Numbers 3

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

Now this is the history of the descendants of Aaron and Moses when Yahweh spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

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

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

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.

But Nadab and Abihu fell dead before Yahweh when they offered to him unacceptable fire in the wilderness of Sinai. Nadab and Abihu had no children, so just Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests with Aaron their father.

5 The Lord told Moses,

Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

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 and present them to Aaron the priest for them to help 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.

They must perform the duties on behalf of Aaron and the whole community before the tent of meeting. They must serve in 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.

They must care for all the furnishings in the tent of meeting, and they must help the tribes of Israel to carry out the tabernacle service.

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

You must give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are wholly given to help him serve the people 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.”

You must appoint Aaron and his sons as priests, but any foreigner who comes near must be put to death.”

11 The Lord told Moses,

Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

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

“Look, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel. I have done this instead of taking each firstborn male who is born among the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me.

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.”

All the firstborn belong to me. On the day that I attacked all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both people and animals. They belong to me. I am Yahweh.”

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

Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. He said,

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

“Count the descendants of Levi in each family, in their clans. Count every male who is one month old and older.”

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

Moses counted them, following the word of Yahweh, just as he was commanded to do.

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

The names of Levi's sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

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

The clans coming from Gershon's sons were Libni and Shimei.

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

The clans coming from Kohath's sons were Amram, 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.

The clans coming from Merari's sons were Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, listed clan by clan.

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

The clans of the Libnites and the Shimeites come from Gershon. These are the clans of the Gershonites.

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

All the males from a month old and older were counted, totaling 7,500.

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

The clans of the Gershonites must camp on the west side of the tabernacle.

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

Eliasaph son of Lael must lead the clans of the descendants of the Gershonites.

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,

The family of Gershon must care for the tent of meeting including the tabernacle. They must care for the tent, its covering, and the curtain used as 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.

They must care for the courtyard hangings, the curtain at the courtyard entrance—the courtyard that surrounds the sanctuary and the altar. They must care for the ropes of the tent of meeting and for everything in it.

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

These clans come from Kohath: the clan of the Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan of the Uzzielites. These clans belong to 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.

8,600 males have been counted aged one month old and older to take care of the things that belong to Yahweh.

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

The Kohath clans must camp on the south side of the tabernacle.

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

Elizaphan son of Uzziel must lead the clans of the Kohathites.

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.

They must care for the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the holy things that are used in their service, the curtain, and all the work around it.

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.

Eleazar son of Aaron the priest must lead the men who lead the Levites. He must supervise the men who care for the holy place.

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

Two clans have come from Merari: the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites. These clans have come from Merari.

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

6,200 males have been counted aged one month old and older.

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

Zuriel son of Abihail must lead the clans of Merari. They must camp on the north side of the tabernacle.

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,

The descendants of Merari must care for the framing of the tabernacle, the crossbars, posts, bases, all the hardware, and everything related to them, including

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

the pillars and posts of the courtyard that surround the tabernacle, with their sockets, pegs, and ropes.

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.

Moses and Aaron and his sons must camp on the east side of the tabernacle, in front of the tent of meeting, toward the sunrise. They are responsible for the fulfillment of the duties of the sanctuary and the duties of the people of Israel. Any foreigner who approaches the sanctuary must 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.

Moses and Aaron counted all the males in the clans of Levi who were aged one month old and older, just as Yahweh commanded. They counted twenty-two thousand men.

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

Yahweh said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn males of the people of Israel who are aged one month old and older. List 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.”

You must take the Levites for me—I am Yahweh—instead of all the firstborn of the people of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of the firstborn of the livestock of the descendants of Israel.”

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

Moses counted all the firstborn people of Israel as Yahweh had commanded him to do.

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

He counted all the firstborn males by name, aged one month old and older. He counted 22,273 men.

44 The Lord spoke to Moses and told him,

Again, Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

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 people of Israel, and take the Levites' livestock instead of the people's livestock. The Levites belong to me—I am Yahweh.

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

You must collect five shekels for the redemption of each of the 273 firstborn people of Israel who exceed the number of the Levites.

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

You must use the shekel of the sanctuary as your standard weight. The shekel equals twenty gerahs.

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

You must give the price of redemption that you paid to Aaron and his sons.”

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

So Moses collected the payment of redemption from those who exceeded the number of those redeemed 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).

Moses collected the money from the firstborn of the people of Israel. He collected 1,365 shekels, weighing with 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.

Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons. Moses did everything he was told to do by Yahweh's word, as Yahweh had commanded him.