God

ADONAI said to Moshe,

ADONAI said to Moshe,

"I have taken the L'vi'im from among the people of Isra'el in lieu of every firstborn male that is first from the womb among the people of Isra'el; the L'vi'im are to be mine.

All the firstborn males belong to me, because on the day that I killed all the firstborn males in the land of Egypt, I separated for myself all the firstborn males in Isra'el, both human and animal. They are mine; I am ADONAI."

ADONAI said to Moshe in the Sinai Desert,

Moshe counted them in the manner ADONAI had said, as he had been ordered.

The total number of L'vi'im whom Moshe and Aharon counted by their clans, all the males a month old and over, was 22,000.

ADONAI said to Moshe, "Register all the firstborn males of the people of Isra'el a month old and over, and determine how many there are.

Then you are to take the L'vi'im for me, ADONAI, in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el, and the cattle of the L'vi'im in place of the firstborn of the cattle belonging to the people of Isra'el."

Moshe counted, as ADONAI had ordered him, all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el.

ADONAI said to Moshe,

"Take the L'vi'im in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el, and the cattle of the L'vi'im in place of their cattle; the L'vi'im are to belong to me, ADONAI.

Moshe gave the redemption-money to Aharon and his sons, in keeping with what ADONAI had said, as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.

ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon,

ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon,

ADONAI said to Moshe,

These are the ones counted from the K'hat families of all those serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moshe and Aharon enumerated, in keeping with the order given by ADONAI through Moshe.

These are the ones counted from the families of the descendants of Gershon of all those serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moshe and Aharon enumerated, in keeping with the order given by ADONAI.

These are the ones counted from the families of the descendants of M'rari, whom Moshe and Aharon enumerated, in keeping with the order given by ADONAI through Moshe.

According to ADONAI's order they were appointed by Moshe, each one to his specific service or work. They were also enumerated, as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.

ADONAI said to Moshe,

Both male and female you must expel; put them outside the camp; so that they won't defile their camp, where I live among you."

The people of Isra'el did this and put them outside the camp - the people of Isra'el did what ADONAI had said to Moshe.

ADONAI said to Moshe,

"Tell the people of Isra'el, 'When a man or woman commits any kind of sin against another person and thus breaks faith with ADONAI, he incurs guilt.