NSB(i)
9 »Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting. Assemble the whole congregation of Israel.
10 »Then bring the Levites into Jehovah’s presence, and the Israelites will place their hands on them.
11 »Aaron will present the Levites to Jehovah as an offering from the Israelites. Then they will be ready to do Jehovah’s work.
12 »The Levites will place their hands on the heads of the young bulls. Sacrifice one of them as an offering for sin and the other one as a burnt offering to Jehovah. These sacrifices will pay compensation for wrongdoing and make peace with Jehovah for the Levites.
13 »Make the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and present them as an offering to Jehovah.
14 »In this way you will separate the Levites from the other Israelites. The Levites will be mine.
15 »Once you have made them clean and presented them as an offering, the Levites may come and do their work at the tent of meeting.
16 »They will be the only Israelites given to me. I have taken them to be mine as substitutes for every firstborn male offspring of the Israelites.
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 »I assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons, as a gift from the Israelites. They are 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 Moses, Aaron, and all the people of Israel dedicated the Levites, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
21 So the Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Aaron dedicated them as a special gift to Jehovah. He also performed the ritual of purification for them.
22 The people did everything Jehovah commanded Moses concerning the Levites. Thus the Levites were qualified to work in the tent under Aaron and his sons.
23 Jehovah said to Moses:
24 »From the age of twenty-five each Levite shall perform his duties in the tent of my presence,
25 »They must retire from active service when they are fifty years old.
26 »They may assist the other Levites in their duties at the tent of meeting. But they may not do any regular work. This is how you will handle the Levites’ duties.«