10. Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests, but anyone else who comes near the holy things must be put to death.”
11. The Lord also said to Moses,
12. “I am choosing the Levites from all the Israelites to take the place of all the firstborn children of Israel. The Levites will be mine,
13. because the firstborn are mine. When you were in Egypt, I killed all the firstborn children of the Egyptians and took all the firstborn of Israel to be mine, both animals and children. They are mine. I am the Lord.”
14. The Lord again said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai,
15. “Count the Levites by families and family groups. Count every male one month old or older.”
16. So Moses obeyed the Lord and counted them all.
17. Levi had three sons, whose names were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.