Numbers 08 The consecration of the Levites

Numbers 08
The consecration of the Levites
5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
6 Take the Levites out of the midst of the children of Israel, and purify them;
7 And thou shalt do unto them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of the atonement upon them; and they shall cleanse all their flesh, and shall wash their clothes, and purify themselves.
8 And they shall take a young bullock with his offering of fine flour mixed with oil; and take another bullock for a sin offering.
9 And he shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt make all the congregation of the children of Israel together.
10 And thou shalt make the Levites before the LORD; and the children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites.
11 And Aaron shall wave the Levites for a wave offering before the LORD for the children of Israel; and they will be to serve in the Lord's ministry.
12 And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullocks; and thou shalt sacrifice one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering unto Jehovah, to make atonement for the Levites.
13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and wave them to the LORD for a wave offering.
14 And ye shall separate the Levites out of the midst of the children of Israel, that the Levites may be mine.
15 And the Levites shall come in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and move them for a wave offering.
16 Because they are among the children of Israel, it is given to me: for every one that openeth the womb, even of the firstborn of every one of the children of Israel, I have taken them for myself.
17 For all the firstborn among the children of Israel, between me and the beasts, are mine; in the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them unto myself.
18 And I took the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
19 And the Levites, given to Aaron and his sons from the midst of the children of Israel, have given to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel, and the children of Israel came to the sanctuary.
20 And so did Moses and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, with the Levites; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did unto them.
21 And the Levites purified and washed their garments, and Aaron moved them for a wave-offering before Jehovah, and Aaron made atonement for them to purify them.
22 And the Levites came to minister in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they.
23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
24 This is the office of the Levites: From twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to do service in the service of the tabernacle of the congregation;
25 But from the age of fifty they shall come out of the militia of the ministry, and shall no more serve:
26 But with his brethren they shall serve in the tabernacle of the congregation, to watch over the charge; but the ministry will not exercise; So shall you do to the Levites in their guards.