My sons, don’t fail to obey the Lord. He has chosen you to stand in front of him and work for him. He wants you to serve him and burn incense to him.”

我的众子啊，现在不要懈怠；因为耶和华拣选你们站在他面前侍奉他，与他烧香。”

我的众子啊，现在不要懈怠；因为耶和华拣选你们站在他面前事奉他，作他的仆人，向他烧香。”

我的众子啊，现在不要懈怠；因为耶和华拣选你们站在他面前事奉他，作他的仆人，向他烧香。”

我的孩子们啊，不要懈怠！因为耶和华拣选你们站在祂面前事奉祂，向祂烧香。”

我的孩子们，你们现在不要懈怠，因为耶和华拣选了你们站在他面前事奉他，为要作他的仆人，向他烧香。”

我的眾子啊，現在不要懈怠；因為耶和華揀選你們站在他面前事奉他，與他燒香。」

我的眾子啊，現在不要懈怠；因為耶和華揀選你們站在他面前事奉他，作他的僕人，向他燒香。」

我的眾子啊，現在不要懈怠；因為耶和華揀選你們站在他面前事奉他，作他的僕人，向他燒香。」

我的孩子們啊，不要懈怠！因為耶和華揀選你們站在祂面前事奉祂，向祂燒香。」

我的孩子們，你們現在不要懈怠，因為耶和華揀選了你們站在他面前事奉他，為要作他的僕人，向他燒香。”

我的眾子啊，現在你們不要懈怠，因為永恆主是揀選了你們站在他面前伺候他，做伺候他向他燻祭的人。』

我子歟、今勿懈怠、蓋耶和華簡爾侍立其前、為其執事、供役焚香、○

我國之赤子、毋怠荒、蓋耶和華遴選爾曹、使立於前、供役焚香。

我子歟、今勿懈怠、蓋主選爾曹、侍立其前、奉事焚香、

My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.”

My sons, do not now be negligent, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him and to be his ministers and make offerings to him.”

My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to him.”

My sons, don’t be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence, to serve him, and to be his ministers and burners of incense.”

My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and to be His ministers and burn incense.”

My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense.”

My sons, be not now negligent; for Jehovah hath chosen you to stand before him, to minister unto him, and that ye should be his ministers, and burn incense.

My sons, don’t be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in His presence, to serve Him, and to be His ministers and burners of incense.”

My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.

My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to serve in his presence and offer sacrifices.”

My sons, don’t be negligent now; for Yahweh has chosen you to stand before him, to minister to him, and that you should be his ministers, and burn incense.”

Don’t be fooled. You can’t outsmart God. A man gathers a crop from what he plants.Some people plant to please their desires controlled by sin. From these desires they will harvest death. Others plant to please the Holy Spirit. From the Spirit they will harvest eternal life.

At that time the Lord set the tribe of Levi apart. He appointed them to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord. He wanted them to serve him. He told them to bless the people in his name. And they still do it today.

“ Bring the men of the tribe of Levi to Aaron the priest. They will help him.They must work at the tent of meeting for Aaron and for the whole community. They must do what needs to be done at the holy tent.They must take care of everything connected with the tent of meeting. When they do, they are acting for all the Israelites.Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are the men of Israel who must be given completely to him.

Bring the Levites from your tribe to join you. They will help you when you and your sons serve at the tent of meeting. That is where the tablets of the covenant law are kept.The Levites will work for you. They must do everything that needs to be done at the tent. But they must not go near anything that belongs to the sacred tent. And they must not go near the altar. If they do, they and you will die.They will help you take care of the tent of meeting. They will join you in all the work at the tent. No one else can come near you there.“ You will be responsible for taking care of the sacred tent and the altar. Then I will not be angry with the Israelites again.I myself have chosen the Levites. I have chosen them from among the Israelites. They are a gift to you. I have set them apart to do the work at the tent of meeting.But only you and your sons can serve as priests. Only you and your sons can work with everything at the altar and behind the curtain. I am letting you serve as priests. It is a gift from me. Anyone else who comes near the sacred tent must be put to death.”

Then the Lord sent down fire. It burned up the 250 men offering the incense.The Lord said to Moses,“ Speak to Eleazar the priest. He is the son of Aaron. Remind him that the shallow cups are holy. He must take them out of the ashes. He must scatter the burning coals away from there.The men who sinned used those cups. And it cost them their lives. Hammer the cups into bronze sheets that will cover the altar. The cups were offered to the Lord. They have become holy. Let them serve as a warning to the Israelites.”So the priest Eleazar collected the bronze incense cups. They had been brought by the men who had been burned to death. He had them hammered out to cover the altar.He did just as the Lord had directed Moses to tell him to do. The covering would be a reminder to the Israelites. It would remind them that no one except a son of Aaron should come and burn incense to the Lord. If people other than priests did that, they would become like Korah and his followers.

“ Take the Levites from among all the Israelites. Make them‘ clean’ in the usual way.Here is how to make them pure. Sprinkle the special water on them. Then have them shave their whole bodies. Also have them wash their clothes. That is how they will make themselves pure.Have them get a young bull along with its grain offering. The offering must be made out of the finest flour mixed with olive oil. Then you must get a second young bull. You must sacrifice it as a sin offering.Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting. Gather the whole community of Israel together.You must bring the Levites to me. The Israelites must place their hands on them.Aaron must bring the Levites to me. They are a wave offering from the Israelites. That is how they will be set apart to do my work.“ Then I want the Levites to place their hands on the heads of the bulls. They must sacrifice one bull as a sin offering to me. And they must sacrifice the other as a burnt offering. The blood of the bulls will pay for the sin of the Levites.Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons. Then give them as a wave offering to me.That is how I want you to set apart the Levites from the other Israelites. The Levites will belong to me.