8. They must take care of everything that is connected with the Tent of Meeting. When they do, they are acting for all of the people of Israel.
9. Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are the men of Israel who must be given completely to him.
10. "Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. Anyone else who approaches the sacred tent must be put to death."
11. The Lord also said to Moses,
12. "I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel. I have taken them in place of the oldest son who is born to each woman in Israel. The Levites belong to me.
13. That is because every male that is born first to a mother is mine. In Egypt I struck down all of the males that were born first. I did it when I set apart for myself every male that is born first to a mother in Israel. That is true for men and animals alike. They belong to me. I am the Lord."
14. The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai. He said,
15. "Count the Levites by their family groups. Count every male who is a month old or more."
16. So Moses counted them. He did just as the word of the Lord had commanded him.
17. The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
18. The major families from Gershon were Libni and Shimei.
19. The major families from Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
20. The major families from Merari were Mahli and Mushi. Those were the major families of the Levites.
21. The families of Libni and Shimei belonged to the family of Gershon.
22. All of the males who were a month old or more were counted. There were 7,500 of them.
23. The families of Gershon had to camp on the west side. They had to camp behind the holy tent.
24. The leader of the families of Gershon was Eliasaph, the son of Lael.