13 They will stand at my altar in front of Aaron and his sons, who will dedicate the Levites to me.
14 This ceremony will show that the Levites are different from the other Israelites and belong to me in a special way.
15 After they have been made acceptable and have been dedicated, they will be allowed to work at my sacred tent.
16 They are mine and will take the place of the first-born Israelite sons.
17 When I killed the oldest sons of the Egyptians, I decided that the first-born sons in each Israelite family would be mine, as well as every first-born male from their flocks and herds.
18 But now I have chosen these Levites as substitutes for the first-born sons,
19 and I have given them as gifts to Aaron and his sons to serve at the sacred tent. I will hold them responsible for what happens to anyone who gets too close to the sacred tent.