Numbers 3:5-13 - The Assignment Of The Levites

⁵ The Lord spoke to Moses: ⁶ "Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. ⁷ They are responsible for his needs and the needs of the whole community before the tent of meeting, by attending to the service of the tabernacle. ⁸ And they are responsible for all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and for the needs of the Israelites, as they serve in the tabernacle. ⁹ You are to assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they will be assigned exclusively to him out of all the Israelites. ¹⁰ So you are to appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will be responsible for their priesthood; but the unauthorized person who comes near must be put to death."

¹¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ¹² "Look, I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites. So the Levites belong to me, ¹³ because all the firstborn are mine. When I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They belong to me. I am the Lord."