Num 8:12-26 | ESV | STEP | Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls , and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the Lord to make atonement for the Levites .

a[Ex. 29:10]

b ver. 8

c ver. 11, 21

d ch. 3:45; [ch. 16:9]

e[See ver. 13 above]

f ch. 3:9

g ch. 3:12, 45

hSee Ex. 13:2

i[See ver. 16 above]

j ch. 25:11, 13

kSee ch. 1:53

l ver. 7

m ver. 11, 12, 13, 15

n[ch. 4:3; 1 Chr. 23:3, 24, 27]

qSee ch. 1:53

Numbers 8:12-26

12 Then the Levites ^ashall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer ^bthe one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the Lord to make atonement for the Levites. 13 And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as ^ca wave offering to the Lord.

14 “Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and ^dthe Levites shall be mine. 15 And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a ^ewave offering. 16 For they are ^fwholly given to me from among the people of Israel. ^gInstead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. 17 ^hFor all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself, 18 and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel. 19 ⁱAnd I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and ^jto make atonement for the people of Israel, ^kthat there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary.”

20 Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel to the Levites. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the people of Israel did to them. 21 And ^lthe Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and ^mAaron offered them as a wave offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

Retirement of the Levites

23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This applies to the Levites: ⁿfrom twenty-five years old and upward they ^{▼▼Hebrew he; also verses 25, 26} shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. 25 And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. 26 They minister ^{▼▼Hebrew He ministers} to their brothers in the tent of meeting ^qby keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.”