The Wilderness Years

I have taken them instead of the firstborn that open every womb in Israel,

For all the firstborn of the children of Israel, both of men and of beasts, are mine. From the day that I slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, have I sanctified them to myself:

And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel:

And have delivered them for a gift to Aaron and his sons out of the midst of the people, to serve me for Israel in the tabernacle of the covenant, and to pray for them, lest there should be a plague among the people, if they should presume to approach unto my sanctuary.

And Moses and Aaron and all the multitude of the children of Israel did with the Levites all that the Lord had commanded Moses

And they were purified, and washed their garments. And Aaron lifted them up in the sight of the Lord, and prayed for them,

That being purified they might go into the tabernacle of the covenant to do their services before Aaron and his sons. As the Lord had commanded Moses touching the Levites, so was it done.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

This is the law of the Levites: From twenty-five years old and upwards, they shall go in to minister in the tabernacle of the covenant.

And when they shall have accomplished the fiftieth year of their age, they shall cease to serve:

And they shall be the ministers of their brethren in the tabernacle of the covenant, to keep the things that are committed to their care, but not to do the works. Thus shalt thou order the Levites touching their charge.

The Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying:

Let the children of Israel make the phase in its due time,

The fourteenth day of this month in the evening, according to all the ceremonies and justifications thereof.

And Moses commanded the children of Israel that they should make the phase.

And they made it in its proper time: the fourteenth day of the month at evening, in mount Sinai. The children of Israel did according to all things that the Lord had commanded Moses.

But behold some who were unclean by occasion of the soul of a man, who could not make the phase on that day, coming to Moses and Aaron,

Said to them: We are unclean by occasion of the soul of a man. Why are we kept back that we may not offer in its season the offering to the Lord among the children of Israel?

And Moses answered them: Stay that I may consult the Lord what he will ordain concerning you.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Say to the children of Israel: The man that shall be unclean by occasion of one that is dead, or shall be in a journey afar off in your nation, let him make the phase to the Lord.

In the second month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, they shall eat it with unleavened bread and wild lettuce:

They shall not leave any thing thereof until morning, nor break a bone thereof, they shall observe all the ceremonies of the phase.

But if any man is clean, and was not on a journey, and did not make the phase, that soul shall be cut off from among his people, because he offered not sacrifice to the Lord in due season: he shall bear his sin.

The sojourner also and the stranger if they be among you, shall make the phase to the Lord according to the ceremonies and justifications thereof. The same ordinances shall be with you both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.