1 T he Lord 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 came out of the land of Egypt, saying,

The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert, in the meeting tent on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt. The Lord said,

2 T ake a census of all the males of the congregation of the Israelites by families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head.

“Number all the people of Israel, by their families, by those of their fathers’ houses. Write down the names of every male, head by head,

3 F rom twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go forth to war you and Aaron shall number, company by company.

twenty years old and older. You and Aaron number by their armies whoever in Israel is able to go out to war.

4 A nd with you there shall be a man from each tribe, each being the head of his father’s house.

A man from each family should be with you to help you. Each one should be the head of his father’s house.

5 A nd these are the names of the men who shall attend you: Of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

These are the names of the men who will help you: Shedeur’s son Elizur from Reuben,

6 O f Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel from Simeon,

7 O f Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;

Amminadab’s son Nahshon from Judah,

8 O f Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;

Zuar’s son Nethanel from Issachar,

9 O f Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;

and Helon’s son Eliab from Zebulun.

10 O f the sons of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

From the sons of Joseph there will be Ammihud’s son Elishama from Ephraim, and Pedahzur’s son Gamaliel from Manasseh.

11 O f Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;

There will be Gideoni’s son Abidan from Benjamin,

12 O f Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer from Dan,

13 O f Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran;

Ochran’s son Pagiel from Asher,

14 O f Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;

Deuel’s son Eliasaph from Gad,

15 O f Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.

and Enan’s son Ahira from Naphtali.”

16 T hese were those chosen from the congregation, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, heads of thousands in Israel.

These were the ones chosen from the people. They were the leaders of their fathers’ families, the heads of thousands in Israel.

17 A nd Moses and Aaron took these men who have been named,

Moses and Aaron took these men who had been chosen by name.

18 A nd assembled all the congregation on the first day of the second month, and they declared their ancestry after their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head,

And they gathered all the people together on the first day of the second month. The people gave their names by families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names from twenty years old and older, head by head.

19 A s the Lord commanded Moses. So he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai.

They did just as the Lord had told Moses. So he numbered them in the desert of Sinai.

20 T he sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

The sons of Reuben, Israel’s first-born, were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war.

21 T hose of the tribe of Reuben numbered 46, 500.

The number of the family of Reuben was 46, 500.

22 O f the sons of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, those numbered of them according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

The sons of Simeon were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war.

23 T hose of the tribe of Simeon numbered 59, 300.

The number of the family of Simeon was 59, 300.

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

The sons of Gad were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war.

25 T hose of the tribe of Gad numbered 45, 650.

The number of the family of Gad was 45, 650.

26 O f the sons of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

The sons of Judah were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war.

27 T hose of the tribe of Judah numbered 74, 600.

The number of the family of Judah was 74, 600.

28 O f the sons of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

The sons of Issachar were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war.

29 T hose of the tribe of Issachar numbered 54, 400.

The number of the family of Issachar was 54, 400.

30 O f the sons of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

The sons of Zebulun were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war.

31 T hose of the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57, 400.

The number of the family of Zebulun was 57, 400.

32 O f the sons of Joseph: the sons of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

The sons of Joseph, the sons of Ephraim, were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war.

33 T hose of the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40, 500.

The number of the family of Ephraim was 40, 500.

34 O f the sons of Manasseh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

The sons of Manasseh were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war.

35 T hose of the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32, 200.

The number of the family of Manasseh was 32, 200.

36 O f the sons of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

The sons of Benjamin were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war.

37 T hose of the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35, 400.

The number of the family of Benjamin was 35, 400.

38 O f the sons of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

The sons of Dan were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war.

39 T hose of the tribe of Dan numbered 62, 700.

The number of the family of Dan was 62, 700.

40 O f the sons of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

The sons of Asher were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war.

41 T hose of the tribe of Asher numbered 41, 500.

The number of the family of Asher was 41, 500.

42 O f the sons of Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

The sons of Naphtali were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war.

43 T hose of the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53, 400.

The number of the family of Naphtali was 53, 400.

44 T hese were numbered by Moses and Aaron, and the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each representing his father’s house.

These were numbered by Moses and Aaron, and the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each chosen from his father’s house.

45 S o all those numbered of the Israelites, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, able to go to war in Israel,

All the men of Israel were numbered by their fathers’ houses, twenty years old and older, whoever in Israel was able to go out to war.

46 A ll who were numbered were 603, 550.

The number of all the men was 603, 550.

47 B ut the Levites by their fathers’ tribe were not numbered with them.

But the Levites by their fathers’ family were not numbered with them.

48 F or the Lord had said to Moses,

For the Lord had told Moses,

49 O nly the tribe of Levi you shall not number in the census of the Israelites.

“Only the family of Levi should not be numbered. Do not add their number among the sons of Israel.

50 B ut appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its vessels and furnishings and all things that belong to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall minister to it and encamp around it.

But have the Levites take care of the meeting tent of the Law, and all that is in it, and all that belongs to it. They will carry the meeting tent and all that goes in it. They will take care of it, and set up their tents around it.

51 W hen the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And the excluded who approach the tabernacle shall be put to death.

When the meeting tent is to be moved, the Levites will take it down. When the meeting tent is brought to a place to stay, the Levites will set it up. If anyone else comes near, he must be put to death.

52 T he Israelites shall pitch their tents by their companies, every man by his own camp and every man by his own standard.

The people of Israel will set up their tents by their own groups and armies, each man by his own flag.

53 B ut the Levites shall encamp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath upon the congregation of the Israelites; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony.

But the Levites will set up their tents around the meeting tent of the Law. Then no anger will come upon the people of Israel. The Levites must take care of the meeting tent of the Law.”

54 T hus did the Israelites; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they did.

So the people of Israel did this. They did everything the Lord had told Moses.