12. I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that open the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites will be Mine
13. because all the firstborn are Mine, for on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I set apart to Me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They will be Mine. I am the Lord.
14. The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying:
15. Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families. You will number every male from a month old and older.
16. Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded.
17. These were the sons of Levi by their names:Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.
18. These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families:Libni and Shimei;
19. the sons of Kohath by their families:Amram, and Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel;
20. the sons of Merari by their families:Mahli and Mushi.These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.
21. From Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites. These are the families of the Gershonites.
22. Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and older, those who were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred.
23. The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the west side of the tabernacle.
24. The chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.
25. The charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the hanging for the door of the tent of meeting,
26. the hangings of the court, the curtain for the opening of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords—all the service pertaining to these.