And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel. ] Gave up his right in the firstborn, and instead of them took the Levites for his use and service: see ( Numbers 3:12 ) .
16
I have claimed them in the place of all the first-born sons of the Israelites, and they belong to me alone.
17
When I killed all the first-born in Egypt, I consecrated as my own the oldest son of each Israelite family and the first-born of every animal.
18
I am now taking the Levites instead of all the first-born of the Israelites,
19
and I assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons, as a gift from the Israelites, to work in the Tent for the people of Israel and to protect the Israelites from the disaster that would strike them if they came too near the Holy Place."
20
So Moses, Aaron, and all the people of Israel dedicated the Levites, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.