Numbers 1

1 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,

In April of the year after the Israeli people left Egypt, Yahweh spoke to Moses/me while he/I was in the Sacred Tent, in the Sinai Desert. Yahweh said to him/me,

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

“I want you and Aaron to determine how many Israeli men are able to fight in battles. Write down the names of all the men who are at least 20 years old, and write down the names of their clans and families.

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

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

[I have chosen] one man from each of the tribes to help you to do this. Each one will be a leader of his clan.

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

Their names are: Elizur, the son of Shedeur, from the tribe of Reuben; Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, from the tribe of Simeon; Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah; Nethanel, the son of Zuar, from the tribe of Issachar; Eliab, the son of Helon, from the tribe of Zebulun; Elishama, the son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Joseph’s son Ephraim; Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, from the tribe of Joseph’s son Manasseh; Abidan, the son of Gideoni, from the tribe of Benjamin; Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, from the tribe of Dan; Pagiel, the son of Ocran, from the tribe of Asher; Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, from the tribe of Gad; Ahira, the son of Enan, from the tribe of Naphtali.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Those were the men whom Yahweh chose from the people. They were leaders of their tribes. They were the chief men of the clans of the Israeli people.

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

Aaron and Moses/I summoned all these leaders,

18 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,

and they gathered all of the people together on that same day. They listed/wrote down the names of all the men who were at least 20 years old, and with their names they wrote the names of their clans and their family groups

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

just as Moses/I had commanded. They wrote the names while (the Israelis/we) were there in the Sinai Desert.

20 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

This is a list of the number of men who were at least 20 years old and able to fight in battles, and the names of their tribes: There were 46,500 men from the tribe of Reuben (who was Jacob’s oldest son); there were 59,300 men from the tribe of Simeon; there were 45,560 men from the tribe of Gad; there were 74,600 men from the tribe of Judah; there were 54,400 men from the tribe of Issachar; there were 57,400 men from the tribe of Zebulun; there were 40,500 men from the tribe of Ephraim; there were 32,200 men from the tribe of Manasseh; there were 35,400 men from the tribe of Benjamin; there were 62,700 men from the tribe of Dan; there were 41,500 men from the tribe of Asher; there were 53,400 men from the tribe of Naphtali.

21 from the tribe of Reuben totaled 46,500.

22 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 from the tribe of Simeon totaled 59,300.

24 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 from the tribe of Gad totaled 45,650.

26 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 from the tribe of Judah, totaled 74,600.

28 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 from the tribe of Issachar, totaled 54,400.

30 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 from the tribe of Zebulun, totaled 57,400.

32 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 from the tribe of Ephraim, totaled 40,500.

34 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 from the tribe of Manasseh, totaled 32,200.

36 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 from the tribe of Benjamin, totaled 35,400.

38 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 from the tribe of Dan, totaled 62,700.

40 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 from the tribe of Asher, totaled 41,500.

42 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 from the tribe of Naphtali, totaled 53,400.

44 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.

That was the number of men from each tribe that Aaron and Moses/I and the twelve leaders of the tribes of Israel listed, along with the names of their clans.

45 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 The sum total of those registered was 603,550.

The total was 603,550 men.

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

But this number did not include the names of the men of the tribe of Levi,

48 This was because the Lord had told Moses,

because Yahweh had said to Moses/me,

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

“When you (count/write the names of) the men of the tribes of Israel, do not count the men in the tribe of Levi.

50 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.

Appoint the male descendants of Levi to take care of the Sacred Tent and the chest inside it that contains [the tablets on which are written] the Ten Commandments. They must also take care of the other things that are inside the tent. [When you travel], they are the ones who must carry the tent and all the things that are inside it, and they must take care of it and set up their tents around it.

51 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.

Whenever it is time for all of you to move [to another location], the descendants of Levi are the ones who must dismantle the tent. And when it is time to stop traveling, they are the ones who must set up the Sacred Tent again. Any other person who goes near the Sacred Tent [to do this work] must be executed.

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

The people of each Israeli tribe must set up their tents in their own area, and they must set up a flag/banner that represents their tribe.

53 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.”

But the male descendants of Levi must set up their tents around the Sacred Tent, in order to protect the other Israeli people from being punished [MTY] by Yahweh [for coming close to the Sacred Tent]. The descendants of Levi are the ones who must stand around the Sacred Tent to guard it.”

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

So the Israeli people did everything just like Yahweh had commanded Moses/me.