Numbers 3:5–13

⁵And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, ⁶Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him; ⁷and they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole assembly, before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. ⁸And they shall keep all the utensils of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. ⁹And thou shalt give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given to him out of the children of Israel. ¹⁰And Aaron and his sons shalt thou appoint that they may attend to their priest’s office; and the stranger that cometh near shall be put to death. ¹¹And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, ¹²And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn that breaketh open the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine; ¹³for every firstborn is mine. On the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and beast; mine shall they be: I am Jehovah.