1 ¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the testimony, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they were come 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 the sum of all the congregation of the sons of Israel by their families, by the houses of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls,

“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 that are able to go forth to war in Israel; thou and Aaron shall number them by their hosts.

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 of every tribe, every one head of the house of his fathers.

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 that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben, Elizur, the 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, the son of Zurishaddai;

Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel from Simeon,

7 o f Judah, Nahshon, the son of Amminadab;

Amminadab’s son Nahshon from Judah,

8 o f Issachar, Nethaneel, the son of Zuar;

Zuar’s son Nethanel from Issachar,

9 o f Zebulun, Eliab, the son of Helon;

and Helon’s son Eliab from Zebulun.

10 o f the sons of Joseph, of Ephraim, Elishama, the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel, the 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, the son of Gideoni;

There will be Gideoni’s son Abidan from Benjamin,

12 o f Dan, Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai;

Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer from Dan,

13 o f Asher, Pagiel, the son of Ocran;

Ochran’s son Pagiel from Asher,

14 o f Gad, Eliasaph, the son of Deuel;

Deuel’s son Eliasaph from Gad,

15 o f Naphtali, Ahira, the son of Enan;

and Enan’s son Ahira from Naphtali.”

16 t hese were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, captains of the thousands of Israel.

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

17 ¶ And Moses and Aaron took these men who were designated by their names,

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

18 a nd they assembled all the congregation together on the first of the second month, and they were gathered by their lineages, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls,

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 had commanded Moses; and 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 A nd the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth 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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

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

22 O f the sons of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, those that were numbered of him, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth 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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

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

24 O f the sons of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth 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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

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

26 O f the sons of Judah, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth 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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Judah, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

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

28 O f the sons of Issachar, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth 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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

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

30 O f the sons of Zebulun, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth 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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

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

32 O f the sons of Joseph: of the sons of Ephraim, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth 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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand five hundred; and

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

34 o f the sons of Manasseh, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth 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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

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

36 O f the sons of Benjamin, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth 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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

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

38 O f the sons of Dan, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth 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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

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

40 O f the sons of Asher, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth 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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty-one thousand five hundred.

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

42 O f the sons of Naphtali, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth 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 that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

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

44 ¶ These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the twelve princes of Israel, one man for each house of his fathers.

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

45 S o were all those that were numbered of the sons of Israel, by the houses of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth 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 those that were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

The number of all the men was 603, 550.

47 ¶ But the Levites according to the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.

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

48 F or the LORD had spoken unto Moses, saying,

For the Lord had told Moses,

49 O nly thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the sons of Israel;

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

50 B ut thou shalt place the Levites in the tabernacle of the testimony and over all the vessels thereof and over all things that belong to it; they shall bear the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister in it and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.

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 A nd when the tabernacle departs, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger that comes near 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 A nd the sons of Israel shall pitch their tents, each man by his own camp and each man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.

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 pitch round about the tabernacle of the testimony that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the sons of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the 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 A nd the sons of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.

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