May 2 Reading
Numbers 8 | Psalm 105
Numbers 8
The Seven Lamps
1Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.” 3And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses. 4And 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.
Cleansing of the Levites
5And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. 7Thus 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. 8Then 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. 9And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel. 10When you bring the Levites before the Lord, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, 11and 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. 12Then 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. 13And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the Lord.
14“Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. 15And 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. 16For 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. 17For 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, 18and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel. 19And 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.”
20Thus 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. 21And 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. 22And 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
23And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24“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. 25And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. 26They 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.”
Psalm 105
Tell of All His Wondrous Works
1 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
2Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
3Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
4Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
5Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
6O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
7He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
8He remembers his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
10which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as your portion for an inheritance.”
12When they were few in number,
of little account, and sojourners in it,
13wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
14he allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their account,
15saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
do my prophets no harm!”
16When he summoned a famine on the land
and broke all supply of bread,
17he had sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18His feet were hurt with fetters;
his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19until what he had said came to pass,
the word of the Lord tested him.
20 The king sent and released him;
the ruler of the peoples set him free;
21he made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions,
22to bind his princes at his pleasure
and to teach his elders wisdom.
23Then Israel came to Egypt;
Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
24And the Lord made his people very fruitful
and made them stronger than their foes.
25He turned their hearts to hate his people,
to deal craftily with his servants.
26He sent Moses, his servant,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them
and miracles in the land of Ham.
28He sent darkness, and made the land dark;
they did not rebel against his words.
29He turned their waters into blood
and caused their fish to die.
30Their land swarmed with frogs,
even in the chambers of their kings.
31He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
and gnats throughout their country.
32He gave them hail for rain,
and fiery lightning bolts through their land.
33He struck down their vines and fig trees,
and shattered the trees of their country.
34He spoke, and the locusts came,
young locusts without number,
35which devoured all the vegetation in their land
and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of all their strength.
37Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold,
and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed,
for dread of them had fallen upon it.
39He spread a cloud for a covering,
and fire to give light by night.
40 They asked, and he brought quail,
and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.
41He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed through the desert like a river.
42For he remembered his holy promise,
and Abraham, his servant.
43So he brought his people out with joy,
his chosen ones with singing.
44And he gave them the lands of the nations,
and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil,
45that they might keep his statutes
and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord!
