Numbers 3:6-16

6“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.

7And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle.

8Also they shall attend to all the furnishings of the tabernacle of meeting, and to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the work of the tabernacle.

9And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are given entirely to him from among the children of Israel.

10So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

11Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

12“Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine,

13because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the Lord.”

14Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying:

15“Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families; you shall number every male from a month old and above.”

16So Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded.