But the Levites were not registered with them by their ancestral tribe.

Appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They are to transport the tabernacle and all its articles, take care of it, and camp around it.

Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to stop at a campsite, the Levites are to set it up. Any unauthorized person who comes near it must be put to death.

The Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the Israelite community.”

The tent of meeting is to move out with the Levites’ camp, which is in the middle of the camps. They are to move out just as they camp, each in his place, with their banners.

But the Levites were not registered among the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been assigned exclusively to him from the Israelites.

“See, I have taken the Levites from the Israelites in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,

“Register the Levites by their ancestral houses and their clans. You are to register every male one month old or more.”

Merari’s sons by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans by their ancestral houses.

The chief of the Levite leaders was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he had oversight of those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.

The total number of all the Levite males one month old or more that Moses and Aaron registered by their clans at the Lord’s command was 22,000.

You are to take the Levites for Me—I am Yahweh—in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of every firstborn among the Israelites’ cattle.”

“Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of their cattle. The Levites belong to Me; I am Yahweh.

As the redemption price for the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites,

So Moses collected the redemption money from those in excess of the ones redeemed by the Levites.

“Among the Levites, take a census of the Kohathites by their clans and their ancestral houses,

“Do not allow the Kohathite tribal clans to be wiped out from the Levites.

Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel registered all the Levites by their clans and their ancestral houses,

“Accept these from them to be used in the work of the tent of meeting, and give this offering to the Levites, to each division according to their service.”

So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites.

“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and ceremonially cleanse them.

Bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the entire Israelite community.

Then present the Levites before the Lord, and have the Israelites lay their hands on them.

Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a presentation offering from the Israelites, so that they may perform the Lord’s work.

Next the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. Sacrifice one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites.

“You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and you are to present them before the Lord as a presentation offering.

In this way you are to separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites so that the Levites will belong to Me.

After that the Levites may come to serve at the tent of meeting, once you have ceremonially cleansed them and presented them as a presentation offering.

But I have taken the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites.

From the Israelites, I have given the Levites exclusively to Aaron and his sons to perform the work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”

Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community did this to the Levites. The Israelites did everything to them the Lord commanded Moses regarding the Levites.

The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented them before the Lord as a presentation offering. Aaron also made atonement for them to ceremonially cleanse them.

After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. So they did to them as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.

“In regard to the Levites: From 25 years old or more, a man enters the service in the work at the tent of meeting.

He may assist his brothers to fulfill responsibilities at the tent of meeting, but he must not do the work. This is how you are to deal with the Levites regarding their duties.”

place fire in them and put incense on them before the Lord. Then the man the Lord chooses will be the one who is set apart. It is you Levites who have gone too far!”

Moses also told Korah, “Now listen, Levites!

He has brought you near, and all your fellow Levites who are with you, but you are seeking the priesthood as well.

Look, I have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift for you, assigned by the Lord to work at the tent of meeting.

“Look, I have given the Levites every tenth in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the work of the tent of meeting.

The Levites will do the work of the tent of meeting, and they will bear the consequences of their sin. The Levites will not receive an inheritance among the Israelites; this is a permanent statute throughout your generations.

“Speak to the Levites and tell them: When you receive from the Israelites the tenth that I have given you as your inheritance, you must present part of it as an offering to the Lord—a tenth of the tenth.

“Tell them further: Once you have presented the best part of the tenth, and it is credited to you Levites as the produce of the threshing floor or the winepress,

These were the Levites registered by their clans:
the Gershonite clan from Gershon;
the Kohathite clan from Kohath;
the Merarite clan from Merari.

These were the Levite family groups:
the Libnite clan,
the Hebronite clan,
the Mahlite clan,
the Mushite clan,
and the Korahite clan.

Kohath was the ancestor of Amram.

From the Israelites’ half, take one out of every 50 from the people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats, all the livestock, and give them to the Levites who perform the duties of the Lord’s tabernacle.”

Moses took one out of every 50, selected from the people and the livestock of the Israelites’ half. He gave them to the Levites who perform the duties of the Lord’s tabernacle, as the Lord had commanded him.

“Command the Israelites to give cities out of their hereditary property for the Levites to live in and pastureland around the cities.

The pasturelands of the cities you are to give the Levites will extend from the city wall 500 yards on every side.

“The cities you give the Levites will include six cities of refuge, which you must provide so that the one who kills someone may flee there; in addition to these, give 42 other cities.

The total number of cities you give the Levites will be 48, along with their pasturelands.

Of the cities that you give from the Israelites’ territory, you should take more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one. Each tribe is to give some of its cities to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance it receives.”