Numbers 3
1 These are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord spoke to Moses in mount Sinai.
This is the account concerning Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.
2 And these the names of the sons of Aaron: his firstborn Nadab, then Abiu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar.
The names of the sons of Aaron were: Nadab (firstborn), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 These the names of the sons of Aaron the priests that were anointed, and whose hands were filled and consecrated, to do the functions of priesthood.
These were the names of Aaron's sons who were anointed and ordained to serve as priests.
4 Now Nadab and Abiu died, without children, when they offered strange fire before the Lord, in the desert of Sinai: and Eleazar and Ithamar performed the priestly office in the presence of Aaron their father.
Nadab and Abihu died in the Lord's presence when they offered forbidden fire before the Lord in the Sinai desert. Since they didn't have any sons, Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests while their father Aaron was alive.
5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
The Lord told Moses,
6 Bring the tribe of Levi, and make them stand in the sight of Aaron the priest to minister to him, and let them watch,
“Gather the tribe of Levi together and present them to Aaron the priest to help him with the ministry.
7 And observe whatsoever appertaineth to the service of the multitude before the tabernacle of the testimony,
They are to carry out duties on his behalf and for all the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting, looking after the service of the Tabernacle.
8 And let them keep the vessels of the tabernacle, serving in the ministry thereof.
They are responsible for caring for all the furniture of the Tent of Meeting, serving the Israelites through what they do in the Tabernacle.
9 And thou shalt give the Levites for a gift,
The Levites are to work exclusively for Aaron and his sons of because this is their assignment among the Israelites.
10 To Aaron and to his sons, to whom they are delivered by the children of Israel. But thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons over the service of priesthood. The stranger that approacheth to minister, shall be put to death.
You are to appoint Aaron and his sons to have the responsibility of the priesthood. Anyone else who tries to act as a priest must be executed.”
11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
The Lord told Moses,
12 I have taken the Levites from the children of Israel, for every firstborn that openeth the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.
“I've taken the Levites from the Israelites in place of every one of their firstborn. The Levites belong to me
13 For every firstborn is mine: since I struck the firstborn in the land of Egypt: I have sanctified to myself whatsoever is firstborn in Israel both of man and beast, they are mine: I am the Lord.
because all the firstborn are mine. When I killed every firstborn in Egypt I set apart as holy to me all the firstborn of Israel, human and animal. They are mine. I am the Lord.”
14 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying:
The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert. He told him,
15 Number the sons of Levi by the houses of their fathers and their families, every male from one month and upward.
“Register the Levites by their father's line and family. Count every male aged one month or older.”
16 Moses numbered them as the Lord had commanded.
So Moses registered them following the Lord's instructions, just as he had been told.
17 And there were found sons of Levi by their names, Gerson and Caath and Merari.
These were the names of Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18 The sons of Gerson: Lebni and Semei.
These were the names of the Gershon's sons by family: Libni and Shimei.
19 The sons of Caath: Amram, and Jesaar, Hebron and Oziel:
Kohath's sons by family were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20 The sons of Merari: Moholi and Musi.
Merari's sons by family were Mahli and Mushi. These were the families of the Levites, according to their father's line.
21 Of Gerson were two families, the Lebnites, and the Semeites:
The family of Libni and the family of Shimei came from Gershon. These were the families of Gershon.
22 Of which were numbered, people of the male sex from one month and upward, seven thousand five hundred.
The total of all males aged one month or older was 7,500.
23 These shall pitch behind the tabernacle on the west,
The camp of families of Gerson was to the west, behind the Tabernacle.
24 Under their prince Eliasaph the son of Lael.
The leader of the Gershon families was Eliasaph, son of Lael.
25 And their charge shall be in the tabernacle of the covenant:
Their assigned responsibility for the Tent of Meeting was to take care of the Tabernacle and tent, its covering, the curtain at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting,
26 The tabernacle itself and the cover thereof, the hanging that is drawn before the doors of the tabernacle of the covenant, and the curtains of the court: the hanging also that is hanged in the entry of the court of the tabernacle, and whatsoever belongeth to the rite of the altar, the cords of the tabernacle, and all the furniture thereof.
the courtyard curtains, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the Tabernacle and altar, the ropes, and everything connected with their use.
27 Of the kindred of Caath come the families of the Amramites and Jesaarites and Hebronites and Ozielites. These are the families of the Caathites reckoned up by their names:
The families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel came from Kohath. These were the families of Kohath.
28 All of the male sex from one month and upward, eight thousand six hundred: they shall have the guard of the sanctuary,
The total of all males aged one month or older was 8,600. Their assigned responsibility was to take care of the sanctuary.
29 And shall camp on the south side.
The camp of families of Kohath was on the south side of the Tabernacle.
30 And their prince shall be Elisaphan the son of Oziel:
The leader of the Kohath families was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31 And they shall keep the ark, and the table and the candlestick, the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary, wherewith they minister, and the veil, and all the furniture of this kind.
Their assigned responsibility was to care for the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used with them, the veil, and everything connected with these items.
32 And the prince of the princes of the Levites, Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, shall be over them that watch for the guard of the sanctuary.
The chief of the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest. He was in charge of those responsible for serving in the sanctuary.
33 And of Merari are the families of the Moholites, and Musites, reckoned up by their names:
The family of Mahli and the family of Mushi came from Merari. These were the families of Merari.
34 All of the male kind from one month and upward, six thousand two hundred.
The total of all males aged one month or older was 6,200.
35 Their prince Suriel the son of Abihaiel: they shall camp on the north side.
The leader of the Merari families was Zuriel, son of Abihail. Their camp was on the north side of the Tabernacle.
36 Under their custody shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars, and the pillars and their sockets, and all things that pertain to this kind of service:
Their assigned responsibility was to take care of the Tabernacle's frames, crossbars, posts, stands, all its equipment, and everything connected with their use,
37 And the pillars of the court round about with their sockets, and the pins with their cords.
as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their stands, tent pegs, and ropes.
38 Before the tabernacle of the covenant, that is to say on the east side, shall Moses and Aaron camp, with their sons, having the custody of the sanctuary, in the midst of the children of Israel. What stranger soever cometh unto it, shall be put to death.
The camp of Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons was to the east of the Tabernacle, in the direction of the sunrise, in front of the Tent of Meeting. They were responsible for the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who tried to act as a priest was to be executed.
39 All the Levites, that Moses and Aaron numbered according to the precept of the Lord, by their families, of the male kind from one month and upward, were twenty-two thousand.
The sum total of Levites registered by Moses and Aaron as the Lord ordered was 22,000. This included all males aged one month or older.
40 And the Lord said to Moses: Number the firstborn of the male sex of the children of Israel, from one month and upward, and thou shalt take the sum of them.
The Lord told Moses, “Conduct a census of all the firstborn Israelite males aged one month or older, and register their names.
41 And thou shalt take the Levites to me for all the firstborn of the children of Israel, I am the Lord: and their cattle for all the firstborn of the cattle of the children of Israel:
Assign the Levites to me. I am the Lord. They are in place of all of the Israelites' firstborn children. The livestock of the Levites are in place of all the Israelites' firstborn livestock.”
42 Moses reckoned up, as the Lord had commanded, the firstborn of the children of Israel:
Moses conducted a census of all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the Lord had instructed him.
43 And the males by their names, from one month and upward, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
The sum total of the firstborn males a month old or more, registered by name, was 22,273.
44 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saving:
The Lord spoke to Moses and told him,
45 Take the Levites for the firstborn of the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites for their cattle, and the Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord.
“You are to take the Levites in place of all the firstborn children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock, because the Levites belong to me. I am the Lord.
46 But for the price of the two hundred and seventy-three, of the firstborn of the children of Israel, that exceed the number of the Levites,
In order to buy back the 273 firstborn Israelites who are more than the number of Levites,
47 Thou shalt take five sides for every head, according to the weight of the sanctuary. A sicle hath twenty obols.
collect five shekels for each of them, (using the sanctuary shekel standard of twenty gerahs).
48 And then shalt give the money to Aaron and his sons, the price of them that are above.
He handed the money over to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra Israelites.”
49 Moses therefore took the money of them that were above, and whom they had redeemed from the Levites,
Moses collected the redemption money for those extra Israelites that were more than the number redeemed by the Levites.
50 For the firstborn of the children of Israel, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five sicles, according to the weight of the sanctuary,
He collected the money given on behalf of the Israelites' firstborn children. It came to 1,365 shekels, (using the sanctuary shekel standard).
51 And gave it to Aaron and his sons, according to the word that the Lord had commanded him.
Moses gave this redemption money to Aaron and his sons as the Lord had told him to, following the Lord's instructions.
