⁹ is it little to you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the company of Israel to bring you near unto Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of Jehovah, and to stand before the company to serve them? --

⁸ `At that time hath Jehovah separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, to stand before Jehovah, to serve Him, and to bless in His name, unto this day,

¹³ And he saith, `Hear, I pray you, O house of David, Is it a little thing for you to weary men, That ye weary also my God?

¹⁰ but -- the Levites who have gone far off from me, in the wandering of Israel when they went astray from Me after their idols, and they have borne their iniquity.

¹¹ And they have been in My sanctuary ministrants, overseers at the gates of the house, and ministrants at the house; they slay the burnt-offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they stand before them to serve them.

²³ And the servants of Saul speak in the ears of David these words, and David saith, `Is it a light thing in your eyes to be son-in-law to the king -- and I a poor man, and lightly esteemed?'

¹³ is it little that thou hast brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to put us to death in a wilderness that thou also certainly makest thyself prince over us?

³ and to me it is for a very little thing that by you I may be judged, or by man's day, but not even myself do I judge,

² and in their ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, `Separate ye to me both Barnabas and Saul to the work to which I have called them,'

¹⁸ Is it a little thing for you -- the good pasture ye enjoy, And the remnant of your pasture ye tread down with your feet, And a depth of waters ye do drink, And the remainder with your feet ye trample,

⁴⁴ And certain are appointed on that day over the chambers for treasures, for heave-offerings, for first-fruits, and for tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for priests, and for Levites, for the joy of Judah `is' over the priests, and over the Levites, who are standing up.

³ and saith to the Levites -- who are teaching all Israel -- who are sanctified to Jehovah, `Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon son of David king of Israel built; it is not to you a burden on the shoulder. `Now, serve Jehovah your God, and His people Israel,

¹⁹ And yet this `is' little in Thine eyes, Lord Jehovah, and Thou dost speak also concerning the house of Thy servant afar off; and this `is' the law of the Man, Lord Jehovah.

² and also thy brethren, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring near with thee, and they are joined unto thee, and serve thee, even thou and thy sons with thee, before the tent of the testimony.

³ `And they have kept thy charge, and the charge of all the tent; only, unto the vessels of the sanctuary and unto the altar they do not come near, and they die not, either they or you;

⁴ and they have been joined unto thee, and have kept the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; and a stranger doth not come near unto you;

⁵ and ye have kept the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar, and there is no more wrath against the sons of Israel.

⁶ `And I, lo, I have taken your brethren the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel; to you a gift they are given by Jehovah, to do the service of the tent of meeting;

¹⁴ and thou hast separated the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and the Levites have become Mine;

¹⁵ and afterwards do the Levites come in to serve the tent of meeting, and thou hast cleansed them, and hast waved them -- a wave-offering.

¹⁶ `For they are certainly given to Me out of the midst of the sons of Israel, instead of him who openeth any womb -- the first-born of all -- from the sons of Israel I have taken them to Myself;

⁴¹ and thou hast taken the Levites for Me (I `am' Jehovah), instead of every first-born among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of every firstling among the cattle of the sons of Israel.'

⁴² And Moses numbereth, as Jehovah hath commanded him, all the first-born among the sons of Israel.

⁴³ And all the first-born -- male -- by the number of names, from a son of a month and upward, of their numbered ones, are two and twenty thousand two hundred and seventy and three.

⁴⁴ And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

⁴⁵ `Take the Levites instead of every first-born among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites have been Mine; I `am' Jehovah.

⁶ `Bring near the tribe of Levi, and thou hast caused it to stand before Aaron the priest, and they have served him,

⁵³ and the Levites encamp round about the tabernacle of the testimony; and there is no wrath on the company of the sons of Israel, and the Levites have kept the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.

¹⁵ And she saith to her, `Is thy taking my husband a little thing, that thou hast taken also the love-apples of my son?' and Rachel saith, `Therefore doth he lie with thee to-night, for thy son's love-apples.'