17. For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself.
18. I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
19. 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, so that there will be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.”
20. Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel did so to the Levites. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them.
21. 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. After that, the Levites went 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 they did to them.
23. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
24. “This is what is assigned to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting;
25. and from the age of fifty years they shall retire from doing the work, and shall serve no more,
26. but shall assist their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall perform no service. This is how you shall have the Levites do their duties.”