- Numbers 8:15
וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵן יָבֹאוּ הַלְוִיִּם לַעֲבֹד אֶת־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְטִהַרְתָּ אֹתָם וְהֵנַפְתָּ אֹתָם תְּנוּפָה׃
Thereafter the Levites shall be qualified for the service of the Tent of Meeting, once you have purified them and designated them as an elevation offering.
Targum Onkelos
וּבָתַר כֵּן יֵיעֲלוּן לֵיוָאֵי לְמִפְלַח יָת מַשְׁכַּן זִמְנָא וּתְדַכֵּי יָתְהוֹן וּתְרִים יָתְהוֹן אֲרָמָא׃
After this is done, the Levites shall come to work in the Tent of Meeting, and you shall purify them, and you shall lift them up as a wave-offering,
- Numbers 8:16
כִּי נְתֻנִים נְתֻנִים הֵמָּה לִי מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תַּחַת פִּטְרַת כׇּל־רֶחֶם בְּכוֹר כֹּל מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָקַחְתִּי אֹתָם לִי׃
For they are formally assigned to Me from among the Israelites: I have taken them for Myself in place of all the first issue of the womb, of all the male first-born of the Israelites.
Targum Onkelos
אֲרֵי אַפְרָשָׁא מַפְרְשִׁין אִנּוּן קֳדָמַי מִגּוֹ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲלָף פָּתַח כָּל וַלְדָּא בּוּכְרָא כּוֹלָא מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל קָרֵיבִית יָתְהוֹן קֳדָמָי׃
For they are given [have been separated]; they are given [have been separated] to Me from among Bnei Yisroel in place of those who open the womb,—every firstborn of Bnei Yisroel—I have taken them to be Mine.
- Numbers 8:17
כִּי לִי כׇל־בְּכוֹר בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָדָם וּבַבְּהֵמָה בְּיוֹם הַכֹּתִי כׇל־בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם הִקְדַּשְׁתִּי אֹתָם לִי׃
For every male first-born among the Israelites, human as well as animal, is Mine; I consecrated them to Myself at the time that I smote every [male] first-born in the land of Egypt.
Targum Onkelos
אֲרֵי דִּילִי כָּל בּוּכְרָא בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּאֲנָשָׁא וּבִבְעִירָא בְּיוֹמָא דִּקְטַלִית כָּל בּוּכְרָא בְּאַרְעָא דְּמִצְרַיִם אַקְדֵּישִׁית יָתְהוֹן קֳדָמָי׃
For every firstborn of Bnei Yisroel is Mine, human and animal; on the day in which I slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I have sanctified them to be Mine.
- Numbers 8:18
וָאֶקַּח אֶת־הַלְוִיִּם תַּחַת כׇּל־בְּכוֹר בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
Now I take the Levites instead of every first-born of the Israelites;
Targum Onkelos
וְקָרֵיבִית יָת לֵיוָאֵי חֲלָף כָּל בּוּכְרָא בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
I have taken the Levites instead of all firstborn of Bnei Yisroel,
- Numbers 8:19
וָאֶתְּנָה אֶת־הַלְוִיִּם נְתֻנִים ׀ לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲבֹד אֶת־עֲבֹדַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּלְכַפֵּר עַל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא יִהְיֶה בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶף בְּגֶשֶׁת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־הַקֹּדֶשׁ׃
and from among the Israelites I formally assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons, to perform the service for the Israelites in the Tent of Meeting and to make expiation for the Israelites, so that no plague may afflict the Israelites for coming too near the sanctuary.
Targum Onkelos
וִיהַבִית יָת לֵיוָאֵי יְהִיבִין לְאַהֲרֹן וְלִבְנוֹהִי מִגּוֹ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִפְלַח יָת פּוּלְחַן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַשְׁכַּן זִמְנָא וּלְכַפָּרָא עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלָא יְהֵי בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹתָא בְּמִקְרַב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְקוּדְשָׁא׃
and I have given the Levites to be given as a gift to Aharon and to his sons from among Bnei Yisroel to do the duties of Bnei Yisroel in the Tent of Meeting, and to atone for Bnei Yisroel, so that there will not be a plague among Bnei Yisroel when Bnei Yisroel approach the sanctuary.
- Numbers 8:20
וַיַּעַשׂ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וְכׇל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לַלְוִיִּם כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה לַלְוִיִּם כֵּן־עָשׂוּ לָהֶם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
Moses, Aaron, and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites accordingly; just as GOD had commanded Moses in regard to the Levites, so the Israelites did with them.
Targum Onkelos
וַעֲבַד מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וְכָל כְּנִשְׁתָּא דִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְלֵיוָאֵי כְּכֹל דְּפַקֵּיד יְיָ יָת מֹשֶׁה לְלֵיוָאֵי כֵּן עֲבַדוּ לְהוֹן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
Moshe, Aharon, and the entire congregation of Bnei Yisroel did to the Levites just as Adonoy commanded Moshe regarding the Levites, so did Bnei Yisroel do to them.
- Numbers 8:21
וַיִּתְחַטְּאוּ הַלְוִיִּם וַיְכַבְּסוּ בִּגְדֵיהֶם וַיָּנֶף אַהֲרֹן אֹתָם תְּנוּפָה לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וַיְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם אַהֲרֹן לְטַהֲרָם׃
The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; and Aaron designated them as an elevation offering before GOD, and Aaron made expiation for them to purify them.
Targum Onkelos
וְאִדַּכִּיאוּ לֵיוָאֵי וְחַוַּורוּ לְבוּשֵׁיהוֹן וַאֲרֵים אַהֲרֹן יָתְהוֹן אֲרָמָא קֳדָם יְיָ וְכַפַּר עֲלֵיהוֹן אַהֲרֹן לְדַכּוֹאֵיהוֹן׃
The Levites underwent purification and they washed their garments, and Aharon lifted them as a wave-offering before Adonoy; and Aharon achieved atonement on their behalf, to purify them.
- Numbers 8:22
וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵן בָּאוּ הַלְוִיִּם לַעֲבֹד אֶת־עֲבֹדָתָם בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לִפְנֵי אַהֲרֹן וְלִפְנֵי בָנָיו כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה עַל־הַלְוִיִּם כֵּן עָשׂוּ לָהֶם׃
Thereafter the Levites were qualified to perform their service in the Tent of Meeting, under Aaron and his sons. As GOD had commanded Moses in regard to the Levites, so they did to them.
Targum Onkelos
וּבָתַר כֵּן עָאלוּ לֵיוָאֵי לְמִפְלַח יָת פּוּלְחָנְהוֹן בְּמַשְׁכַּן זִמְנָא קֳדָם אַהֲרֹן וּקְדָם בְּנוֹהִי כְּמָא דְּפַקֵּיד יְיָ יָת מֹשֶׁה עַל לֵיוָאֵי כֵּן עֲבַדוּ לְהוֹן׃
Afterwards, the Levites came to perform their duties in the Tent of Meeting in the presence of Aharon and in the presence of his sons; just as Adonoy commanded Moshe regarding the Levites, so they did unto them.
- Numbers 8:23
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃
GOD spoke to Moses, saying:
Targum Onkelos
וּמַלֵּיל יְיָ עִם מֹשֶׁה לְמֵימַר׃
Adonoy spoke to Moshe, saying;
- Numbers 8:24
זֹאת אֲשֶׁר לַלְוִיִּם מִבֶּן חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה יָבוֹא לִצְבֹא צָבָא בַּעֲבֹדַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד׃
This is the rule for the Levites. From twenty-five years of age up they shall participate in the work force in the service of the Tent of Meeting;
Targum Onkelos
דָּא דִּלְלֵיוָאֵי מִבַּר עֶשְׂרִין וַחֲמֵישׁ שְׁנִין וּלְעֵילָא יֵיתֵי לְחַיָּילָא חֵילָא בְּפוּלְחַן מַשְׁכַּן זִמְנָא׃
This concerns the Levites; from the age of twenty-five years and above he shall enter the division for the duties of the Tent of Meeting.
- Numbers 8:25
וּמִבֶּן חֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה יָשׁוּב מִצְּבָא הָעֲבֹדָה וְלֹא יַעֲבֹד עוֹד׃
but at the age of fifty they shall retire from the work force and shall serve no more.
Targum Onkelos
וּמִבַּר חַמְשִׁין שְׁנִין יְתוּב מֵחֵיל פּוּלְחָנָא וְלָא יִפְלַח עוֹד׃
From the age of fifty he shall retire from the work force, and shall no longer work.
- Numbers 8:26
וְשֵׁרֵת אֶת־אֶחָיו בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לִשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמֶרֶת וַעֲבֹדָה לֹא יַעֲבֹד כָּכָה תַּעֲשֶׂה לַלְוִיִּם בְּמִשְׁמְרֹתָם׃
They may assist their brother Levites at the Tent of Meeting by standing guard, but they shall perform no labor. Thus you shall deal with the Levites in regard to their duties.
Targum Onkelos
וִישַׁמֵּישׁ עִם אֲחוֹהִי בְּמַשְׁכַּן זִמְנָא לְמִטַּר מַטְּרָא וּפוּלְחָנָא לָא יִפְלַח כְּדֵין תַּעֲבֵיד לְלֵיוָאֵי בְּמַטְּרָתְהוֹן׃
But shall serve with his brethren in the Tent of Meeting to keep the watch, and he shall not do any service; so you shall have the Levites do in their guard duties.