Numbers 3:5–13

⁵And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, ⁶‘Bring near the tribe of Levi, and thou hast caused it to stand before Aaron the priest, and they have served him, ⁷and kept his charge, and the charge of all the company before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle; ⁸and they have kept all the vessels of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle; ⁹and thou hast given the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are surely given to him out of the sons of Israel.

¹⁰‘And Aaron and his sons thou dost appoint, and they have kept their priesthood, and the stranger who cometh near is put to death.’ ¹¹And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, ¹²‘And I, lo, I have taken the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel instead of every first-born opening a womb among the sons of Israel, and the Levites have been Mine; ¹³for Mine is every first-born, in the day of My smiting every first-born in the land of Egypt I have sanctified to Myself every first-born in Israel, from man unto beast; Mine they are; I am Jehovah.’