Numbers 3

1 THESE also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord spake with Moses in mount Sinai.

This is the account of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

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

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

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

These were Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests.

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 sight of Aaron their father.

Nadab and Abihu, however, died in the presence of the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai. And since they had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.

5 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Then the LORD said to Moses,

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

“Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.

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

They are to perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, attending to the service of the tabernacle.

8 And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

They shall take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and fulfill obligations for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle.

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

Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been given exclusively to him from among the Israelites.

10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; but any outsider who approaches the tabernacle must be put to death.”

11 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;

“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,

13 Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the Lord.

for all the firstborn are Mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They are Mine; I am the LORD.”

14 And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying,

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

“Number the Levites by their families and clans. You are to count every male a month old or more.”

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

So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he had been commanded.

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

These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

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

These were the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei.

19 And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

The sons of Kohath by their clans were Amram, 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 the house of their fathers.

And the sons of Merari by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites, according to their families.

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

From Gershon came the Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan; these were the Gershonite clans.

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 number of all the males a month old or more was 7,500.

23 The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.

The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle,

24 And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.

and the leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.

25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

The duties of the Gershonites at the Tent of Meeting were the tabernacle and tent, its covering, the curtain for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,

26 And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.

the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and altar, and the cords—all the service for these items.

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

From Kohath came the clans of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these were the clans of the Kohathites.

28 In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.

The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600. They were responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.

29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward.

The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle,

30 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

and the leader of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.

31 And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.

Their duties were the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used with them, and the curtain—all the service for these items.

32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

The chief of the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he oversaw those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.

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

From Merari came the clans of the Mahlites and Mushites; these were the Merarite clans.

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.

The number of all the males a month old or more was 6,200.

35 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward.

The leader of the families of the Merarites was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.

36 And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,

The duties assigned to the sons of Merari were the tabernacle’s frames, crossbars, posts, bases, and all its equipment—all the service for these items,

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

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

38 But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, before the Tent of Meeting. They were to perform the duties of the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites; but any outsider who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.

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

The total number of Levites that Moses and Aaron counted by their clans at the LORD’s command, including all the males a month old or more, was 22,000.

40 And the Lord said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the Israelites a month old or more, and list their names.

41 And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the Lord) 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.

You are to take the Levites for Me—I am the LORD—in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.”

42 And Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

So Moses numbered all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him.

43 And all the firstborn males by 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.

The total number of the firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.

44 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

45 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 the Lord.

“Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.

46 And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites;

To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites,

47 Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs: )

you are to collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs.

48 And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons.

Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the excess among the Israelites.”

49 And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites:

So Moses collected the redemption money from those in excess of the number redeemed by the Levites.

50 Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:

He collected the money from the firstborn of the Israelites: 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.

51 And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons in obedience to the word of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.