Numbers 3
1 And these [are] births of Aaron and Moses, in the day of Jehovah's speaking 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: the first-born Nadab, 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 anointed priests, whose hand he hath consecrated for acting as priest.
These were the names of Aaron's sons who were anointed and ordained to serve as priests.
4 And Nadab dieth — Abihu also — before Jehovah, in their bringing near strange fire before Jehovah, in the wilderness of Sinai, and sons they had not; and Eleazar — Ithamar also — acteth as priest 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 Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
The Lord told Moses,
6 'Bring near the tribe of Levi, and thou hast caused it to stand before Aaron the priest, and they have served him,
“Gather the tribe of Levi together and present them to Aaron the priest to help him with the ministry.
7 and kept his charge, and the charge of all the company 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 have kept all the vessels of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sons 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 hast given the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are surely given to him out of the sons 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 thou dost appoint, and they have kept their priesthood, and the stranger who cometh near is 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 Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
The Lord told Moses,
12 'And I, lo, I have taken the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel instead of every first-born opening a womb among the sons of Israel, and the Levites have been Mine;
“I've taken the Levites from the Israelites in place of every one of their firstborn. The Levites belong to me
13 for Mine [is] every first-born, in the day of My smiting every first-born in the land of Egypt I have sanctified to Myself every first-born in Israel, from man unto beast; Mine they are; I [am] Jehovah.'
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 Jehovah speaketh unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert. He told him,
15 'Number the sons of Levi by the house of their fathers, by their families; every male from a son of a month and upward thou dost number them.'
“Register the Levites by their father's line and family. Count every male aged one month or older.”
16 And Moses numbereth them according to the command of Jehovah, as he hath been commanded.
So Moses registered them following the Lord's instructions, just as he had been told.
17 And these are 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, [are] 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 [are] Mahli and Mushi; these are the families of the Levites, by the house of their fathers.
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 [is] the family of the Libnite, and the family of the Shimite; these are the families of the Gershonite.
The family of Libni and the family of Shimei came from Gershon. These were the families of Gershon.
22 Their numbered ones, in number, every male from a son of a month and upward, their numbered ones [are] seven thousand and five hundred.
The total of all males aged one month or older was 7,500.
23 The families of the Gershonite, behind the tabernacle, do encamp westward.
The camp of families of Gerson was to the west, behind the Tabernacle.
24 And the prince of a father's house for the Gershonite [is] Eliasaph 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 [is] the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the vail at the opening 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 vail at the opening of the court, which [is] by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and its cords, to all its service.
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 [is] the family of the Amramite, and the family of the Izharite, and the family of the Hebronite, and the family of the Uzzielite; these are families of the Kohathite.
The families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel came from Kohath. These were the families of Kohath.
28 In number, all the males, from a son of a month and upward, [are] 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 encamp by 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 a father's house for the families of the Kohathite [is] Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
The leader of the Kohath families was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31 And their charge [is] the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary with which they serve, and the vail, and all its service.
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 [to] the prince of the princes of the Levites, Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, [is] the oversight of the keepers of 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 [is] the family of the Mahlite, and the family of the Mushite; 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 their numbered ones, in number, all the males from a son of a month and upward, [are] six thousand and two hundred.
The total of all males aged one month or older was 6,200.
35 And the prince of a father's house for the families of Merari [is] Zuriel son of Abihail; by the side of the tabernacle they encamp 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 oversight — the charge of the sons of Merari — [is] the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets, and all its vessels, and all its service,
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 encamping before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting, at the east, [are] Moses and Aaron, and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the sons of Israel, and the stranger who cometh near is 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 those numbered of the Levites whom Moses numbered — Aaron also — by the command of Jehovah, by their families, every male from a son of a month and upward, [are] two and twenty 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 Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Number every first-born male of the sons of Israel from a son of a month and upward, and take up 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 hast taken the Levites for Me (I [am] Jehovah), instead of every first-born among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of every firstling among the cattle of the sons 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 numbereth, as Jehovah hath commanded him, all the first-born among the sons 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 — male — by the number of names, from a son of a month and upward, of their numbered ones, are two and twenty 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 Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
The Lord spoke to Moses and told him,
45 'Take the Levites instead of every first-born among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites have been Mine; I [am] Jehovah.
“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 [from] those ransomed of the two hundred and seventy and three (who are more than the Levites) of the first-born of the sons of Israel,
In order to buy back the 273 firstborn Israelites who are more than the number of Levites,
47 thou hast even taken five shekels a-piece by the poll — by the shekel of the sanctuary thou takest; twenty gerahs the shekel [is];
collect five shekels for each of them, (using the sanctuary shekel standard of twenty gerahs).
48 and thou hast given the money to Aaron, and to his sons, whereby those over and above are ransomed.'
He handed the money over to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra Israelites.”
49 And Moses taketh the ransom money from those over and above those ransomed 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 first-born of the sons of Israel he hath taken the money, a thousand and three hundred and sixty and five — by 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 giveth the money of those ransomed to Aaron, and to his sons, according to the command of Jehovah, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.
Moses gave this redemption money to Aaron and his sons as the Lord had told him to, following the Lord's instructions.
