Numbers 1

1 And the Lord said to Moses in the waste land of Sinai, in the Tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they came out of the land of Egypt,

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 the full number of the children of Israel, by their families, and by their fathers' houses, every male by name;

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

3 All those of twenty years old and over, who are able to go to war in Israel, are to be numbered by you and Aaron.

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 to give you help, take one man from every tribe, the head of his father's house.

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

5 These are the names of those who are to be your helpers: from Reuben, Elizur, the 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, the son of Zurishaddai;

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

7 From Judah, Nahshon, the son of Amminadab;

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

8 From Issachar, Nethanel, the son of Zuar;

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

9 From Zebulun, Eliab, the son of Helon;

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

10 Of the children of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama, the son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel, the 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, the son of Gideoni;

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

12 From Dan, Ahiezer, the son of Ammi-shaddai;

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

13 From Asher, Pagiel, the son of Ochran;

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

14 From Gad, Eliasaph, the son of Reuel;

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

15 From Naphtali, Ahira, the son of Enan.

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

16 These are the men named out of all the people, chiefs of their fathers' houses, heads of the tribes 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 And Moses and Aaron took these men, marked out by name;

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

18 And they got together all the people on the first day of the second month; and everyone made clear his family and his father's house, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and over.

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 As the Lord had given orders to Moses, so they were numbered by him in the waste place of Sinai.

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

20 The generations of the sons of Reuben, the oldest son of Israel, were numbered by their families and their fathers' houses, every male of twenty years old and over, who was able to go to war;

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 Forty-six thousand, five hundred of the tribe of Reuben were numbered.

from the tribe of Reuben totaled 46,500.

22 The generations of the sons of Simeon were numbered by their families and their fathers' houses, every male of twenty years old and over, who was able to go to war;

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 Fifty-nine thousand, three hundred of the tribe of Simeon were numbered.

from the tribe of Simeon totaled 59,300.

24 The generations of the sons of Gad were numbered by their families and their fathers' houses, every male of twenty years old and over who was able to go to war;

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 Forty-five thousand, six hundred and fifty of the tribe of Gad were numbered.

from the tribe of Gad totaled 45,650.

26 The generations of the sons of Judah were numbered by their families and their fathers' houses, every male of twenty years old and over who was able to go to war;

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 Seventy-four thousand, six hundred of the tribe of Judah were numbered.

from the tribe of Judah, totaled 74,600.

28 The generations of the sons of Issachar were numbered by their families and their fathers' houses, every male of twenty years old and over who was able to go to war;

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 Fifty-four thousand, four hundred of the tribe of Issachar were numbered.

from the tribe of Issachar, totaled 54,400.

30 The generations of the sons of Zebulun were numbered by their families and their fathers' houses, every male of twenty years old and over who was able to go to war;

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 Fifty-seven thousand, four hundred of the tribe of Zebulun were numbered.

from the tribe of Zebulun, totaled 57,400.

32 The generations of the sons of Joseph were numbered by their families and their fathers' houses, every male of twenty years old and over who was able to go to war;

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 Forty thousand, five hundred of the tribe of Ephraim were numbered.

from the tribe of Ephraim, totaled 40,500.

34 The generations of the sons of Manasseh were numbered by their families and their fathers' houses, every male of twenty years old and over who was able to go to war;

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 Thirty-two thousand, two hundred of the tribe of Manasseh were numbered.

from the tribe of Manasseh, totaled 32,200.

36 The generations of the sons of Benjamin were numbered by their families and their fathers' houses, every male of twenty years old and over who was able to go to war;

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 Thirty-five thousand, four hundred of the tribe of Benjamin were numbered.

from the tribe of Benjamin, totaled 35,400.

38 The generations of the sons of Dan were numbered by their families and their fathers' houses, every male of twenty years and over who was able to go to war;

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 Sixty-two thousand, seven hundred of the tribe of Dan were numbered.

from the tribe of Dan, totaled 62,700.

40 The generations of the sons of Asher were numbered by their families and their fathers' houses, every male of twenty years old and over who was able to go to war;

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 Forty-one thousand, five hundred of the tribe of Asher were numbered.

from the tribe of Asher, totaled 41,500.

42 The generations of the sons of Naphtali were numbered by their families and their fathers' houses, every male of twenty years old and over who was able to go to war;

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 Fifty-three thousand, four hundred of the tribe of Naphtali were numbered.

from the tribe of Naphtali, totaled 53,400.

44 These are they who were numbered by Moses and Aaron and by the twelve chiefs of Israel, one from every tribe.

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 those who were numbered of the children of Israel, by their families, all those of twenty years old and over who were able to go to war,

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 Were six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty.

The sum total of those registered was 603,550.

47 But the Levites, of the tribe of their fathers, were not numbered among them.

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

48 For the Lord said to Moses,

This was because the Lord had told Moses,

49 Only the tribe of Levi is not to be numbered among the children of Israel,

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

50 But to them you are to give the care of the Tent of meeting with its vessels and everything in it: they are to take up the Tent, and be responsible for everything to do with it, and put up their tents round 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 And when the Tent of meeting goes forward, the Levites are to take it down; and when it is to be put up, they are to do it: any strange person who comes near it is to 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 children of Israel are to put up their tents, every man in his tent-circle round his flag.

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

53 But the tents of the Levites are to be round the Tent of meeting, so that wrath may not come on the children of Israel: the Tent of meeting is to be in the care of the Levites.

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 So the children of Israel did as the Lord had given orders to Moses.

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