« | Numbers 8 | » |
1 And LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Speak to Aaron, and say to him, When thou light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.
3 And Aaron did so. He lit the lamps of it in front of the candlestick, as LORD commanded Moses.
4 And this was the work of the candlestick, beaten work of gold. To the base of it, and to the flowers of it, it was beaten work. According to the pattern which LORD had shown Moses, so he made the candlestick.
5 And LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
6 Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and cleanse them.
7 And thus thou shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of expiation upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.
8 Then let them take a young bullock, and its meal-offering--fine flour mingled with oil. And thou shall take another young bullock for a sin-offering.
9 And thou shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting. And thou shall assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel,
10 and thou shall present the Levites before LORD. And the sons of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites.
11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites before LORD for a wave-offering on the behalf of the sons of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of LORD.
12 And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks, and offer thou the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, to LORD, to make atonement for the Levites.
13 And thou shall set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for a wave-offering to LORD.
14 Thus shall thou separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.
15 And after that the Levites shall go in to do the service of the tent of meeting. And thou shall cleanse them, and offer them for a wave-offering.
16 For they are wholly given to me from among the sons of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the first-born of all the sons of Israel, I have taken them to me.
17 For all the first-born among the sons of Israel are mine, both man and beast. On the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
18 And I have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born among the sons of Israel.
19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to do the service of the sons of Israel in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the sons of Israel, that there be no plague among the sons of Israel, when the sons of Israel come near to the sanctuary.
20 Thus did Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel, to the Levites. According to all that LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them.
21 And the Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes. And Aaron offered them for a wave-offering before 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 before his sons. As LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.
23 And LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
24 This is that which belongs to the Levites: From twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service in the work of the tent of meeting.
25 And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the work, and shall serve no more,
26 but shall minister with their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shall thou do to the Levites concerning their charges.
A Conservative Version (ACV)
A Conservative Version (ACV) of the Bible is a translation that aims to provide a conservative and literal interpretation of the biblical texts. Developed with a focus on maintaining fidelity to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts, the ACV emphasizes a word-for-word translation methodology. The goal is to preserve the subtleties and nuances of the original languages as accurately as possible. This approach results in a version of the Bible that seeks to remain true to the text's original meaning and context, appealing to readers who prioritize precision and doctrinal integrity.
The text of the Old Testament for A Conservative Version (ACV) came from the American Standard Version published in 1901. The main changes done for the ACV were the replacement of archaic words with more modern ones, except for the old English pronouns, which were kept because they are more communicative. The New Testament was translated from, The New Testament in the Original Greek According to the Byzantine-Majority Text form. That edition was compiled by Maurice A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont, and is of the Textus Receptus tradition from which came the King James Version.
The ACV was created in response to what its translators saw as a trend toward more liberal or dynamic-equivalence translations that prioritize readability over literal accuracy. The translators aimed to produce a text that adheres closely to the original languages, even if this makes the translation more challenging for contemporary readers. This reflects their belief in the importance of preserving the exact words and phrases used in the original scriptures. The ACV also employs traditional theological terminology and phrasing, avoiding modern slang and colloquial expressions in favor of language that conveys the gravity and solemnity of the biblical message.
While the ACV has found appreciation among conservative circles, it has faced criticism for its perceived rigidity and difficulty. Critics argue that its strict adherence to a word-for-word translation can make the text less readable and accessible, potentially alienating readers unfamiliar with the original languages or who prefer a more fluid translation. Despite these criticisms, the ACV remains a valued translation for those who prioritize a conservative and literal approach to Bible interpretation, supporting their doctrinal views with a text they believe closely reflects the original scriptures.