² “Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings^(A) the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name.^(B) I am the Lord.^(C)

³ “Say to them: ‘For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord,^(A) that person must be cut off from my presence.^(B) I am the Lord.

⁴ “This is the work^(A) of the Kohathites^(B) at the tent of meeting: the care of the most holy things.^(C)

¹⁵ “After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move,^(A) only then are the Kohathites^(B) to come and do the carrying.^(C) But they must not touch the holy things^(D) or they will die.^(E) The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the tent of meeting.

¹⁹ So that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things,^(A) do this for them: Aaron and his sons^(B) are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he is to carry.^(C)

²⁰ But the Kohathites must not go in to look^(A) at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”