Numbers 1

1 On the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai. He said:

The Lord spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting while they were in the Sinai desert. This was on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites had left Egypt. He told him,

2 “Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.

“Census all the Israelites according to their tribe and family. Count every man and keep a record of each individual's name.

3 You and Aaron are to number those who are twenty years of age or older by their divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.

Those aged twenty or older who can do military service are to be registered by you and Aaron in their Israelite army divisions.

4 And one man from each tribe, the head of each family, must be there with you.

A representative from each tribe, the head of a family, must be there with you.

5 These are the names of the men who are to assist you: From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

These are the names of the men who will work with you: From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur, son of Shedeur;

6 from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

from the tribe of Simeon, Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai;

7 from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;

from the tribe of Judah, Nahshon, son of Amminadab;

8 from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;

from the tribe of Issachar, Nethanel, son of Zuar;

9 from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;

from the tribe of Zebulun, Eliab, son of Helon;

10 from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

from the sons of Joseph: from the tribe of Ephraim, Elishama, son of Ammihud, and from the tribe of Manasseh, Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur;

11 from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;

from the tribe of Benjamin, Abidan, son of Gideoni;

12 from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

from the tribe of Dan, Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai;

13 from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran;

from the tribe of Asher, Pagiel, son of Ocran;

14 from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;

from the tribe of Gad, Eliasaph, son of Deuel;

15 and from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”

and from the tribe of Naphtali, Ahira, son of Enan.”

16 These men were appointed from the congregation; they were the leaders of the tribes of their fathers, the heads of the clans of Israel.

These were the men chosen from the Israelite community. They were the leaders of their fathers' tribes; the heads of the families of Israel.

17 So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name,

Moses and Aaron summoned these men who had been selected by name.

18 and on the first day of the second month they assembled the whole congregation and recorded their ancestry by clans and families, counting one by one the names of those twenty years of age or older,

They had all the Israelites gather together on the first day of the second month, and recorded the people's genealogy according to their tribe and family, and counted up the names of all those aged twenty or older,

19 just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So Moses numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai:

as the Lord had told Moses to do. Moses conducted this census in the Sinai desert.

20 From the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

The descendants of Reuben, (he was Israel's firstborn son), men aged twenty or over, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

21 those registered to the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.

from the tribe of Reuben totaled 46,500.

22 From the sons of Simeon, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

The descendants of Simeon, men aged twenty or over, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

23 those registered to the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.

from the tribe of Simeon totaled 59,300.

24 From the sons of Gad, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

The descendants of Gad, men aged twenty or over, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

25 those registered to the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.

from the tribe of Gad totaled 45,650.

26 From the sons of Judah, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

The descendants of Judah, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

27 those registered to the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.

from the tribe of Judah, totaled 74,600.

28 From the sons of Issachar, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

The descendants of Issachar, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

29 those registered to the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.

from the tribe of Issachar, totaled 54,400.

30 From the sons of Zebulun, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

The descendants of Zebulun, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

31 those registered to the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.

from the tribe of Zebulun, totaled 57,400.

32 From the sons of Joseph: From the sons of Ephraim, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

The descendants of Joseph: the descendants of Ephraim, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

33 those registered to the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500.

from the tribe of Ephraim, totaled 40,500.

34 And from the sons of Manasseh, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

And the descendants of Manasseh, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

35 those registered to the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.

from the tribe of Manasseh, totaled 32,200.

36 From the sons of Benjamin, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

The descendants of Benjamin, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

37 those registered to the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.

from the tribe of Benjamin, totaled 35,400.

38 From the sons of Dan, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

The descendants of Dan, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

39 those registered to the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.

from the tribe of Dan, totaled 62,700.

40 From the sons of Asher, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

The descendants of Asher, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

41 those registered to the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.

from the tribe of Asher, totaled 41,500.

42 From the sons of Naphtali, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

The descendants of Naphtali, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

43 those registered to the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.

from the tribe of Naphtali, totaled 53,400.

44 These were the men numbered by Moses and Aaron, with the assistance of the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family.

These were the totals of the men counted and registered by Moses and Aaron, with the help of the twelve leaders of Israel, who each represented their family.

45 So all the Israelites twenty years of age or older who could serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families.

In this way all the Israelite men aged twenty or older who were able to serve in Israel's army were registered according to their families.

46 And all those counted totaled 603,550.

The sum total of those registered was 603,550.

47 The Levites, however, were not numbered along with them by the tribe of their fathers.

However, the Levites were not registered with the others according to their tribe and families.

48 For the LORD had said to Moses:

This was because the Lord had told Moses,

49 “Do not number the tribe of Levi in the census with the other Israelites.

“Don't register the tribe of Levi; don't count them in the census with the other Israelites.

50 Instead, you are to appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its articles, care for it, and camp around it.

Put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle and of the Testimony, as well as all its furniture and everything it contains. They are the ones responsible for carrying the Tabernacle and all its items. They are to care for it, and to make their camp around it.

51 Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to be pitched, the Levites are to set it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death.

When it's time to move the Tabernacle, the Levites shall take it down, and when it's time to make camp, the Levites shall put it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death.

52 The Israelites are to camp by their divisions, each man in his own camp and under his own standard.

The Israelites are to make camp according to their tribal divisions, each person in their own camp under their own flag.

53 But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

But the Levites are to set up their camp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony to stop anyone making me angry with the Israelites. The Levites are responsible for looking after the Tabernacle of the Testimony.”

54 Thus the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

The Israelites did everything that the Lord ordered Moses that they should do.