Psalm 115^(A)

The Setting Apart of the Levites

⁵ The Lord said to Moses: ⁶ “Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.^{(A) 7} To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing^(B) on them; then have them shave their whole bodies^(C) and wash their clothes.^(D) And so they will purify themselves.^{(E) 8} Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil;^(F) then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.^{[a](G) 9} Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting^(H) and assemble the whole Israelite community.^{(I) 10} You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them.^{(J) 11} Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering^(K) from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the Lord.

¹² “Then the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls,^(L) using one for a sin offering^(M) to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering,^(N) to make atonement^(O) for the Levites. ¹³ Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering^(P) to the Lord. ¹⁴ In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.^(Q)

¹⁵ “After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering,^(R) they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting.^{(S) 16} They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn,^(T) the first male offspring^(U) from every Israelite woman. ¹⁷ Every firstborn male in Israel, whether human or animal,^(V) is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself.^{(W) 18} And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel.^{(X) 19} From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons^(Y) to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites^(Z) and to make atonement for them^(AA) so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”

²⁰ Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses. ²¹ The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes.^(AB) Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement^(AC) for them to purify them.^{(AD) 22} After that, the Levites came to do their work^(AE) at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses.

1 Paul, a servant of God^(A) and an apostle^(B) of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth^(C) that leads to godliness^(D)— ² in the hope of eternal life,^(E) which God, who does not lie,^(F) promised before the beginning of time,^{(G) 3} and which now at his appointed season^(H) he has brought to light^(I) through the preaching entrusted to me^(J) by the command of God^(K) our Savior,^(L)

⁴ To Titus,^(M) my true son^(N) in our common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.^(O)

Appointing Elders Who Love What Is Good^(P)

⁵ The reason I left you in Crete^(Q) was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint^[a] elders^(R) in every town, as I directed you. ⁶ An elder must be blameless,^(S) faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe^[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. ⁷ Since an overseer^(T) manages God’s household,^(U) he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.^{(V) 8} Rather, he must be hospitable,^(W) one who loves what is good,^(X) who is self-controlled,^(Y) upright, holy and disciplined. ⁹ He must hold firmly^(Z) to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine^(AA) and refute those who oppose it.