Discovery BoxNumbers 8:26 
Context8:26 They may assist 1 their colleagues 2 in the tent of meeting, to attend to needs, but they must do no work. This is the way you must establish 3 the Levites regarding their duties.”
Numbers 18:6
Context18:6 I myself have chosen 4 your brothers the Levites from among the Israelites. They are given to you as a gift from the Lord, to perform the duties 5 of the tent of meeting.
1 tn The verb is the Piel perfect of שָׁרַת (sharat, “to serve, minister”). Here the form has the vav (ו) consecutive, and so is equal to the imperfect tense stressing permission. After the Levites reached the age of retirement, they were permitted to assist the others, but were not permitted to do the work themselves.
2 tn Heb “brothers,” but the meaning in this context is “fellow Levites.”
3 tn Heb “you shall do, make.”
4 tn Heb “taken.”
5 tn The infinitive construct in this sentence is from עָבַד (’avad), and so is the noun that serves as its object: to serve the service.
