³⁸ Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, ^(A)guarding the sanctuary itself, to protect^[a] the people of Israel. And any outsider who came near was to be put to death.

¹⁰ And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and ^(A)they shall guard their priesthood. But if ^(B)any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.”

⁵³ But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no ^(A)wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. ^(B)And the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony.”

³ Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being ^(A)Nahshon the son of Amminadab,

⁴⁸ And their brothers the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

⁴⁹ But Aaron and his sons made offerings ^(A)on the altar of burnt offering and on ^(B)the altar of incense for all the work of the Most Holy Place, and ^(C)to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

Duties of Priests and Levites

18 So the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father's house with you shall ^(A)bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, ^(B)and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood. ² And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may ^(C)join you and ^(D)minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. ³ They shall keep guard over you and ^(E)over the whole tent, ^(F)but shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar ^(G)lest they, and you, die. ⁴ They shall join you and keep guard over the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent, ^(H)and no outsider shall come near you. ⁵ And you shall ^(I)keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, ^(J)that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel.

³⁵ And the chief of the fathers' house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.

²⁹ The clans of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle,

^23 (A)The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west,

⁷ They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, ^(A)as they minister at the tabernacle. ⁸ They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle.