Numbers 3:5-13

English Standard Version

Duties of the Levites

⁵ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ^6 (A)“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. ⁷ They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, ^(B)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. ⁹ And ^(C)you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are ^(D)wholly given to him from among the people of Israel. ¹⁰ And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and ^(E)they shall guard their priesthood. But if ^(F)any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.”

¹¹ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹² “Behold, ^(G)I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, ¹³ for ^(H)all the firstborn are mine. ^(I)On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine: I am the Lord.”