1 AND THE Lord said to Aaron, You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear and remove the iniquity of the sanctuary [that is, the guilt for the offenses which the people unknowingly commit when brought into contact with the manifestations of God's presence]. And you and your sons with you shall bear and remove the iniquity of your priesthood [your own unintentional offenses].
2 And your brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your [fore]father, bring with you, that they may be joined to you and minister to you; but only you and your sons with you shall come before the Tent of the Testimony [into the Holy Place where only priests may go and into the Most Holy Place which only the high priest dares enter].
3 And the Levites shall attend you [as servants] and attend to all the duties of the Tent; only they shall not come near the sacred vessels of the sanctuary or to the brazen altar, that they and also you [Aaron] die not.
4 And they shall be joined to you and attend to the duties of the Tent of Meeting–all the [menial] service of the Tent–and no stranger [no layman, anyone who is not a Levite] shall come near you [Aaron and your sons].