Numbers 3
1 And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses, on the day that the Lord spoke with Moses on mount Sinai.
This is the account concerning Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.
2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: the firstborn Nadab, and Abihu, Elazar, and Ithamar.
The names of the sons of Aaron were: Nadab (firstborn), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests that were anointed, who were consecrated to minister as priests.
These were the names of Aaron's sons who were anointed and ordained to serve as priests.
4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord, when they offered a strange fire before the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Elazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the life-time of Aaron their father.
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.
5 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
The Lord told Moses,
6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present the same before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.
“Gather the tribe of Levi together and present them to Aaron the priest to help him with the ministry.
7 And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.
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.
8 And they shall keep all the vessels of the tent of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
They are responsible for caring for all the furniture of the Tent of Meeting, serving the Israelites through what they do in the Tabernacle.
9 And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: as associates are they given unto him out of the children of Israel.
The Levites are to work exclusively for Aaron and his sons of because this is their assignment among the Israelites.
10 And Aaron and his sons shalt thou instruct, that they shall guard well their priest's office; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
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.”
11 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
The Lord told Moses,
12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from the midst of 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've taken the Levites from the Israelites in place of every one of their firstborn. The Levites belong to me
13 Because mine is every first-born; on the day when I smote every first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me every first-born in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be; I am the Lord.
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.”
14 And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert. He told him,
15 Number the children of Levi after their divisions, by their families; every male of them from a month old and upward shalt thou number.
“Register the Levites by their father's line and family. Count every male aged one month or older.”
16 And Moses numbered them according to the order of the Lord, as he had been commanded.
So Moses registered them following the Lord's instructions, just as he had been told.
17 And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kehath, and Merari.
These were the names of Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon after their families: Libni, and Shimi.
These were the names of the Gershon's sons by family: Libni and Shimei.
19 And the sons of Kehath after their families: 'Amram, and Yizhar, Chebron, and 'Uzziel.
Kohath's sons by family were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20 And the sons of Merari after their families: Machli, and Mushi; these are the families of the Levites according to their family divisions.
Merari's sons by family were Mahli and Mushi. These were the families of the Levites, according to their father's line.
21 Of Gershon: the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites; these are the families of the Gershunites.
The family of Libni and the family of Shimei came from Gershon. These were the families of Gershon.
22 Those that were numbered of them, by the numbering of all the males from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them, were seven thousand and five hundred.
The total of all males aged one month or older was 7,500.
23 The families of the Gershunites used to encamp behind the tabernacle, westward.
The camp of families of Gerson was to the west, behind the Tabernacle.
24 And the prince of the family division of the Gershunites was Elyassaph the son of Lael.
The leader of the Gershon families was Eliasaph, son of Lael.
25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation was the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
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,
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 its cords for all the service thereof.
the courtyard curtains, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the Tabernacle and altar, the ropes, and everything connected with their use.
27 And of Kehath: the family of the 'Amramites, and the family of the Yizharites, and the family of the Chebronites, and the family of the 'Uzzielites; these are the families of the Kehathites.
The families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel came from Kohath. These were the families of Kohath.
28 By the numbering of all the males, from a month old and upward, they were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
The total of all males aged one month or older was 8,600. Their assigned responsibility was to take care of the sanctuary.
29 The families of the sons of Kehath used to encamp on the side of the tabernacle, southward.
The camp of families of Kohath was on the south side of the Tabernacle.
30 And the prince of the division of the families of the Kehathites was Elizaphan the son of 'Uzziel.
The leader of the Kohath families was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31 And their charge was the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary which are used for the service, and the vail, and all belonging thereto.
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.
32 And the chief over the princes of the Levites was Elazar the son of Aaron the priest, having the oversight of those that kept the charge of the sanctuary.
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.
33 Of Merari: the family of the Machlites, and the family of the Mushites; these are the families of Merari.
The family of Mahli and the family of Mushi came from Merari. These were the families of Merari.
34 And those that were numbered of them, by the numbering of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.
The total of all males aged one month or older was 6,200.
35 And the chief of the division of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abichayil: they used to encamp on the side of the tabernacle, northward.
The leader of the Merari families was Zuriel, son of Abihail. Their camp was on the north side of the Tabernacle.
36 And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari were the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets, and all its vessels, and all that belongeth thereto,
Their assigned responsibility was to take care of the Tabernacle's frames, crossbars, posts, stands, all its equipment, and everything connected with their use,
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 stands, tent pegs, and ropes.
38 But those that encamped before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation toward the rising of the sun, were Moses, and Aaron, and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that came nigh was to be put to death.
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.
39 All that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses numbered with Aaron, at the order of the Lord, according to their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.
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.
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.
The Lord told Moses, “Conduct a census of all the firstborn Israelite males aged one month or older, and register their names.
41 And thou shalt take the Levites for me, I am the Lord, instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the first-born among the cattle of the children of Israel.
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.”
42 And Moses numbered, as the Lord had commanded him, all the first-born among the children of Israel.
Moses conducted a census of all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the Lord had instructed him.
43 And all the first-born males, by the numbering of the names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and seventy and three.
The sum total of the firstborn males a month old or more, registered by name, was 22,273.
44 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
The Lord spoke to Moses and told him,
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: I am the Lord.
“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.
46 And [for] those that are to be redeemed, the two hundred and seventy and three of the first-born of the children of Israel, who are more than the Levites,
In order to buy back the 273 firstborn Israelites who are more than the number of Levites,
47 Thou shalt take five shekels apiece for the poll; after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take, twenty gerahs to the shekel;
collect five shekels for each of them, (using the sanctuary shekel standard of twenty gerahs).
48 And thou shalt give unto Aaron and to his sons the money, [for] those who are to be redeemed of those that are over the number of them.
He handed the money over to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra Israelites.”
49 And Moses took the redemption-money of those that were over in number above those who were redeemed by the Levites:
Moses collected the redemption money for those extra Israelites that were more than the number redeemed by the Levites.
50 Of the first-born of the children of Israel did he take the money; a thousand three hundred and sixty and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
He collected the money given on behalf of the Israelites' firstborn children. It came to 1,365 shekels, (using the sanctuary shekel standard).
51 And Moses gave the money of those who were redeemed unto Aaron and unto his sons, by the order of the Lord; as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Moses gave this redemption money to Aaron and his sons as the Lord had told him to, following the Lord's instructions.
