Numbers 3

1 This is the account of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses, on the day that the Lord spoke with Moses on mount Sinai.

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

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

3 These were Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests that were anointed, who were consecrated to minister as priests.

4 Nadab and Abihu, however, died in the presence of the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai. And since they had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.

And Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord, when they offered a strange fire before the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Elazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the life-time of Aaron their father.

5 Then the LORD said to Moses,

And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

6 “Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.

Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present the same before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.

7 They are to perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, attending to the service of the tabernacle.

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

8 They shall take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and fulfill obligations for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle.

And they shall keep all the vessels of the tent of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

9 Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been given exclusively to him from among the Israelites.

And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: as associates are they given unto him out of the children of Israel.

10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; but any outsider who approaches the tabernacle must be put to death.”

And Aaron and his sons shalt thou instruct, that they shall guard well their priest's office; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

11 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

12 “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,

And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from the midst of the children of Israel instead of every first-born that openeth the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine.

13 for all the firstborn are Mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They are Mine; I am the LORD.”

Because mine is every first-born; on the day when I smote every first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me every first-born in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be; I am the Lord.

14 Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying,

And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

15 “Number the Levites by their families and clans. You are to count every male a month old or more.”

Number the children of Levi after their divisions, by their families; every male of them from a month old and upward shalt thou number.

16 So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he had been commanded.

And Moses numbered them according to the order of the Lord, as he had been commanded.

17 These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

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

18 These were the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei.

And these are the names of the sons of Gershon after their families: Libni, and Shimi.

19 The sons of Kohath by their clans were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

And the sons of Kehath after their families: 'Amram, and Yizhar, Chebron, and 'Uzziel.

20 And the sons of Merari by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites, according to their families.

And the sons of Merari after their families: Machli, and Mushi; these are the families of the Levites according to their family divisions.

21 From Gershon came the Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan; these were the Gershonite clans.

Of Gershon: the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites; these are the families of the Gershunites.

22 The number of all the males a month old or more was 7,500.

Those that were numbered of them, by the numbering of all the males from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them, were seven thousand and five hundred.

23 The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle,

The families of the Gershunites used to encamp behind the tabernacle, westward.

24 and the leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.

And the prince of the family division of the Gershunites was Elyassaph the son of Lael.

25 The duties of the Gershonites at the Tent of Meeting were the tabernacle and tent, its covering, the curtain for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,

And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation was the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

26 the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and altar, and the cords—all the service for these items.

And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar, round about, and its cords for all the service thereof.

27 From Kohath came the clans of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these were the clans of the Kohathites.

And of Kehath: the family of the 'Amramites, and the family of the Yizharites, and the family of the Chebronites, and the family of the 'Uzzielites; these are the families of the Kehathites.

28 The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600. They were responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.

By the numbering of all the males, from a month old and upward, they were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.

29 The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle,

The families of the sons of Kehath used to encamp on the side of the tabernacle, southward.

30 and the leader of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.

And the prince of the division of the families of the Kehathites was Elizaphan the son of 'Uzziel.

31 Their duties were the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used with them, and the curtain—all the service for these items.

And their charge was the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary which are used for the service, and the vail, and all belonging thereto.

32 The chief of the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he oversaw those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.

And the chief over the princes of the Levites was Elazar the son of Aaron the priest, having the oversight of those that kept the charge of the sanctuary.

33 From Merari came the clans of the Mahlites and Mushites; these were the Merarite clans.

Of Merari: the family of the Machlites, and the family of the Mushites; these are the families of Merari.

34 The number of all the males a month old or more was 6,200.

And those that were numbered of them, by the numbering of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.

35 The leader of the families of the Merarites was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.

And the chief of the division of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abichayil: they used to encamp on the side of the tabernacle, northward.

36 The duties assigned to the sons of Merari were the tabernacle’s frames, crossbars, posts, bases, and all its equipment—all the service for these items,

And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari were the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets, and all its vessels, and all that belongeth thereto,

37 as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes.

And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.

38 Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, before the Tent of Meeting. They were to perform the duties of the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites; but any outsider who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.

But those that encamped before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation toward the rising of the sun, were Moses, and Aaron, and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that came nigh was to be put to death.

39 The total number of Levites that Moses and Aaron counted by their clans at the LORD’s command, including all the males a month old or more, was 22,000.

All that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses numbered with Aaron, at the order of the Lord, according to their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.

40 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the Israelites a month old or more, and list their names.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Number all the first-born males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

41 You are to take the Levites for Me—I am the LORD—in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.”

And thou shalt take the Levites for me, I am the Lord, instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the first-born among the cattle of the children of Israel.

42 So Moses numbered all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him.

And Moses numbered, as the Lord had commanded him, all the first-born among the children of Israel.

43 The total number of the firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.

And all the first-born males, by the numbering of the names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and seventy and three.

44 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

45 “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.

Take the Levites instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the Lord.

46 To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites,

And [for] those that are to be redeemed, the two hundred and seventy and three of the first-born of the children of Israel, who are more than the Levites,

47 you are to collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs.

Thou shalt take five shekels apiece for the poll; after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take, twenty gerahs to the shekel;

48 Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the excess among the Israelites.”

And thou shalt give unto Aaron and to his sons the money, [for] those who are to be redeemed of those that are over the number of them.

49 So Moses collected the redemption money from those in excess of the number redeemed by the Levites.

And Moses took the redemption-money of those that were over in number above those who were redeemed by the Levites:

50 He collected the money from the firstborn of the Israelites: 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.

Of the first-born of the children of Israel did he take the money; a thousand three hundred and sixty and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.

51 And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons in obedience to the word of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.

And Moses gave the money of those who were redeemed unto Aaron and unto his sons, by the order of the Lord; as the Lord had commanded Moses.