5. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
6. "Bring forward the tribe of Levi, and cause them to stand in the sight of Aaron the priest, in order to minister to him. And let them keep watch outside,
7. and let them observe whatever pertains to the ritual for the multitude, in front of the tabernacle of the testimony,
8. and let them take care of the vessels of the tabernacle, serving in its ministry.
9. And you shall give the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons; for they have been delivered to them by the sons of Israel.
10. But you shall appoint Aaron and his sons over the service of priesthood. The outsider who approaches to minister shall be put to death."
11. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
12. "I have taken the Levites from the sons of Israel. For the Levites, and all the firstborn who open the womb among the sons of Israel, shall be mine.
13. For every firstborn is mine. From the time that I struck the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I have sanctified for myself whatever is born first in Israel. From man, even to beast, they are mine. I am the Lord."
14. And the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying:
15. "Number the sons of Levi by the houses of their fathers and their families, every male from one month and above."
16. Moses numbered them, just as the Lord had instructed,
17. and there were found the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
18. The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei.
19. The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
20. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.
21. From Gershon were two families: the Libnites, and the Shimeites.
22. The people of these were numbered, of the male sex, from one month and above: seven thousand five hundred.
23. These shall encamp behind the tabernacle, toward the west,