Numbers 3

1 This is the account of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, then Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3 These were Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests.

4 Nadab and Abihu, however, died in the presence of the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai. And since they had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.

5 Then the LORD said to Moses,

6 “Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.

7 They are to perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, attending to the service of the tabernacle.

8 They shall take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and fulfill obligations for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle.

9 Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been given exclusively to him from among the Israelites.

10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; but any outsider who approaches the tabernacle must be put to death.”

11 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

12 “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,

13 for all the firstborn are Mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They are Mine; I am the LORD.”

14 Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying,

15 “Number the Levites by their families and clans. You are to count every male a month old or more.”

16 So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he had been commanded.

17 These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

18 These were the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei.

19 The sons of Kohath by their clans were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20 And the sons of Merari by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites, according to their families.

21 From Gershon came the Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan; these were the Gershonite clans.

22 The number of all the males a month old or more was 7,500.

23 The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle,

24 and the leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.

25 The duties of the Gershonites at the Tent of Meeting were the tabernacle and tent, its covering, the curtain for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,

26 the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and altar, and the cords—all the service for these items.

27 From Kohath came the clans of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these were the clans of the Kohathites.

28 The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600. They were responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.

29 The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle,

30 and the leader of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.

31 Their duties were the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used with them, and the curtain—all the service for these items.

32 The chief of the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he oversaw those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.

33 From Merari came the clans of the Mahlites and Mushites; these were the Merarite clans.

34 The number of all the males a month old or more was 6,200.

35 The leader of the families of the Merarites was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.

36 The duties assigned to the sons of Merari were the tabernacle’s frames, crossbars, posts, bases, and all its equipment—all the service for these items,

37 as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes.

38 Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, before the Tent of Meeting. They were to perform the duties of the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites; but any outsider who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.

39 The total number of Levites that Moses and Aaron counted by their clans at the LORD’s command, including all the males a month old or more, was 22,000.

40 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the Israelites a month old or more, and list their names.

41 You are to take the Levites for Me—I am the LORD—in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.”

42 So Moses numbered all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him.

43 The total number of the firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.

44 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

45 “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.

46 To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites,

47 you are to collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs.

48 Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the excess among the Israelites.”

49 So Moses collected the redemption money from those in excess of the number redeemed by the Levites.

50 He collected the money from the firstborn of the Israelites: 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.

51 And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons in obedience to the word of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.

1 ¶ These also [are] the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day [that] the LORD spake with Moses in mount Sinai.

2 And these [are] the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and 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.

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 sight of Aaron their father.

5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.

7 And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.

8 And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

9 And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they [are] wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.

10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;

13 Because all the firstborn [are] mine; [for] 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 shall they be: I [am] the LORD.

14 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.

16 And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.

17 And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

18 And these [are] the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei.

19 And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20 And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These [are] the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.

21 Of Gershon [was] the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these [are] the families of the Gershonites.

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.

23 The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.

24 And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites [shall be] Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation [shall be] the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

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 the cords of it for all the service thereof.

27 And of Kohath [was] the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these [are] the families of the Kohathites.

28 In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, [were] eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.

29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward.

30 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites [shall be] Elizaphan the 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 hanging, and all the service thereof.

32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest [shall be] chief over the chief of the Levites, [and have] the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

33 Of Merari [was] the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these [are] 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.

35 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari [was] Zuriel the son of Abihail: [these] shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward.

36 And [under] the custody and 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 vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,

37 And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.

38 But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, [even] before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, [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.

39 All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, [were] twenty and two thousand.

40 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of 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.

42 And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

43 And all the firstborn males by 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.

44 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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.

46 And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites;

47 Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take [them]: (the shekel [is] twenty gerahs:)

48 And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons.

49 And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites:

50 Of 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:

51 And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

1 This is the generation of Aaron and Moses, in the days when the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai.

2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and after him Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, which were anointed priests, and had their hands filled for the priesthood.

4 But Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no sons. And Eleazar and Ithamar kept the priest's office under Aaron their father.

5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying:

6 Bring the tribe of Levi, and set them before Aaron the priest, to minister unto him.

7 And his guard, and the guard of all the congregation, shall wait before the tabernacle of the congregation, and minister in the service of the tabernacle;

8 And wait all the vessels of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to minister in the service of the tabernacle.

9 And thou shalt assign the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons for a present from the children of Israel.

10 And Aaron and his sons shalt thou set to keep their priesthood. Wherever a stranger comes, he shall die.

11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying:

12 Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel for all the firstborn that break the mother among the children of Israel: so the Levites shall be mine.

13 For the firstborn are mine, from the time that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt; and I sanctified unto myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast, that they should be mine, I the LORD.

14 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying:

15 Number the sons of Levi according to their fathers' houses, and according to their families, every male of a month old and upward.

16 So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he commanded.

17 And these were the sons of Levi by name: Gerson, Kahath, Merari.

18 And the names of the sons of Gershon in their generations were: Libni and Shimei.

19 And the sons of Kohath in their generations were: Amram, Jezehar, Hebron and Uzziel.

20 The children of Merari in their generations were: Maheli and Musi. These are the families of Levi after the house of their fathers.

21 These are the families of Gershon: the Libnites and the Simites.

22 The sum of the number of them was seven thousand and five hundred, every male of a month old and upward.

23 And the same family of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle toward the west.

24 Let Eliasaph the son of Lael be their chief.

25 And they shall wait upon the tabernacle of the congregation, even upon the tabernacle, and upon the tabernacle, and upon the covering thereof, and upon the covering of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

26 And the covering of the court, and the covering of the door of the court, which is about the tabernacle, and about the altar, and the cords thereof, and all that pertaineth unto the service thereof.

27 These are the families of Kohath: the Amramites, the Jezeharites, the Hebronites, and the Usielites,

28 And the males, of the age of one month and upward, numbering eight thousand and six hundred, that waited on the guard of the sanctuary.

29 And they shall pitch by the side of the tabernacle toward the south.

30 And let their chief be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

31 And they shall keep the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altar, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, whereon they minister, and the cloth, and all that pertaineth unto the service thereof.

32 But the chief of all the chief of the Levites shall be Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest over them that are appointed to keep the charge of the sanctuary.

33 These are the families of Merari: the Mahelites and the Musites,

34 Which were in number six thousand and two hundred, every male of the age of a month and upward.

35 And Zuriel the son of Abihail shall be their captain. And they shall pitch by the side of the tabernacle northward.

36 And their charge shall be to keep the boards, and the bars, and the pillars, and the feet of the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof, and all the service thereof,

37 And the pillars round about the court with the feet, and the nails, and the cords.

38 And before the tabernacle, and before the tent of the congregation toward the east, Moses, and Aaron, and his sons, shall encamp, to keep the sanctuary, and the children of Israel. And if a stranger come hither, he shall die,

39 All the Levites that were numbered of Moses and Aaron by their families, according to the word of the LORD, even all the males, of the age of one month and upward, were twenty and two thousand.

40 And the LORD said unto Moses, Number every firstborn male of the children of Israel, from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

41 And thou shalt set apart the Levites unto me the LORD for all the firstborn of the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites for all the firstborn of the cattle of the children of Israel,

42 And Moses numbered all the firstborn of the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded him;

43 And the number of the names of all the firstborn that were male, of the age of one month and upward, was found in the sum of them twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and three.

44 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying:

45 Take the Levites for all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites for their cattle; that the Levites may be mine, the LORD'S.

46 But the ransom of the two hundred and seventy and three overlength firstborn of the children of Israel above the Levites' number

47 You shall take five shekels from head to head, according to the shekel of the sanctuary (twenty gerahs is a shekel),

48 And thou shalt give the same money that is above their number unto Aaron and to his sons.

49 And Moses took the ransom, which was above the number of the Levites,

50 Of the firstborn of the children of Israel, a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary,

51 And gave it unto Aaron and to his sons according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.