Cleansing And Dedication
Of The Levites
By
Holy Moses
Cleansing And Dedication
Then
the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Take the Levites from among the children
of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially. Thus you shall do to them to cleanse
them: Sprinkle water of purification on them, and let them shave all their
body, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.
Then
let them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with
oil, and you shall take another young bull as a sin offering. And you shall
bring the Levites before the Tabernacle Of Meeting, and you shall gather
together the whole congregation of the children of Israel. So you shall bring
the Levites before the Lord, and the children of Israel shall lay their hands
on the Levites; and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord like a wave
offering from the children of Israel, that they may perform the work of the Lord.
Then, the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls, and
you shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord,
to make atonement for the Levites.
"And
you shall stand the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and then offer them like
a wave offering to the Lord. Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the
children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine. After that the Levites shall
go in to service the Tabernacle Of Meeting. So you shall cleanse them and offer
them like a wave offering. For they are wholly given to Me from among the
children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the
womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel.
For
all the firstborn among the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast; on
the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them
to Myself. I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the
children of Israel. And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his
sons from among the children of Israel, to do the work for the children of
Israel in the Tabernacle Of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of
Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children
of Israel come near the sanctuary."
Thus
Moses and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the
Levites; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites,
so the children of Israel did to them. And the Levites purified themselves and
washed their clothes; then Aaron presented them like a wave offering before the
Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. After that, the
Levites went in to do their work in the Tabernacle Of Meeting before Aaron and
his sons; as the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to
them.
Then
the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "This is what pertains to the Levites:
From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the
work of the Tabernacle Of Meeting; and at the age of fifty years they must
cease performing this work, and shall work no more. They may minister with
their brethren in the Tabernacle Of Meeting, to attend to needs, but they
themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their
duties."