Numbers 1

1 And YHWH speaks to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year of their going out of the land of Egypt, saying,

On the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai. He said:

2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names—every male by their counted heads;

“Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.

3 from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going out to the host in Israel, you number them by their hosts, you and Aaron;

You and Aaron are to number those who are twenty years of age or older by their divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.

4 and with you there is a man for a tribe, each is a head of the house of his fathers.

And one man from each tribe, the head of each family, must be there with you.

5 And these [are] the names of the men who stand with you: for Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

These are the names of the men who are to assist you: From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

6 for Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

7 for Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;

from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;

8 for Issachar, Nathaneel son of Zuar;

from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;

9 for Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;

from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;

10 for the sons of Joseph: for Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; for Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

11 for Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;

from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;

12 for Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

13 for Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran;

from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran;

14 for Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;

from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;

15 for Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”

and from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”

16 These [are] those called of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers; they [are] heads of the thousands of Israel.

These men were appointed from the congregation; they were the leaders of the tribes of their fathers, the heads of the clans of Israel.

17 And Moses takes—Aaron also—these men, who were defined by name,

So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name,

18 and they assembled all the congregation on the first of the second month, and they declare their births, by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names from a son of twenty years and upward, by their counted heads,

and on the first day of the second month they assembled the whole congregation and recorded their ancestry by clans and families, counting one by one the names of those twenty years of age or older,

19 as YHWH has commanded Moses; and he numbers them in the wilderness of Sinai.

just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So Moses numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai:

20 And the sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn—their births, by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names, by their counted heads, every male from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going out to the host—

From the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

21 their numbered ones, for the tribe of Reuben, are forty-six thousand and five hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.

22 Of the sons of Simeon—their births, by their families, by the house of their fathers, its numbered ones in the number of names, by their counted heads, every male from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going out to the host—

From the sons of Simeon, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

23 their numbered ones, for the tribe of Simeon, [are] fifty-nine thousand and three hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.

24 Of the sons of Gad—their births, by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going out to the host—

From the sons of Gad, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

25 their numbered ones, for the tribe of Gad, [are] forty-five thousand and six hundred and fifty.

those registered to the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.

26 Of the sons of Judah—their births, by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going out to the host—

From the sons of Judah, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

27 their numbered ones, for the tribe of Judah, [are] seventy-four thousand and six hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.

28 Of the sons of Issachar—their births, by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going out to the host—

From the sons of Issachar, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

29 their numbered ones, for the tribe of Issachar, [are] fifty-four thousand and four hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.

30 Of the sons of Zebulun—their births, by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going out to the host—

From the sons of Zebulun, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

31 their numbered ones, for the tribe of Zebulun, [are] fifty-seven thousand and four hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.

32 Of the sons of Joseph: of the sons of Ephraim—their births, by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going out to the host—

From the sons of Joseph: From the sons of Ephraim, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

33 their numbered ones, for the tribe of Ephraim, [are] forty thousand and five hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500.

34 Of the sons of Manasseh—their births, by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going out to the host—

And from the sons of Manasseh, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

35 their numbered ones, for the tribe of Manasseh, [are] thirty-two thousand and two hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.

36 Of the sons of Benjamin—their births, by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going out to the host—

From the sons of Benjamin, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

37 their numbered ones, for the tribe of Benjamin, [are] thirty-five thousand and four hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.

38 Of the sons of Dan—their births, by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going out to the host—

From the sons of Dan, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

39 their numbered ones, for the tribe of Dan, [are] sixty-two thousand and seven hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.

40 Of the sons of Asher—their births, by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going out to the host—

From the sons of Asher, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

41 their numbered ones, for the tribe of Asher, [are] forty-one thousand and five hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.

42 Of the sons of Naphtali—their births, by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going out to the host—

From the sons of Naphtali, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

43 their numbered ones, for the tribe of Naphtali, [are] fifty-three thousand and four hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.

44 These [are] those numbered, whom Moses numbered—Aaron also—and the princes of Israel, twelve men, each one has been [the representative] for the house of his fathers.

These were the men numbered by Moses and Aaron, with the assistance of the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family.

45 And they are, all those numbered of the sons of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going out to the host in Israel,

So all the Israelites twenty years of age or older who could serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families.

46 indeed, all those numbered are six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

And all those counted totaled 603,550.

47 And the Levites, for the tribe of their fathers, have not numbered themselves in their midst,

The Levites, however, were not numbered along with them by the tribe of their fathers.

48 seeing YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,

For the LORD had said to Moses:

49 “Only the tribe of Levi you do not number, and you do not take up their census in the midst of the sons of Israel;

“Do not number the tribe of Levi in the census with the other Israelites.

50 and you, appoint the Levites over the Dwelling Place of the Testimony, and over all its vessels, and over all that it has; they carry the Dwelling Place, and all its vessels, and they serve it; and they encamp around the Dwelling Place.

Instead, you are to appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its articles, care for it, and camp around it.

51 And in the journeying of the Dwelling Place, the Levites take it down, and in the encamping of the Dwelling Place, the Levites raise it up; and the stranger who is coming near is put to death.”

Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to be pitched, the Levites are to set it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death.

52 And the sons of Israel have encamped, each by his camp, and each by his standard, by their hosts;

The Israelites are to camp by their divisions, each man in his own camp and under his own standard.

53 and the Levites encamp around the Dwelling Place of the Testimony; and there is no wrath on the congregation of the sons of Israel, and the Levites have kept the charge of the Dwelling Place of the Testimony.

But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

54 And the sons of Israel do according to all that YHWH has commanded Moses; so they have done.

Thus the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.