Numbers 3

1 Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in mount Sinai.

These are the generations of Aaron and Moses, in the day when the Lord spoke to Moses on mount Sinai.

2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the first-born, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

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

3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests that were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed and whose hands were filled and consecrated in order to exercise the priesthood.

4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children; and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the presence of Aaron their father.

For Nadab and Abihu died without children, when they offered, in the sight of the Lord, a strange fire, in the desert of Sinai. And so, Eleazar and Ithamar exercised the priesthood in the sight of Aaron, their father.

5 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

6 'Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.

“Bring forward the tribe of Levi, and cause them to stand in the sight of Aaron the priest, in order to minister to him. And let them keep watch outside,

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

and let them observe whatever pertains to the ritual for the multitude, in front of the tabernacle of the testimony,

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

and let them take care of the vessels of the tabernacle, serving in its ministry.

9 And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given unto him from the children of Israel.

And you shall give the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons; for they have been delivered to them by the sons of Israel.

10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, that they may keep their priesthood; and the common man that draweth nigh shall be put to death.'

But you shall appoint Aaron and his sons over the service of the priesthood. The outsider who approaches to minister shall be put to death.”

11 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

12 'And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every first-born that openeth the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be Mine;

“I have taken the Levites from the sons of Israel. For the Levites, and all the firstborn who open the womb among the sons of Israel, shall be mine.

13 for all the first-born are Mine: on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast, Mine they shall be: I am the LORD.'

For every firstborn is mine. From the time that I struck the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I have sanctified for myself whatever is born first in Israel. From man, even to beast, they are mine. I am the Lord.”

14 And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying:

And the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying:

15 'Number the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families; every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.'

“Number the sons of Levi by the houses of their fathers and their families, every male from one month and above.”

16 And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.

Moses numbered them, just as the Lord had instructed,

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

and there were found the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.

18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei.

19 And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

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

The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.

21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites; these are the families of the Gershonites.

From Gershon were two families: the Libnites, and the Shimeites.

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

The people of these were numbered, of the male sex, from one month and above: seven thousand five hundred.

23 The families of the Gershonites were to pitch behind the tabernacle westward;

These shall encamp behind the tabernacle, toward the west,

24 the prince of the fathers' house of the Gershonites being Eliasaph the son of Lael,

under the leader Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25 and the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting the tabernacle, and the Tent, the covering thereof, and the screen for the door of the tent of meeting,

And they shall keep watch over the tabernacle of the covenant:

26 and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court — which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar, round about—and the cords of it, even whatsoever pertaineth to the service thereof.

the tabernacle itself, and its covering; the tent that is drawn before the doors of the covering of the covenant; and the curtains of the atrium; likewise, the tent that is suspended at the entrance of the atrium of the tabernacle; and whatever pertains to the ritual of the altar; the cords of the tabernacle and all its implements.

27 And of Kohath was 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:

The kinship of Kohath includes the peoples of the Amramites and Izharites and Hebronites and Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites, having been counted by their names,

28 according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, eight thousand and six hundred, keepers of the charge of the sanctuary.

all those of the male gender, from one month and above: eight thousand six hundred. They shall keep watch over the Sanctuary,

29 The families of the sons of Kohath were to pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward;

and they shall encamp toward the south side.

30 the prince of the fathers' house of the families of the Kohathites being Elizaphan the son of Uzziel,

And their leader shall be Elisaphan the son of Uzziel.

31 and their charge the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith the priests minister, and the screen, and all that pertaineth to the service thereof;

And they shall take care of the ark, and the table and the lampstand, the altars and the vessels of the Sanctuary, by which they minister, and the veil, and all the articles of this kind.

32 Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest being prince of the princes of the Levites, and having the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

But the leader of the leaders of the Levites, Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, shall be over those who watch over the care of the Sanctuary.

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

And truly, from Merari are the peoples of the Mahlites and Mushites, having been counted by their names,

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

all those of the male gender, from one month and above: six thousand two hundred.

35 the prince of the fathers' house of the families of Merari being Zuriel the son of Abihail; they were to pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward;

Their leader is Suriel the son of Abihaiel. They shall make camp on the north side.

36 the appointed charge of the sons of Merari being the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the instruments thereof, and all that pertaineth to the service thereof;

Under their care shall be the panels of the tabernacle, and the bars, and the columns with their bases, and all the things which pertain to service of this kind,

37 and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.

and the columns of the surrounding atrium with their bases, and the tent pegs with their cords.

38 And those that were to pitch before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, were Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary, even the charge for the children of Israel; and the common man that drew nigh was to be put to death.

Moses and Aaron, with their sons, shall make camp before the tabernacle of the covenant, that is, on the east side, holding the custody of the Sanctuary in the midst of the sons of Israel. Whatever foreigner approaches it shall die.

39 All that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.

All the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered by their families according to the precept of the Lord, of the male gender, from one month and above, were twenty-two thousand.

40 And the LORD said unto 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.

And the Lord said to Moses: “Number the firstborn of the male sex from the sons of Israel, from one month and above, and you shall take their total.

41 And thou shalt take the Levites for Me, even the LORD, instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.'

And you shall bring the Levites to me, in place of all the firstborn of the sons of Israel, and you shall bring their cattle to me, in place of all the firstborn of the cattle of the sons of Israel. I am the Lord.”

42 And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the first-born among the children of Israel.

Moses took a census, just as the Lord had instructed, of the firstborn of the sons of Israel.

43 And all the first-born males according to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.

And the males by their names, from one month and above, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.

44 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

45 'Take the Levites instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be Mine, even the LORD'S.

“Take the Levites, in place of the firstborn of the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites, in place of their cattle, and so the Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord.

46 And as for the redemption of the two hundred and three score and thirteen of the first-born of the children of Israel, that are over and above the number of the Levites,

But for the price of the two hundred and seventy-three, which exceed the number of the Levites compared to the number of firstborn of the sons of Israel,

47 thou shalt take five shekels apiece by the poll; after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them — the shekel is twenty gerahs.

you shall take five shekels for each head, by the measure of the Sanctuary. A shekel has twenty obols.

48 And thou shalt give the money wherewith they that remain over of them are redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons.'

And you shall give the money to Aaron and his sons as the price of those that are in excess.”

49 And Moses took the redemption-money from them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites;

Therefore, Moses took the money for those that were in excess, and whom they had redeemed from the Levites

50 from the first-born of the children of Israel took he the money: a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.

in place of the firstborn of the sons of Israel: one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, according to the weight of the Sanctuary.

51 And Moses gave the redemption-money unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

And he gave it to Aaron and his sons, according to the word by which the Lord had instructed him.