⁵ Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

^{6 Ref} "Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.

^{7 Ref} They shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.

^{8 Ref} They shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, and the obligations of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

^{9 Ref} You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the behalf of the children of Israel.

^{10 Ref} You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death."

¹¹ Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

^{12 Ref} "Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine:

^{13 Ref} for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I made holy to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be mine. I am Yahweh."

¹⁴ Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

^{15 Ref} "Number the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shall you number."

^{16 Ref} Moses numbered them according to the word of Yahweh, as he was commanded.

^{17 Ref} These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

^{18 Ref} These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

^{19 Ref} The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, and Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

^{20 Ref} The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' houses.

²¹ Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites: these are the families of the Gershonites.

^{22 Ref} Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those who were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred.

^{23 Ref} The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.

²⁴ The prince of the fathers' house of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.

^{25 Ref} The charge of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting,

^{26 Ref} and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and around the altar, and its cords for all of its service.

^{27 Ref} Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.

^{28 Ref} According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.

^{29 Ref} The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the south side of the tabernacle.

³⁰ The prince of the fathers' house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

^{31 Ref} Their charge shall be the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all its service.

^{32 Ref} Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, with the oversight of those who keep the charge of the sanctuary.

^{33 Ref} Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari.

^{34 Ref} Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred.

^{35 Ref} The prince of the fathers' house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.

^{36 Ref} The appointed charge of the sons of Merari shall be the tabernacle's boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its instruments, all its service,

³⁷ the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, and their cords.