11. The Lord said to Moses:
12. I hereby take the Levites from the Israelites in place of every firstborn that opens the womb among the Israelites. The Levites, therefore, are mine,
13. because every firstborn is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to me every firstborn in Israel, human being and beast alike. They belong to me; I am the Lord.
14. The Lord said to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai:
15. Enroll the Levites by their ancestral houses and clans, enrolling every male of a month or more.
16. Moses, therefore, enrolled them at the direction of the Lord, just as the Lord had charged.
17. These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.