And they shall be mine, says LORD of hosts, my own possession, in the day that I make. And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.
And I, behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the sons of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to LORD, to do the service of the tent of meeting.
Take the Levites instead of all the first-born among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. And the Levites shall be mine. I am LORD.
At that time LORD set apart the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of LORD, to stand before LORD to minister to him, and to bless in his name, to this day.
For all the first-born among the sons of Israel are mine, both man and beast. On the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the first-born who opens the womb among the sons of Israel. And the Levites shall be mine,