Numbers 3:1-16

1Now these are the records of the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

2These then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he [1] ordained to serve as priests. 4But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered strange fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests [1] in the lifetime of their father Aaron.

5Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.

7“They shall perform the duties for [1] him and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.

8“They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

9“You shall thus give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel. 10So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the [1] layman who comes near shall be put to death.

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

14Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15“[1] Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number.”

16So Moses numbered them according to the [1] word of the Lord, just as he had been commanded.