But the Levites, according to the tribe of their fathers, were not numbered among them.

The Lord spoke to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion of property among them – I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.

Why should the name of our father be lost from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among the relatives of our father.”

“Do not allow the tribe of the families of the Kohathites to be cut off from among the Levites;

“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and purify them.

“Separate yourselves from among this community, that I may consume them in an instant.”

But the Levites were not numbered among the other Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.

“Take a census of the Kohathites from among the Levites, by their families and by their clans,

And so you are to separate the Levites from among the Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.

And the whole community of the Israelites and the resident foreigner who lives among them will be forgiven, since all the people were involved in the unintentional offense.

You must have one law for the person who sins unintentionally, both for the native-born among the Israelites and for the resident foreigner who lives among them.

“Get away from this community, so that I can consume them in an instant!” But they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground.

And the priest must take cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool and throw them into the midst of the fire where the heifer is burning.

But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must receive possessions among you in Canaan.”

Those of them who were numbered were 23,000, all males from a month old and upward, for they were not numbered among the Israelites; no inheritance was given to them among the Israelites.

Therefore do not defile the land that you will inhabit, in which I live, for I the Lord live among the Israelites.”

“Only the tribe of Levi you must not number or count with the other Israelites.

“Then the tent of meeting with the camp of the Levites will travel in the middle of the camps. They will travel in the same order as they camped, each in his own place under his standard.

“Look, I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites. So the Levites belong to me,

You must expel both men and women; you must put them outside the camp, so that they will not defile their camps, among which I live.”