47. But the LEVITES after the tribe of their fathers were not counted among them.

48. For the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

49. "Only the tribe of Levi you shall not count, neither shall you take a census of them among the children of Israel;

50. but appoint the LEVITES over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle, and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it.

51. When the tabernacle is to move, the LEVITES shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the LEVITES shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.

52. The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their divisions.

53. But the LEVITES shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel: and the LEVITES shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony."

54. Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they did.

6. "Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.

7. They shall keep his requirements, and the requirements of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.

8. They shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, and the obligations of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

9. You shall give the LEVITES to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the behalf of the children of Israel.

10. You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death."

11. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

12. "Behold , I have taken the LEVITES from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel; and the LEVITES shall be mine:

13. for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I made holy to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be mine. I am The LORD."

14. The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

15. "Count the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families. You shall count every male from a month old and upward."

16. Moses counted them according to The LORD's word, as he was commanded.

Is it a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of The LORD's tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;

57. These are those who were counted of the LEVITES after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.

58. These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram.

59. The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. She bore to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.

60. To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

61. Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before The LORD.

62. Those who were counted of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward; for they were not counted among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.

At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of The LORD's covenant, to stand before the LORD to minister to him, and to bless in his name, to this day.

Then David said, "No one ought to carry God's ark but the LEVITES. For the LORD has chosen them to carry God's ark, and to minister to him forever."