Study Desk

^(C1)Now these are the records of the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

^(C1)These then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the ^(C1)anointed priests, whom he ^(F1)ordained to serve as priests.

^(C1)But Nadab and Abihu died in the presence of the LORD when they offered ^(F1)strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests ^(F2)in the lifetime of their father Aaron.

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

"^(C1)Bring the tribe of Levi forward and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.

"They shall perform the duties for ^(F1)him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, to do the ^(C1)service of the tabernacle.

"They shall also take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

"So you shall ^(C1)assign the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are exclusively assigned to him from the sons of Israel.

"So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that ^(C1)they may ^(F1)keep their priesthood, but ^(C2)the ^(F2)layman who comes near shall be put to death."

Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

"Now, behold, I ^(C1)have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every ^(C2)firstborn, the firstborn of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine.

"For ^(C1)all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I fatally struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from the human firstborn to animals. They shall be Mine; I am the LORD."