are not to come near me to serve me as a priest, nor approach any of my holy things, including the most holy things. Instead, they are to bear the shame of the loathsome things that they have done. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, I will appoint them to take care of my Temple, including all of its service and everything that is to be done inside of it.’”

⁷ This is what you are to do for them in order to purify them: Sprinkle purifying water over them, have them shave their skin, and then have them wash their garments, and they will be purified.

¹¹ “Then Aaron is to present the descendants of Levi as a wave offering before the LORD from the Israelis, because they are to work in the service of the LORD. ¹² The descendants of Levi are then to lay their hands on the head of the bulls, offering one for a sin offering and the other one for a burnt offering to the LORD to atone for the descendants of Levi. ¹³ You are to make the descendants of Levi stand in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Then you are to wave them as wave offerings to the LORD.

¹⁵ “After this, the descendants of Levi are to come to serve at the appointed place of meeting, after you have purified them and presented them as wave offerings,

¹² He is to purify himself on the third day and he will be clean on the seventh day. But if he can’t purify himself on the third day then he can’t be clean on the seventh day.

¹⁹ The clean person is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third day and seventh day and then he is to purify himself on the seventh day, wash his clothes, and bathe with water. He is to be considered clean at evening.

¹⁵ Then they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month.
The priests and descendants of Levi felt ashamed of themselves, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the LORD’s Temple. ¹⁶ Then they took their customary places, as the Law of Moses the man of God prescribes, and the priests sprinkled the blood that they were given by the descendants of Levi. ¹⁷ Because there were so many in the assembly that had not consecrated themselves, therefore the descendants of Levi supervised the slaughter of the Passover sacrifices on behalf of everyone who remained unclean, so they could be consecrated to the LORD.

²⁷ After this, the priests arose, blessed the people, and their voices were heard in prayer all the way to heaven, where God resides in holiness.

² Hezekiah Continues His ReformsHezekiah appointed the priestly divisions and the divisions of the descendants of Levi, each according to their service duties, including both priests and descendants of Levi who offered morning and evening burnt offerings, peace offerings, general ministry, thanksgiving, and praise in the gateways to the LORD’s campgrounds.

⁸ His officers contributed a voluntary offering to the people, the priests, and the descendants of Levi. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the officials who supervised God’s Temple, gave 2,600 animals from their flocks to the priests for Passover offerings, along with 300 bulls. ⁹ Also, Conaniah, and his relatives Shemaiah, and Nethanel, along with Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, the officers in charge of the descendants of Levi, contributed 5,000 animals from the flocks to the descendants of Levi for the Passover offerings, along with 500 bulls. ¹⁰ As a result, the Passover service was prepared, the priests took their assigned places, and the descendants of Levi stood in their divisions as the king had commanded.
¹¹ They slaughtered the Passover lamb, and the priests poured out the blood that they had received from the lambs while the descendants of Levi flayed the sacrifices. ¹² They set aside in reserve the burnt offerings, so they could distribute them in proportion to the divisions of their ancestral households for presentation by the people to the LORD, as is required by the book of Moses. They did this with respect to the bulls, also. ¹³ They roasted the Passover in fire, as required by the ordinances, and boiled the holy things in pots, kettles, and pans, and delivered them quickly to all the people. ¹⁴ After this, because the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, were busy offering the burnt offerings and fat portions until evening, the descendants of Levi prepared the Passover for themselves and their fellow-descendants of Aaron, the priests. ¹⁵ The singers, as descendants of Asaph, remained at their stations as David, Asaph, Heman, and the king’s seer Jeduthun required, and the gatekeepers did not have to leave their posts because their descendant of Levi relatives prepared the Passover for them.

³ from 30 years and older through the age of 50 years, from everyone who can enter the service to perform work at the Tent of Meeting.

²³ Count their number from between 30 to 50 years old, including everyone who can enter the service to perform work at the Tent of Meeting.”

³ descendants of Levi 30 years old and above were counted for a total of 38,000.

²⁴ These were the descendants of Levi according to their ancestral households, with family heads documented according to the names of persons 20 years and older who were appointed to perform work in service to the Temple of the LORD.
²⁵ For David had said “The LORD God of Israel has granted rest to his people, and he has taken Israel as his eternal residence. ²⁶ Therefore the descendants of Levi are no longer to carry the Tent or its service implements.” ²⁷ Since, according to David’s final instructions, the list above contains the total number of descendants of Levi from the age of 20 years and upward,

¹² and the plans for everything else that he had in mind for the courtyards of the Temple of the LORD. Included were plans for all of the surrounding vaults and treasuries of the Temple of God intended for storage of dedicated gifts, ¹³ for use by the ranks of priests and descendants of Levi, for all the work of service responsibilities in the Temple of the LORD, and for all of the utensils used in the work of the Temple of the LORD.

⁷ Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat any of its grapes? Or who takes care of a flock and does not drink any of its milk?

⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not those of the world. Instead, they have the power of God to demolish fortresses. We tear down arguments

¹⁸ Guidelines for Behavior in the ChurchTimothy, my child, I am instructing you in keeping with the prophecies made earlier about you, so that by following them you may continue to fight the good fight

¹² Fight the good fight for the faith. Keep holding on to eternal life, to which you were called and about which you gave a good testimony in front of many witnesses.

³ Join me in suffering like a good soldier of the Messiah Jesus. ⁴ No one serving in the military gets mixed up in civilian matters, for his aim is to please his commanding officer. ⁵ Moreover, no one who is an athlete wins a prize unless he competes according to the rules.

⁷ I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith.

³² The chief of all the leaders of the descendants of Levi was Aaron the priest’s son Eleazar. He was assigned to oversee those who were in charge of the services of the sanctuary.

⁴ They are to join you to maintain services related to the Tent of Meeting, for all the responsibilities involved with the tent. But no unauthorized person is to approach you.

³⁰ Then take half the share of the Israelis, one drawn out of every 50 people, cattle, donkeys, flocks, and from every animal, then give to the descendants of Levi who maintain the service of the LORD’s tent.”

³² By doing this, they will fulfill their obligation as trustees over the Tent of Assembly and the Sanctuary, attending to the needs of their relatives, who are descendants of Aaron, in keeping with their service on behalf of the Temple of the LORD.”

²⁰ Oversight of the TreasuriesNow with respect to the descendants of Levi, Ahijah was responsible for the treasuries of the Temple of God, including the treasuries containing dedicated gifts. ²¹ With respect to the descendants of Ladan, the Gershonite descendants pertaining to Ladan, the heads of families pertaining to Ladan the Gershonite, there was Jehieli. ²² The descendants of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel, were responsible for the treasuries of the Temple of the LORD.
²³ From the descendants of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel were assigned ²⁴ Shebuel, a descendant of Gershom and a descendant of Moses (as chief officer in charge of the treasuries) ²⁵ and his brothers from Eliezer, including his son Rehabiah, his son Jeshaiah, his son Joram, his son Zichri, and his son Shelomoth.
²⁶ Shelomoth and his brothers were responsible for all of the treasuries of dedicated gifts given by King David, by the heads of families, by the officers of groups of thousands and groups of hundreds, and by the leading army officers. ²⁷ They dedicated gifts for the maintenance of the Temple of the LORD from spoils of war. ²⁸ Furthermore, everything that Samuel the seer, Kish’s son Saul, Ner’s son Abner, and Zeruiah’s son Joab had dedicated—all of their dedicated gifts—were under the care of Shelomoth and his brothers.
²⁹ From the descendants of Izhar, Chenaniah and his sons were assigned as officers and judges with responsibilities relating to external duties.

⁸ Furthermore, you haven’t paid attention to the requirements for my holy things. Instead, you placed foreigners in charge of my sanctuary.”’

¹¹ Nevertheless, they are to serve in my sanctuary, overseeing the gates of the Temple, taking care of the Temple, slaughtering the burnt offerings and the sacrifices presented for the people, standing in the presence of the people, and ministering to them.

¹⁵ Think on these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress.