The Levites

3 This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses^(A) at the time the Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai.^(B)

² The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn^(C) and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.^{(D) 3} Those were the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests,^(E) who were ordained to serve as priests. ⁴ Nadab and Abihu, however, died before the Lord^(F) when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai.^(G) They had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar^(H) served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.^(I)

⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ⁶ “Bring the tribe of Levi^(J) and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.^{(K) 7} They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community^(L) at the tent of meeting by doing the work^(M) of the tabernacle. ⁸ They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. ⁹ Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons;^(N) they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him.^{[a] 10} Appoint Aaron^(O) and his sons to serve as priests;^(P) anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.”^(Q)

¹¹ The Lord also said to Moses, ¹² “I have taken the Levites^(R) from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring^(S) of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine,^{(T) 13} for all the firstborn are mine.^(U) When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.”^(V)

¹⁶ They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn,^(A) the first male offspring^(B) from every Israelite woman. ¹⁷ Every firstborn male in Israel, whether human or animal,^(C) is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself.^{(D) 18} And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel.^(E)

The Setting Apart of the Levites

⁵ The Lord said to Moses: ⁶ “Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.^{(A) 7} To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing^(B) on them; then have them shave their whole bodies^(C) and wash their clothes.^(D) And so they will purify themselves.^{(E) 8} Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil;^(F) then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.^{[a](G) 9} Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting^(H) and assemble the whole Israelite community.^{(I) 10} You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them.^{(J) 11} Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering^(K) from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the Lord.

¹² “Then the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls,^(L) using one for a sin offering^(M) to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering,^(N) to make atonement^(O) for the Levites. ¹³ Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering^(P) to the Lord. ¹⁴ In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.^(Q)

¹⁵ “After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering,^(R) they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting.^(S)

¹⁹ From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons^(A) to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites^(B) and to make atonement for them^(C) so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”

²³ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁴ “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more^(A) shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting,^{(B) 25} but at the age of fifty,^(C) they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. ²⁶ They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work.^(D) This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”

²⁰ Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses. ²¹ The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes.^(A) Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement^(B) for them to purify them.^{(C) 22} After that, the Levites came to do their work^(D) at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses.

²⁰ Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses. ²¹ The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes.^(A) Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement^(B) for them to purify them.^{(C) 22} After that, the Levites came to do their work^(D) at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses.