"Thus you shall separatethe Levitesfrom amongthe sonsof Israel,and the Levitesshall be Mine.
"They will be Mine," saysthe LORDof hosts,"on the daythat I prepare[My] own possession,and I will sparethem as a manspareshis own sonwho serveshim."
"Behold,I Myselfhave takenyour fellowLevitesfrom amongthe sonsof Israel;they are a giftto you, dedicatedto the LORD,to performthe servicefor the tentof meeting.
"Now, behold,I have takenthe Levitesfrom amongthe sonsof Israelinsteadof everyfirstborn,the firstissueof the wombamongthe sonsof Israel.So the Levitesshall be Mine.
"Takethe Levitesinsteadof allthe firstbornamong the sonsof Israeland the cattleof the Levites.And the Levitesshall be Mine; I am the LORD.
"You shall thus givethe Levitesto Aaronand to his sons;they are whollygivento him from among the sonsof Israel.
"Speakto the sonsof Israeland sayto them, 'Whena manorwomanmakesa specialvow,the vowof a Nazirite,to dedicatehimself to the LORD,
"You shall have the LevitesstandbeforeAaronand beforehis sonsso as to presentthem as a waveofferingto the LORD.
"For everyfirstbornamong the sonsof Israelis Mine, among the menand among the animals;on the daythat I struckdownallthe firstbornin the landof EgyptI sanctifiedthem for Myself.
Paul,a bond-servantof ChristJesus,called[as] an apostle,set apartfor the gospelof God,
But whenGod, who had set me apart[even] from my mother'swomband calledme throughHis grace,was pleased
At that timethe LORDsetapartthe tribeof Levito carrythe arkof the covenantof the LORD,to standbeforethe LORDto serveHim and to blessin His nameuntilthisday.
For it was fittingfor us to have sucha high priest,holy,innocent,undefiled,separatedfrom sinnersand exaltedabove the heavens;
