10. Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. Anyone else who tries to do the priests’ duties must be put to death.”
11. The Lord said to Moses,
12. “Out of all the Israelites, I have taken the Levites to be substitutes for every firstborn male offspring among them. The Levites are mine,
13. because every firstborn is mine. The day I killed every firstborn male in Egypt, I set apart as holy every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They will be mine. I am the Lord.”
14. The Lord said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai,
15. “Count the Levites by households and families. Count every male who is at least one month old.”
16. So Moses did what the Lord said and registered them as he had been commanded.
17. Gershon, Kohath, and Merari were the sons of Levi.
18. Libni and Shimei were the sons of Gershon. Their families were named after them.
19. Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel were the sons of Kohath. Their families were named after them.
20. Mahli and Mushi were the sons of Merari. Their families were named after them.These were the households of Levite families.
21. To Gershon belonged the families descended from Libni and Shimei. These were the families descended from Gershon.
22. The total number of all the males at least one month old was 7,500.
23. The families descended from Gershon put up their tents on the west side behind the tent of meeting.
24. The leader of the Gershonite households was Eliasaph, son of Lael.
25. At the tent of meeting the Gershonites were in charge of the inner tent, the outer tent and cover, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting,