1 N ow these are the generations of Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

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

2 T hese are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, 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 who were anointed, whom Aaron consecrated and ordained 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 B ut 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. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the presence and under the supervision 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 said to Moses,

Then the Lord said to Moses,

6 B ring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to 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 carry out his instructions and the duties connected with the whole assembly before the Tent of Meeting, doing 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 and furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and take charge of the Israelites, to serve in 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 you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the Israelites.

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 you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall observe and attend to their priest’s office; but the excluded who comes near 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 said to Moses,

The Lord said to Moses,

12 B ehold, I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites; and 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 F or all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast; Mine they shall 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 said to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai,

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

15 N umber the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses and by families. Every male from a month old and upward you shall number.

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

16 S o Moses numbered them as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.

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

17 T hese were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, 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 T he sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

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

20 T he sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses.

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 were the families of the Libnites and of the Shimeites. 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 he males who were numbered of them from a month old and upward totaled 7, 500.

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

23 T he families of the Gershonites were to encamp behind the tabernacle on the west,

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

24 T he leader of the fathers’ houses of the Gershonites being Eliasaph son of Lael.

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

25 A nd the responsibility of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting was to be the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, and the hangings for the door of the Tent of Meeting,

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, the curtain for the door of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, its cords, and all the service pertaining to them.

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 O f Kohath were the families of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and 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 T he number of all the males from a month old and upward totaled 8, 600, attending to the duties 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 were to encamp on the south side of the tabernacle,

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

30 T he chief of the fathers’ houses of the families of the Kohathites being Elizaphan son of Uzziel.

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

31 T heir charge was to be the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen, and all the service having to do with these.

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 E leazar son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, and have the oversight of those who had 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 were the families of the Mahlites and 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 T heir number of all the males from a month old and upward totaled 6, 200.

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

35 A nd the head of the fathers’ houses of the families of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail; the Merarites were to encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.

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 the appointed charge of the sons of Merari was the boards or frames of the tabernacle, and its bars, pillars, sockets or bases, and all the accessories or instruments of it, and all the work connected with them,

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 surrounding court and their sockets or bases, with their pegs and their cords.

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

38 B ut those to encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, before the Tent of Meeting, toward the sunrise, were to be Moses and Aaron and his sons, keeping the full charge of the rites of the sanctuary in whatever was required for the Israelites; and the excluded who came near was to 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 the Levites whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the command of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were 22, 000.

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 to Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the Israelites 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 Y ou shall take the Levites for Me instead of all the firstborn among the Israelites. I am the Lord; and you shall take the cattle of the Levites for Me instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the Israelites.

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 S o Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the firstborn Israelites.

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

43 B ut all the firstborn males from a month old and upward as numbered were 22, 273.

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

44 A nd the Lord said to Moses,

Then the Lord said to Moses,

45 T ake the Levites instead of all the firstborn Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle 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 273 who are to be redeemed of the firstborn of the Israelites who outnumber 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 Y ou shall take five shekels apiece, reckoning by the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs; you shall collect them,

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

48 A nd you shall give the ransom silver from the excess number to be redeemed to Aaron and his sons.

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

49 S o Moses took the redemption money from those who were left over from the number who were redeemed by the Levites.

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

50 F rom the firstborn of the Israelites he took the money, 1, 365 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 from those who were ransomed to Aaron and his sons, 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.