Numbers 3

1 This is the account concerning Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.

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

2 The names of the sons of Aaron were: Nadab (firstborn), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

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

3 These were the names of Aaron's sons who were anointed and ordained to serve as priests.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, who were consecrated to exercise the priesthood.

4 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.

And Nadab and Abihu died before Jehovah when they offered strange fire before Jehovah in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons; and Eleazar and Ithamar exercised the priesthood in the presence of Aaron their father.

5 The Lord told Moses,

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

6 “Gather the tribe of Levi together and present them to Aaron the priest to help him with the ministry.

Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him;

7 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.

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

8 They are responsible for caring for all the furniture of the Tent of Meeting, serving the Israelites through what they do in the Tabernacle.

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

9 The Levites are to work exclusively for Aaron and his sons of because this is their assignment among the Israelites.

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

10 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.”

And Aaron and his sons shalt thou appoint that they may attend to their priest's office; and the stranger that cometh near shall be put to death.

11 The Lord told Moses,

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

12 “I've taken the Levites from the Israelites in place of every one of their firstborn. The Levites belong to me

And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn that breaketh open the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine;

13 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.”

for every firstborn is mine. On the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and beast; mine shall they be: I am Jehovah.

14 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert. He told him,

And Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

15 “Register the Levites by their father's line and family. Count every male aged one month or older.”

Number the sons of Levi according to their fathers' houses, after their families; every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.

16 So Moses registered them following the Lord's instructions, just as he had been told.

And Moses numbered them, according to the commandment of Jehovah, — as he had been commanded.

17 These were the names of Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

And these are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

18 These were the names of the Gershon's sons by family: Libni and Shimei.

And these are the names of the sons of Gershon according to their families: Libni and Shimei.

19 Kohath's sons by family were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

And the sons of Kohath according to their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

20 Merari's sons by family were Mahli and Mushi. These were the families of the Levites, according to their father's line.

And the sons of Merari according to their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' houses.

21 The family of Libni and the family of Shimei came from Gershon. These were the families of Gershon.

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

22 The total of all males aged one month or older was 7,500.

Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, those that were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred.

23 The camp of families of Gerson was to the west, behind the Tabernacle.

The families of the Gershonites encamped behind the tabernacle westward.

24 The leader of the Gershon families was Eliasaph, son of Lael.

And the prince of the father's house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25 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,

And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting was: the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the curtain of the entrance to the tent of meeting.

26 the courtyard curtains, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the Tabernacle and altar, the ropes, and everything connected with their use.

And the hangings of the court, and the curtain of the entrance to the court, which surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and the cords thereof for all its service.

27 The families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel came from Kohath. These were the families of Kohath.

And of Kohath, the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.

28 The total of all males aged one month or older was 8,600. Their assigned responsibility was to take care of the sanctuary.

According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, who kept the charge of the sanctuary.

29 The camp of families of Kohath was on the south side of the Tabernacle.

The families of the sons of Kohath encamped on the side of the tabernacle southward.

30 The leader of the Kohath families was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.

And the prince of the father's house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

31 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.

And their charge was the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, and the curtain, and all that belongs to its service.

32 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.

And the prince of princes of the Levites was Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest: he had the oversight of them that kept the charge of the sanctuary.

33 The family of Mahli and the family of Mushi came from Merari. These were the families of Merari.

Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.

34 The total of all males aged one month or older was 6,200.

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

35 The leader of the Merari families was Zuriel, son of Abihail. Their camp was on the north side of the Tabernacle.

And the prince of the father's house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They encamped on the side of the tabernacle northward.

36 Their assigned responsibility was to take care of the Tabernacle's frames, crossbars, posts, stands, all its equipment, and everything connected with their use,

And the charge of the sons of Merari consisted in the oversight of the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its bases, and all its furniture, and all that belongs to its service,

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

and the pillars of the court round about, and their bases, and their pegs, and their cords.

38 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.

And those who encamped before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, were Moses, and Aaron and his sons, who kept the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh near shall be put to death.

39 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.

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

40 The Lord told Moses, “Conduct a census of all the firstborn Israelite males aged one month or older, and register their names.

And Jehovah said to 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 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.”

And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am Jehovah) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites, instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.

42 Moses conducted a census of all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the Lord had instructed him.

And Moses numbered, as Jehovah had commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

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

And all the firstborn males, by the number of the names, from a month old and upward, according to their numbering, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

44 The Lord spoke to Moses and told him,

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

45 “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.

Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am Jehovah.

46 In order to buy back the 273 firstborn Israelites who are more than the number of Levites,

And for those that are to be ransomed, the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are in excess over the Levites,

47 collect five shekels for each of them, (using the sanctuary shekel standard of twenty gerahs).

thou shalt take five shekels apiece by the poll, according to the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them, — twenty gerahs the shekel;

48 He handed the money over to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra Israelites.”

and thou shalt give the money unto Aaron and unto his sons for those in excess among them who are to be ransomed.

49 Moses collected the redemption money for those extra Israelites that were more than the number redeemed by the Levites.

And Moses took the ransom-money from them that were over and above those who were ransomed by the Levites;

50 He collected the money given on behalf of the Israelites' firstborn children. It came to 1,365 shekels, (using the sanctuary shekel standard).

of the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, a thousand three hundred and sixty-five [shekels], according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

51 Moses gave this redemption money to Aaron and his sons as the Lord had told him to, following the Lord's instructions.

And Moses gave the money of them that were ransomed to Aaron and to his sons, according to the commandment of Jehovah, — as Jehovah had commanded Moses.