Numbers 3:6-16

6“1Bring the tribe of Levi forward and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. 7They shall perform the duties for 2him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, to do the 3service of the tabernacle. 8They shall also take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9So you shall 4assign the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are exclusively assigned to him from the sons of Israel. 10So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that 5they may 6keep their priesthood, but 7the 8layman who comes near shall be put to death.”

11Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Now, behold, I 9have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every 10firstborn, the firstborn of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. 13For 11all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I fatally struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from the human firstborn to animals. They shall be Mine; I am the Lord.”

14Then the Lord spoke to Moses 12in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15“1314Count the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall count.” 16So Moses counted them according to the 15word of the Lord, just as he had been commanded.