1 T hese also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord spake with Moses in mount Sinai.

These are the people of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

2 A nd these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

The names of the sons of Aaron are Nadab the first-born, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

3 T hese are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the chosen religious leaders. Aaron set them apart to work as religious leaders.

4 A nd 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.

But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they made a fire that was not holy to the Lord in the Desert of Sinai. And they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar worked as religious leaders during the life-time of their father Aaron. The Levites Serve in the Meeting Tent

5 A nd the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Then the Lord said to Moses,

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

“Bring the family of Levi near. Set them in front of Aaron the religious leader so they may serve him.

7 A nd 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.

They will do the duties for him and for all the people in front of the meeting tent. They will do the work around the meeting tent,

8 A nd 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.

and will keep all the things that belong to the meeting tent. They will take care of the duties for the people of Israel as they work around the meeting tent.

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

You will give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are all given to him from among the people of Israel.

10 A nd 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.

Set apart Aaron and his sons to do the work of religious leaders. But if anyone comes near who is not a religious leader, he must be put to death.”

11 A nd the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

12 A nd 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;

“See, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every first-born among the people of Israel. The Levites will be Mine.

13 b ecause 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.

For all the first-born are Mine. On the day that I killed all the first-born in the land of Egypt, I set apart for My own all the first-born in Israel, both man and animal. They will be Mine. I am the Lord.” The Levites Are Numbered

14 A nd the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

Then the Lord said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai,

15 N umber 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.

“Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses and by their families. Number every male a month old and older.”

16 A nd Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded.

So Moses numbered them just as he had been told by the word of the Lord.

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

The names of the sons of Levi are Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

18 A nd these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei.

The names of the sons of Gershon by their families are Libni and Shimei.

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

The sons of Kohath by their families are Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

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

The sons of Merari by their families are Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses.

21 O f Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites.

Of Gershon were the families of the Libnites and the Shimeites. These were the families of the Gershonites.

22 T hose 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 number of their men, every male a month old and older, was 7, 500.

23 T he families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.

The families of the Gershonites were to set up their tents behind the meeting tent on the west side.

24 A nd the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.

The leader of the fathers’ houses of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25 A nd 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,

The sons of Gershon were to take care of the meeting tent, its covering, and the curtain for the door of the meeting tent.

26 a nd 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.

And they were to take care of the curtains for the door of the open space, and all curtains around the meeting tent and the altar and their ropes. They did all the work having to do with them.

27 A nd 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.

Of Kohath were the families of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites. These were the families of the Kohathites.

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

The number of every male a month old and older was 8, 600. They did the duties of the holy place.

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

The families of the sons of Kohath were to set up their tents on the south side of the meeting tent.

30 A nd the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

The leader of the fathers’ houses of the Kohathite families was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

31 A nd 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.

They took care of the special box with the Law, and the table, the lamp-stand, the altars, the things used in the holy place, and the curtain. They did all the work having to do with them.

32 A nd 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.

Eleazar, the son of Aaron the religious leader, was the head of the leaders of Levi. He watched over those who did the duties of the holy place.

33 O f Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.

Of Merari were the families of the Mahlites and the Mushites. These were the families of Merari.

34 A nd 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 number of their men, every male a month old and older, was 6, 200.

35 A nd 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.

The leader of the fathers’ houses of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to set up their tents on the north side of the meeting tent.

36 A nd 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,

The duties given to the sons of Merari were to take care of the parts made of wood of the meeting tent, its cross pieces, its pillars, its bases, and all the pieces that had to do with them. They took care of all these things,

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

and of the pillars around the open space and their bases and their nails and their ropes.

38 B ut 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.

Moses and Aaron and his sons were to set up their tents on the east side in front of the meeting tent, toward the sunrise. They did the duties of the meeting tent, whatever had to be done for the people of Israel. But the one who came near who was not a religious leader was to be put to death.

39 A ll 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.

The number of all the Levite men a month old and older, whom Moses and Aaron numbered by their families as the Lord told them, was 22, 000. Levites Take the Place of First-Born Sons

40 A nd 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.

The Lord said to Moses, “Number every first-born male of the sons of Israel a month old and older. Write down their names.

41 A nd 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.

Take the Levites for Me, instead of all the first-born among the sons of Israel. I am the Lord. And take the cattle of the Levites instead of all the first-born among the cattle of the people of Israel.”

42 A nd Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

So Moses numbered all the first-born among the sons of Israel, just as the Lord had told him.

43 A nd 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.

The number of names of all the first-born males a month old and older was 22, 273.

44 A nd the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Then the Lord said to Moses,

45 T ake 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.

“Take the Levites instead of all the first-born sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites. The number of the Levites will be Mine. I am the Lord.

46 A nd 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;

There are 273 first-born of the sons of Israel, who are more in number than the Levites. You must pay the price for each of them.

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

Take five pieces of silver for each, by the weight of silver agreed upon for the meeting tent.

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

Give the money, the price of those who are more in number than the Levites, to Aaron and his sons.”

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

So Moses took the money to pay for those who were more in number than the Levites.

50 o f 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 took the money from the first-born sons of Israel, by the weight agreed upon for the meeting tent. He took 1, 365 pieces of silver.

51 a nd 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.

Then Moses gave the money to Aaron and his sons, just as the Lord had told Moses by His Word.