⁸ At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi^(A) to carry the ark of the covenant^(B) of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister^(C) and to pronounce blessings^(D) in his name, as they still do today.^(E)

⁵ for the Lord your God has chosen them^(A) and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister^(B) in the Lord’s name always.^(C)

⁵ The Levitical priests shall step forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings^(A) in the name of the Lord and to decide all cases of dispute and assault.^(B)

² Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world?^(A) And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?

⁵ They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy^(A) and shadow^(B) of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned^(C) when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”^[a](D)

⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built^(A) into a spiritual house^[a](B) to be a holy priesthood,^(C) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.^(D)

⁹ But you are a chosen people,^(A) a royal priesthood,^(B) a holy nation,^(C) God’s special possession,^(D) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.^(E)

⁷ “For the lips of a priest^(A) ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger^(B) of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.^(C)