⁵The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ⁶“Bring the men of the tribe of Levi to the priest Aaron. They will help him. ⁷They must work at the Tent of Meeting for Aaron and for the whole community. They must do what needs to be done at the holy tent. ⁸They must take care of everything that is connected with the Tent of Meeting. When they do, they are acting for all of the people of Israel. ⁹Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are the men of Israel who must be given completely to him.

¹⁰“Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. Anyone else who approaches the sacred tent must be put to death.”

¹¹The Lord also said to Moses, ¹²“I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel. I have taken them in place of the oldest son who is born to each woman in Israel. The Levites belong to me. ¹³That is because every male that is born first to a mother is mine. In Egypt I struck down all of the males that were born first. I did it when I set apart for myself every male that is born first to a mother in Israel. That is true for men and animals alike. They belong to me. I am the Lord.”

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