Numbers 3

1 Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that Jehovah spoke with Moses in mount Sinai:

2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.

4 And Nadab and Abihu died before Jehovah when they offered strange fire before Jehovah in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons. And Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the presence of Aaron their father.

5 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.

7 And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.

8 And they shall keep all the furniture of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

9 And thou shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the behalf of the sons of Israel.

10 And thou shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood. And the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.

11 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the firstborn who opens the womb among the sons of Israel. And the Levites shall be mine,

13 for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be mine. I am Jehovah.

14 And Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

15 Number the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families. Thou shall number them, every male from a month old and upward.

16 And Moses numbered them according to the word of Jehovah, as he was commanded.

17 And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

19 And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, and Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20 And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' houses.

21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites. These are the families of the Gershonites.

22 Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those who were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.

23 The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.

24 And the ruler of the fathers' house of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering of it, and the screen for the door of the tent of meeting,

26 and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.

27 And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites.

28 According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.

29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the side of the tabernacle southward.

30 And the ruler of the fathers' house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

31 And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the lampstand, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service thereof.

32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be ruler of the rulers of the Levites, with the oversight of those who keep the charge of the sanctuary.

33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari.

34 And those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.

35 And the ruler of the fathers' house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the side of the tabernacle northward.

36 And the appointed charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars of it, and the pillars of it, and the sockets of it, and all the instruments of it, and all the service thereof,

37 and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pegs, and their cords.

38 And those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the sons of Israel. And the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.

39 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of Jehovah, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.

40 And Jehovah said to Moses, Number all the firstborn males of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

41 And thou shall take the Levites for me (I am Jehovah) instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the sons of Israel.

42 And Moses numbered, as Jehovah commanded him, all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.

43 And all the firstborn males according to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

44 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. And the Levites shall be mine. I am Jehovah.

46 And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the sons of Israel, who are over and above the number of the Levites,

47 thou shall take five shekels apiece by the poll. According to the shekel of the sanctuary thou shall take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs),

48 and thou shall give the money, with which the odd number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.

49 And Moses took the redemption-money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites.

50 He took the money from the firstborn of the sons of Israel, a thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

51 And Moses gave the redemption-money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of Jehovah, as Jehovah commanded Moses.