Numbers 3
1 Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spake with Moses in 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; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, 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 which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office.
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 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.
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 spake unto Moses, saying,
The Lord told Moses,
6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto 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 meeting, 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 furniture of the tent of meeting, 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: they are wholly given unto him on the behalf 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 thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood: 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 spake unto Moses, saying,
The Lord told Moses,
12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn 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 for all the firstborn are mine; 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 they shall 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 spake 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 by their fathers’ houses, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
“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 word of the LORD, as he was 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 Kohath, 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 by their families; Libni and Shimei.
These were the names of the Gershon's sons by family: Libni and Shimei.
19 And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
Kohath's sons by family 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 their fathers’ houses.
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 was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites: these are the families of the Gershonites.
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, 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 total of all males aged one month or older was 7,500.
23 The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.
The camp of families of Gerson was to the west, behind the Tabernacle.
24 And the prince of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph 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 tent of meeting shall be the tabernacle, and the Tent, the covering thereof, and the screen for the door of the tent of meeting,
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 screen 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 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 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 families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel came from Kohath. These were the families of Kohath.
28 According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there 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 Kohath shall pitch 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 fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
The leader of the Kohath families 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 screen, and all the service thereof.
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 Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be prince of the princes 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 was in charge of those responsible for serving in the sanctuary.
33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, 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, according to the number 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 prince of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: they shall pitch 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 the appointed 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 instruments thereof, and all the service thereof;
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 And those that pitch before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, 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.
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, which 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.
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 firstborn 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 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.
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 commanded him, all the firstborn 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 firstborn 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.
The sum total of the firstborn males a month old or more, registered by name, was 22,273.
44 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
The Lord spoke to Moses and told him,
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.
“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 the redemption of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are over and above [the number of] 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 by the poll; after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs):
collect five shekels for each of them, (using the sanctuary shekel standard of twenty gerahs).
48 and thou shalt give the money wherewith the odd number of them is redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons.
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 from them that were over and above them that 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 from 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 given on behalf of the Israelites' firstborn children. It came to 1,365 shekels, (using the sanctuary shekel standard).
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.
Moses gave this redemption money to Aaron and his sons as the Lord had told him to, following the Lord's instructions.
