I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons. I have taken them from among all the Israelites. I have appointed them to do the work at the tent of meeting. They will do it in place of the Israelites. That is how they will keep the Israelites from being guilty when they go near the sacred tent. Then no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the tent.”

我从以色列人中将利未人当作赏赐给亚伦和他的儿子，在会幕中办以色列人的事，又为以色列人赎罪，免得他们挨近圣所，有灾殃临到他们中间。”

我从以色列人中将利未人给亚伦和他的儿子作为赏赐，在会幕中为以色列人事奉，又为以色列人赎罪，免得以色列人因挨近圣所而遭受灾祸。”

我从以色列人中将利未人给亚伦和他的儿子作为赏赐，在会幕中为以色列人事奉，又为以色列人赎罪，免得以色列人因挨近圣所而遭受灾祸。”

把他们交给亚伦父子们，替以色列人在会幕中司职，为以色列人赎罪，免得以色列人因接近圣所而遭祸。”

我从以色列人中，把利未人赐给亚伦和他的众子，在会幕里办理以色列人的事务，又为以色列人赎罪，免得他们走近圣所的时候，就有灾祸临到他们。”

我從以色列人中將利未人當作賞賜給亞倫和他的兒子，在會幕中辦以色列人的事，又為以色列人贖罪，免得他們挨近聖所，有災殃臨到他們中間。」

我從以色列人中將利未人給亞倫和他的兒子作為賞賜，在會幕中為以色列人事奉，又為以色列人贖罪，免得以色列人因挨近聖所而遭受災禍。」

我從以色列人中將利未人給亞倫和他的兒子作為賞賜，在會幕中為以色列人事奉，又為以色列人贖罪，免得以色列人因挨近聖所而遭受災禍。」

把他們交給亞倫父子們，替以色列人在會幕中司職，為以色列人贖罪，免得以色列人因接近聖所而遭禍。」

我從以色列人中，把利未人賜給亞倫和他的眾子，在會幕裡辦理以色列人的事務，又為以色列人贖罪，免得他們走近聖所的時候，就有災禍臨到他們。”

我從以色列人中正式將利未人賜給亞倫和他的子孫、去在會棚中辦以色列人應辦的事務，為以色列人行除罪禮，免得以色列人挨近聖所時有疫病臨到他們中間。』

亦取之、以賜亞倫及其子、於會幕中、為以色列族供其役事、代之贖罪、免以色列族近於聖所、而遭災禍、

我取以賜亞倫及其子、於會幕中、為以色列族供其役事、代之贖罪、恐以色列族近於聖所、而遭災害。

於以色列中擇利未人、賜亞倫與其子、代以色列人於會幕供役事、為以色列人贖罪、恐以色列人近於聖所而遭災禍、

From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”

And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary.”

And of all the Israelites, I have assigned the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They will serve in the Tabernacle on behalf of the Israelites and make sacrifices to purify the people so no plague will strike them when they approach the sanctuary.”

From the Israelites, I have given the Levites exclusively to Aaron and his sons to perform the work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”

And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no affliction among the sons of Israel due to their approaching the sanctuary.”

And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the work for the children of Israel in the tabernacle of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near the sanctuary.”

And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel; that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.

From the Israelites, I have given the Levites exclusively to Aaron and his sons to perform the work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”

And I have given the Levites[ as] a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.

I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to do the work for the Israelites in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the Israelites, so there will be no plague among the Israelites when the Israelites come near the sanctuary.”

I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.”

But the Levites must set up their tents around the holy tent. That’s where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. Then I will not be angry with the community of Israel. The Levites will be responsible for taking care of the tent.”

Moses said to Aaron,“ Take your incense cup. Put incense in it. And put burning coals from the altar in it. Then hurry to the people and pay for their sin. The Lord has begun to show his anger. The plague has started.”

The Levites had the duty of helping the members of Aaron’s family line. They helped them serve in the Lord’ s temple. They were in charge of the courtyards and the side rooms. They made all the sacred things pure and“ clean.” They also had other duties at the house of God.They were in charge of setting the holy bread out on the table. They prepared the special flour for the grain offerings. They made the thin loaves without using any yeast. They did the baking and the mixing. They measured the amount and size of everything.They stood every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They did the same thing every evening.They also did it every time burnt offerings were brought to the Lord. Those offerings were brought every Sabbath day. They were also brought at every New Moon feast and during the appointed yearly feasts. The Levites served in front of the Lord at regular times. The proper number of Levites was always used when they served. They served in the way the law required.So the Levites carried out their duties for the tent of meeting and for the Holy Room. They worked under their relatives who were in the family line of Aaron. They helped them serve at the Lord’ s temple.

“ 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.

But some of the people of Beth Shemesh looked into the ark of the Lord. So he struck them down. He put 70 of them to death. The rest of the people were filled with sorrow. That’s because the Lord had killed so many of them.

But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride brought him down. He wasn’t faithful to the Lord his God. He entered the Lord’ s temple to burn incense on the altar for burning incense.Azariah the priest followed him in. So did 80 other brave priests of the Lord.They stood up to Uzziah. They said,“ Uzziah, it isn’t right for you to burn incense to the Lord. Only the priests are supposed to do that. They are members of the family line of Aaron. They have been set apart to burn incense. So get out of here. Leave the temple. You haven’t been faithful. The Lord God won’t honor you.”Uzziah was holding a shallow cup. He was ready to burn incense in it. He became angry. He shouted at the priests in the Lord’ s temple. He did it near the altar for burning incense. While he was shouting, a skin disease suddenly broke out on his forehead.Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him. They saw that Uzziah had a skin disease on his forehead. So they hurried him out of the temple. Actually, he himself really wanted to leave. He knew that the Lord was making him suffer.

They might serve in my temple. They might be in charge of its gates. They might kill the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people. And they might stand in front of the people and serve them in other ways.But these Levites served the people of Israel. They served while the Israelites were worshiping the statues of their gods. They made the people fall into sin. So I raised my hand and made a promise. I warned them that I would punish them because of their sin,” announces the Lord and King.“ They must not approach me to serve me as priests. They must not come near any of my holy things. They must stay away from my very holy offerings. They did many things they should have been ashamed of. I hated those things.But I will still appoint them to guard the temple. They will guard it for all the work that has to be done there.

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.