The Lord spoke to Aaron, “See, I have given you the responsibility for my raised offerings; I have given all the holy things of the Israelites to you as your priestly portion ¹  and to your sons as a perpetual ordinance.

But those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, ¹  and his sons. They were responsible for the needs ²  of the sanctuary and for the needs of the Israelites, but the unauthorized person who approached was to be put to death.

But you and your sons with you are responsible for your priestly duties, for everything at the altar and within the curtain. And you must serve. I give you the priesthood as a gift for service; but the unauthorized person who approaches must be put to death.”

From the Israelites’ half-share you are to take one portion out of fifty of the people, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep – from every kind of animal – and you are to give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.”

“When Aaron and his sons have finished ¹  covering ²  the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is ready to journey, then ³  the Kohathites will come to carry them; ⁴  but they must not touch ⁵  any ⁶  holy thing, or they will die. ⁷  These are the responsibilities ⁸  of the Kohathites with the tent of meeting.

But if he should nullify them after he has heard them, then he will bear her iniquity.” ¹ 

¹ The Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your tribe ²  with you must bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, ³  and you and your sons with you must bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

But the Levites must perform the service ¹  of the tent of meeting, and they must bear their iniquity. ²  It will be a perpetual ordinance throughout your generations that among the Israelites the Levites ³  have no inheritance. ⁴ 

Then Moses returned to the camp along with the elders of Israel.

But if her husband remains completely silent ¹  about her from day to day, he thus confirms all her vows or all her obligations which she is under; he confirms them because he remained silent about when he heard them.

and the pillars of the courtyard all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their ropes.

This is the service of the Kohathites in the tent of meeting, relating to the most holy things. ¹ 

Then the tabernacle was dismantled, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the tabernacle.

those men who produced the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord.

Then Moses got up ¹  and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel went after him.

set him ¹  before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community, and commission ²  him publicly. ³ 

He laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the Lord commanded, ¹  by the authority ²  of Moses.

The avenger ¹  of blood himself must kill the murderer; when he meets him, he must kill him.

then the community must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these decisions.

This is the service of the families of the Merarites, their entire service concerning the tent of meeting, under the authority of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”