1. The Lord said to Moses,
2. "Speak to Aaron. Say to him, 'Set up the seven lamps. They will give light to the area that is in front of the lampstand.' "
3. So Aaron did it. He set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand. He did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
4. The lampstand was made out of hammered gold. From its base to its blooms it was made out of hammered gold. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.
5. The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
6. "Take the Levites from among the other men of Israel. Make them 'clean' in the usual way.
7. Here is how to make them pure. Sprinkle the special water on them. Then have them shave their whole bodies. Also have them wash their clothes. That is how they will make themselves pure.
8. "Have them get a young bull along with its grain offering. The offering must be made out of fine flour mixed with olive oil. Then you must get a second young bull. You must sacrifice it as a sin offering.
9. "Bring the Levites to the front of the Tent of Meeting. Gather the whole community of Israel together.
10. You must bring the Levites to me. The men of Israel must place their hands on them.
11. Aaron must bring the Levites to me. They are a wave offering from the people of Israel. That is how they will be set apart to do my work.
12. "I want the Levites to place their hands on the heads of the bulls. Then they must sacrifice one bull as a sin offering to me. And they must sacrifice the other as a burnt offering. The blood of the bulls will pay for the sin of the Levites.
13. "Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons. Then give them as a wave offering to me.
14. That is how I want you to set the Levites apart from the other men of Israel. The Levites will belong to me.
15. "Make the Levites pure. Give them to me as a wave offering. Then they must come to do their work at the Tent of Meeting.
16. They are the men of Israel who will be given to me completely. I have taken them to be my own. I have taken them in place of every son who is born first in his family in Israel.