May 2 Reading

8:1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.” And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses. And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. Then let them take a bull from the herd and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another bull from the herd for a sin offering. And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel. When you bring the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the LORD. 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. And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the LORD.

“Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. 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 wave offering. For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. For 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, and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel. And 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 to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary.”

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. And the Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the LORD, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 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.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.”

105:1   Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
  Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
  Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
  Seek the LORD and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
  Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
  O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
    children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
  He is the LORD our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.
  He remembers his covenant forever,
    the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
  the covenant that he made with Abraham,
    his sworn promise to Isaac,
  which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
  saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as your portion for an inheritance.”
  When they were few in number,
    of little account, and sojourners in it,
  wandering from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another people,
  he allowed no one to oppress them;
    he rebuked kings on their account,
  saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
    do my prophets no harm!”
  When he summoned a famine on the land
    and broke all supply of bread,
  he had sent a man ahead of them,
    Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
  His feet were hurt with fetters;
    his neck was put in a collar of iron;
  until what he had said came to pass,
    the word of the LORD tested him.
  The king sent and released him;
    the ruler of the peoples set him free;
  he made him lord of his house
    and ruler of all his possessions,
  to bind his princes at his pleasure
    and to teach his elders wisdom.
  Then Israel came to Egypt;
    Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
  And the LORD made his people very fruitful
    and made them stronger than their foes.
  He turned their hearts to hate his people,
    to deal craftily with his servants.
  He sent Moses, his servant,
    and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
  They performed his signs among them
    and miracles in the land of Ham.
  He sent darkness, and made the land dark;
    they did not rebel against his words.
  He turned their waters into blood
    and caused their fish to die.
  Their land swarmed with frogs,
    even in the chambers of their kings.
  He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
    and gnats throughout their country.
  He gave them hail for rain,
    and fiery lightning bolts through their land.
  He struck down their vines and fig trees,
    and shattered the trees of their country.
  He spoke, and the locusts came,
    young locusts without number,
  which devoured all the vegetation in their land
    and ate up the fruit of their ground.
  He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
    the firstfruits of all their strength.
  Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold,
    and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.
  Egypt was glad when they departed,
    for dread of them had fallen upon it.
  He spread a cloud for a covering,
    and fire to give light by night.
  They asked, and he brought quail,
    and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.
  He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
    it flowed through the desert like a river.
  For he remembered his holy promise,
    and Abraham, his servant.
  So he brought his people out with joy,
    his chosen ones with singing.
  And he gave them the lands of the nations,
    and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil,
  that they might keep his statutes
    and observe his laws.
  Praise the LORD!