Numbers 1

1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after their departure from the land of Egypt, saying,

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 sum of the whole assembly of the children of Israel, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, every male, according to their polls;

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

3 from twenty years and upward, all that go forth to military service in Israel: ye shall number them according to their hosts, thou 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 with you there shall be a man for every tribe, a man who is the head of his father's house.

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

5 And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: for 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 for Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;

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

7 for Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;

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

8 for Issachar, Nethaneel the son of Zuar;

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

9 for Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;

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

10 for the children of Joseph: for Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; for 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 for Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;

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

12 for Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;

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

13 for Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran;

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

14 for Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;

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

15 for Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.

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

16 These were those summoned of the assembly, princes of the tribes of their fathers, the heads of the thousands 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 who are expressed by their names,

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

18 and gathered the whole assembly together on the first of the second month. And they declared their pedigrees after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, according to their polls.

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 Jehovah had commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

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

20 And the sons of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, according to their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

from the tribe of Reuben totaled 46,500.

22 Of the sons of Simeon: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, those that were numbered of them, by the number of the names, according to their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

from the tribe of Simeon totaled 59,300.

24 Of the sons of Gad: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

from the tribe of Gad totaled 45,650.

26 Of the sons of Judah: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Judah, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

from the tribe of Judah, totaled 74,600.

28 Of the sons of Issachar: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

from the tribe of Issachar, totaled 54,400.

30 Of the sons of Zebulun: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

from the tribe of Zebulun, totaled 57,400.

32 Of the sons of Joseph: of the children of Ephraim: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand five hundred.

from the tribe of Ephraim, totaled 40,500.

34 Of the children of Manasseh: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

from the tribe of Manasseh, totaled 32,200.

36 Of the sons of Benjamin: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

from the tribe of Benjamin, totaled 35,400.

38 Of the sons of Dan: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

from the tribe of Dan, totaled 62,700.

40 Of the sons of Asher: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty-one thousand five hundred.

from the tribe of Asher, totaled 41,500.

42 Of the sons of Naphtali: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

from the tribe of Naphtali, totaled 53,400.

44 These are those that were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, the twelve men: each one was for the house of his fathers.

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 And all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, according to their fathers' houses, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service in Israel,

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 all they that were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

The sum total of those registered was 603,550.

47 But the Levites after 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 Jehovah had spoken to Moses, saying,

This was because the Lord had told Moses,

49 Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them 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 thou, appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all its vessels; and they shall serve it, and round about the tabernacle shall they encamp;

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 tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encampeth, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger that cometh near shall 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 And the children of Israel shall encamp every man in his camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their hosts;

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 shall encamp round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there come not wrath upon the assembly of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of 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 And the children of Israel did so; according to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses, so did they.

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