Numbers 7–8

1On the day Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings, along with the altar and all its utensils.

2And the leaders of Israel, the heads of their families, presented an offering. These men were the tribal leaders who had supervised the registration.

3They brought as their offering before the LORD six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two leaders—and presented them before the tabernacle.

4And the LORD said to Moses,

5“Accept these gifts from them, that they may be used in the work of the Tent of Meeting. And give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.”

6So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites.

7He gave the Gershonites two carts and four oxen, as their service required,

8and he gave the Merarites four carts and eight oxen, as their service required, all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

9But he did not give any to the Kohathites, since they were to carry on their shoulders the holy objects for which they were responsible.

10When the altar was anointed, the leaders approached with their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the altar.

11And the LORD said to Moses, “Each day one leader is to present his offering for the dedication of the altar.”

12On the first day Nahshon son of Amminadab from the tribe of Judah drew near with his offering.

13His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

14one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;

15one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

16one male goat for a sin offering;

17and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.

18On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, drew near.

19The offering he presented was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

20one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;

21one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

22one male goat for a sin offering;

23and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.

24On the third day Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the Zebulunites, drew near.

25His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

26one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;

27one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

28one male goat for a sin offering;

29and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.

30On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the Reubenites, drew near.

31His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

32one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;

33one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

34one male goat for a sin offering;

35and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.

36On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the Simeonites, drew near.

37His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

38one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;

39one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

40one male goat for a sin offering;

41and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

42On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the Gadites, drew near.

43His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

44one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;

45one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

46one male goat for a sin offering;

47and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.

48On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the Ephraimites, drew near.

49His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

50one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;

51one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

52one male goat for a sin offering;

53and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.

54On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the Manassites, drew near.

55His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

56one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;

57one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

58one male goat for a sin offering;

59and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

60On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the Benjamites, drew near.

61His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

62one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;

63one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

64one male goat for a sin offering;

65and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.

66On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the Danites, drew near.

67His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

68one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;

69one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

70one male goat for a sin offering;

71and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

72On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ocran, the leader of the Asherites, drew near.

73His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

74one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;

75one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

76one male goat for a sin offering;

77and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran.

78On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the Naphtalites, drew near.

79His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

80one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;

81one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

82one male goat for a sin offering;

83and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.

84So these were the offerings from the leaders of Israel for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed: twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, and twelve gold dishes.

85Each silver platter weighed a hundred and thirty shekels, and each silver bowl seventy shekels. The total weight of the silver articles was two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.

86The twelve gold dishes filled with incense weighed ten shekels each, according to the sanctuary shekel. The total weight of the gold dishes was a hundred and twenty shekels.

87All the livestock for the burnt offering totaled twelve bulls, twelve rams, and twelve male lambs a year old—together with their grain offerings—and twelve male goats for the sin offering.

88All the livestock sacrificed for the peace offering totaled twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty male lambs a year old. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.

89When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the mercy seat on the ark of the Testimony. Thus the LORD spoke to him.

1Then the LORD said to Moses,

2“Speak to Aaron and tell him: ‘When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand.’”

3And Aaron did so; he set up the lamps facing toward the front of the lampstand, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

4This is how the lampstand was constructed: it was made of hammered gold from its base to its blossoms, fashioned according to the pattern the LORD had shown Moses.

5Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

6“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.

7This is what you must do to cleanse them: Sprinkle them with the water of purification. Have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.

8Then have them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.

9Bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting and assemble the whole congregation of Israel.

10You are to present the Levites before the LORD and have the Israelites lay their hands upon them.

11Aaron is to present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, so that they may perform the service of the LORD.

12And the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and offer to the LORD one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites.

13You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and then present them before the LORD as a wave offering.

14In this way you shall separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and the Levites will belong to Me.

15After you have cleansed them and presented them as a wave offering, they may come to serve at the Tent of Meeting.

16For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

17For every firstborn male in Israel is Mine, both man and beast. I set them apart for Myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.

18But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.

19And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to perform the service for the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”

20So Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of Israel did with the Levites everything that the LORD had commanded Moses they should do.

21The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them.

22After that, the Levites came to perform their service at the Tent of Meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Thus they did with the Levites just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

23And the LORD said to Moses,

24“This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years of age or older shall enter to perform the service in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

25But at the age of fifty, they must retire from performing the work and no longer serve.

26After that, they may assist their brothers in fulfilling their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves are not to do the work. This is how you are to assign responsibilities to the Levites.”