17. For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
18. And I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
19. And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.
20. Thus did Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the Levites: according unto all that the Lord commanded Moses touching the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.
21. And the Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before the Lord; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.
22. And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron, and before his sons: as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.
23. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
24. This is that which belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service in the work of the tent of meeting:
25. and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the work, and shall serve no more;