Numbers 1

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

The Lord spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting while they were in the Sinai desert. This was on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites had left Egypt. He told him,

2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, every male, one by one,

“Census all the Israelites according to their tribe and family. Count every man and keep a record of each individual's name.

3 from twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go out to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall count them by their divisions.

Those aged twenty or older who can do military service are to be registered by you and Aaron in their Israelite army divisions.

4 With you there shall be a man of every tribe, each one head of his fathers’ house.

A representative from each tribe, the head of a family, must be there with you.

5 These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: Of Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur.

These are the names of the men who will work with you: From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur, son of Shedeur;

6 Of Simeon: Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

from the tribe of Simeon, Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai;

7 Of Judah: Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

from the tribe of Judah, Nahshon, son of Amminadab;

8 Of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar.

from the tribe of Issachar, Nethanel, son of Zuar;

9 Of Zebulun: Eliab the son of Helon.

from the tribe of Zebulun, Eliab, son of Helon;

10 Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim: Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

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

11 Of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni.

from the tribe of Benjamin, Abidan, son of Gideoni;

12 Of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

from the tribe of Dan, Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai;

13 Of Asher: Pagiel the son of Ochran.

from the tribe of Asher, Pagiel, son of Ocran;

14 Of Gad: Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

from the tribe of Gad, Eliasaph, son of Deuel;

15 Of Naphtali: Ahira the son of Enan.”

and from the tribe of Naphtali, Ahira, son of Enan.”

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

These were the men chosen from the Israelite community. They were the leaders of their fathers' tribes; the heads of the families of Israel.

17 Moses and Aaron took these men who are mentioned by name.

Moses and Aaron summoned these men who had been selected by name.

18 They assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they declared their ancestry by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, one by one.

They had all the Israelites gather together on the first day of the second month, and recorded the people's genealogy according to their tribe and family, and counted up the names of all those aged twenty or older,

19 As Yahweh commanded Moses, so he counted them in the wilderness of Sinai.

as the Lord had told Moses to do. Moses conducted this census in the Sinai desert.

20 The children of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war:

The descendants of Reuben, (he was Israel's firstborn son), men aged twenty or over, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

21 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

from the tribe of Reuben totaled 46,500.

22 Of the children of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, those who were counted of it, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war:

The descendants of Simeon, men aged twenty or over, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

23 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

from the tribe of Simeon totaled 59,300.

24 Of the children of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war:

The descendants of Gad, men aged twenty or over, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

25 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.

from the tribe of Gad totaled 45,650.

26 Of the children of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war:

The descendants of Judah, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

27 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Judah, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

from the tribe of Judah, totaled 74,600.

28 Of the children of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war:

The descendants of Issachar, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

29 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

from the tribe of Issachar, totaled 54,400.

30 Of the children of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war:

The descendants of Zebulun, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

31 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

from the tribe of Zebulun, totaled 57,400.

32 Of the children of Joseph: of the children of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war:

The descendants of Joseph: the descendants of Ephraim, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

33 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand five hundred.

from the tribe of Ephraim, totaled 40,500.

34 Of the children of Manasseh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war:

And the descendants of Manasseh, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

35 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

from the tribe of Manasseh, totaled 32,200.

36 Of the children of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war:

The descendants of Benjamin, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

37 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

from the tribe of Benjamin, totaled 35,400.

38 Of the children of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war:

The descendants of Dan, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

39 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

from the tribe of Dan, totaled 62,700.

40 Of the children of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war:

The descendants of Asher, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

41 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty-one thousand five hundred.

from the tribe of Asher, totaled 41,500.

42 Of the children of Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war:

The descendants of Naphtali, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

43 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

from the tribe of Naphtali, totaled 53,400.

44 These are those who were counted, whom Moses and Aaron counted, and the twelve men who were princes of Israel, each one for his fathers’ house.

These were the totals of the men counted and registered by Moses and Aaron, with the help of the twelve leaders of Israel, who each represented their family.

45 So all those who were counted of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war in Israel—

In this way all the Israelite men aged twenty or older who were able to serve in Israel's army were registered according to their families.

46 all those who were counted were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.

The sum total of those registered was 603,550.

47 But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not counted among them.

However, the Levites were not registered with the others according to their tribe and families.

48 For Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

This was because the Lord had told Moses,

49 “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not count, neither shall you take a census of them among the children of Israel;

“Don't register the tribe of Levi; don't count them in the census with the other Israelites.

50 but appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it.

Put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle and of the Testimony, as well as all its furniture and everything it contains. They are the ones responsible for carrying the Tabernacle and all its items. They are to care for it, and to make their camp around it.

51 When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.

When it's time to move the Tabernacle, the Levites shall take it down, and when it's time to make camp, the Levites shall put it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death.

52 The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their divisions.

The Israelites are to make camp according to their tribal divisions, each person in their own camp under their own flag.

53 But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel. The Levites shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony.”

But the Levites are to set up their camp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony to stop anyone making me angry with the Israelites. The Levites are responsible for looking after the Tabernacle of the Testimony.”

54 Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, so they did.

The Israelites did everything that the Lord ordered Moses that they should do.