⁵ Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the Lord your God has chosen ^(A)them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the Lord, and ^(B)by their word every dispute and every assault shall be settled.

^13 (A)The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. ^(B)Aaron was set apart to dedicate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever should ^(C)make offerings before the Lord and ^(D)minister to him and ^(E)pronounce blessings in his name forever.

⁷ For ^(A)the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people^[a] should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

⁸ At that time ^(A)the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi ^(B)to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord ^(C)to stand before the Lord to minister to him and ^(D)to bless in his name, to this day.

¹⁷ then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, ^(A)before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days.

⁵ For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes ^(A)to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time.

Aaron's Blessing

²² The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²³ “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus ^(A)you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,

^27 (F)“So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges

⁸ “If any case arises requiring decision between one kind of homicide and another, one kind of legal right and another, or one kind of assault and another, any case within your towns that is too difficult for you, then you shall arise and go up to ^(A)the place that the Lord your God will choose. ^9 (B)And you shall come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall consult them, and ^(C)they shall declare to you the decision. ¹⁰ Then you shall do according to what they declare to you from that place that the Lord will choose. And you shall be careful to do according to all that they direct you. ¹¹ According to the instructions that they give you, and according to the decision which they pronounce to you, you shall do. You shall not turn aside from the verdict that they declare to you, either to the right hand or to the left. ¹² The man who ^(D)acts presumptuously by not obeying the priest ^(E)who stands to minister there before the Lord your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So ^(F)you shall purge the evil from Israel.