Numbers 3:5–13

The Levites Serve in the Tabernacle

5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 6 f“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. 7 And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do gthe work of the tabernacle. 8 Also they shall attend to all the furnishings of the tabernacle of meeting, and to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the work of the tabernacle. 9 And hyou shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are given entirely to 3him from among the children of Israel. 10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, iand they shall attend to their priesthood; jbut the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 12 “Now behold, kI Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be lMine, 13 because mall the firstborn are Mine. nOn the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the Lord.”