Numbers 1

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sina, in the tabernacle of witness, on the first day of the second month, in the second year of their departure from the land of Egypt, saying,

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 Take the sum of all the congregation of Israel according to their kindred, according to the houses of their fathers' families, according to their number by their names, according to their heads: every male

“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 from twenty years old and upwards, every one that goes forth in the forces of Israel, take account of them with their strength; you and Aaron take account of them.

4 And with you there shall be each one of the rulers according to the tribe of each: they shall be according to the houses of their families.

[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 And these are the names of the men who shall be present with you; of the tribe of Ruben, Elisur the son of Sediur.

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 Of Symeon, Salamiel the son of Surisadai.

7 Of Juda, Naasson the son of Aminadab.

8 Of Issachar, Nathanael the son of Sogar.

9 Of Zabulon, Eliab the son of Chaelon.

10 Of the sons of Joseph, of Ephraim, Elisama the son of Emiud: of Manasses, Gamaliel the son of Phadasur.

11 Of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gadeoni.

12 Of Dan, Achiezer the son of Amisadai.

13 Of Aser, Phagaiel the son of Echran.

14 Of Gad, Elisaph the son of Raguel.

15 Of Nephthali, Achire the son of Aenan.

16 These were famous men of the congregation, heads of the tribes according to their families: these are heads of thousands in 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 And Moses and Aaron took these men who were called by name.

Aaron and Moses/I summoned all these leaders,

18 And they assembled all the congregation on the first day of the month in the second year; and they registered them after their lineage, after their families, after the number of their names, from twenty years old and upwards, every male according to their number:

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 commanded Moses, so they were numbered in the wilderness of Sina.

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

20 And the sons of Ruben the firstborn of Israel according to their kindred, according to their divisions, according to the houses of their families, according to the number of their names, according to their heads, were—all males from twenty years old and upward, every one that went out with the host—

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 the numbering of them of the tribe of Ruben, was forty-six thousand and four hundred.

22 For the children of Symeon according to their kindred, according to their divisions, according to the houses of their families, according to the number of their names, according to their polls, all males from twenty years old and upward, every one that goes out with the host,

23 the numbering of them of the tribe of Symeon, was fifty-nine thousand and three hundred.

24 For the sons of Juda according to their kindred, according to their divisions, according to the houses of their families, according to the number of their names, according to their polls, all males from twenty years old and upward, every one that goes forth with the host,

25 the numbering of them of the tribe of Juda, was seventy-four thousand and six hundred.

26 For the sons of Issachar according to their kindred, according to their divisions, according to the houses of their families, according to the number of their names, according to their polls, all males from twenty years old and upward, every one that goes forth with the host,

27 the numbering of them of the tribe of Issachar, was fifty-four thousand and four hundred.

28 For the sons of Zabulon according to their kindred, according to their divisions, according to the houses of their families, according to the number of their names, according to their polls, all males from twenty years old and upward, every one that goes out with the host,

29 the numbering of them of the tribe of Zabulon, was fifty-seven thousand and four hundred.

30 For the sons of Joseph, the sons of Ephraim, according to their kindred, according to their divisions, according to the houses of their families, according to the number of their names, according to their polls, all males from twenty years old and upward, every one that goes out with the host,

31 the numbering of them of the tribe of Ephraim, was forty thousand and five hundred.

32 For the sons of Manasse according to their kindred, according to their divisions, according to the houses of their families, according to the number of their names, according to their polls, all males from twenty years old and upward, every one that goes out with the host,

33 the numbering of them of the tribe of Manasse, was thirty-two thousand and two hundred.

34 For the sons of Benjamin according to their kindred, according to their divisions, according to the houses of their families, according to the number of their names, according to their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, every one that goes forth with the host,

35 the numbering of them of the tribe of Benjamin, was thirty-five thousand and four hundred.

36 For the sons of Gad according to their kindred, according to their divisions, according to the houses of their families, according to the number of their names, according to their polls, all males from twenty years old and upward, every one that goes forth with the host,

37 the numbering of them of the tribe of Gad, was forty and five thousand and six hundred and fifty.

38 For the sons of Dan according to their kindred, according to their divisions, according to the houses of their families, according to the number of their names, according to their polls, all males from twenty years old and upward, every one that goes forth with the host,

39 the numbering of them of the tribe of Dan, was sixty and two thousand and seven hundred.

40 For the sons of Aser according to their kindred, according to their divisions, according to the houses of their families, according to the number of their names, according to their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, every one that goes forth with the host,

41 the numbering of them of the tribe of Aser, was forty and one thousand and five hundred.

42 For the sons of Nephthali according to their kindred, according to their divisions, according to the houses of their families, according to the number of their names, according to their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, every one who goes forth with the host,

43 the numbering of them of the tribe of Nephthali, was fifty-three thousand and four hundred.

44 This is the numbering which Moses and Aaron and the rulers of Israel, being twelve men, conducted: there was a man for each tribe, they were according to the tribe of the houses of 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 And the whole numbering of the children of Israel with their host from twenty years old and upward, every one that goes out to set himself in battle array in Israel, came to

46 six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

The total was 603,550 men.

47 But the Levites of the tribe of their family were not counted among the children of Israel.

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

48 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

because Yahweh had said to Moses/me,

49 See, you shall not muster the tribe of Levi, and you shall not take their numbers, in the midst of the children of Israel.

“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 And do you set the Levites over the tabernacle of witness, and over all its furniture, and over all things that are in it; and they shall do service in it, and they shall encamp round about the tabernacle.

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 And in removing the tabernacle, the Levites shall take it down, and in pitching the tabernacle they shall set it up: and let the stranger that advances [to touch it] die.

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 And the children of Israel shall encamp, every man in his own order, and every man according to his company, with their host.

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 let the Levites encamp round about the tabernacle of witness fronting it, and [so] there shall be no sin among the children of Israel; and the Levites themselves shall keep the guard of the tabernacle of witness.

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 And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

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