1 N ow the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had 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 “ Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually,

“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 above—all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.

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 every tribe, each one 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 “ These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: from Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;

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

6 f rom Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;

Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel from Simeon,

7 f rom Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;

Amminadab’s son Nahshon from Judah,

8 f rom Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar;

Zuar’s son Nethanel from Issachar,

9 f rom Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;

and Helon’s son Eliab from Zebulun.

10 f rom the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; from 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 f rom Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;

There will be Gideoni’s son Abidan from Benjamin,

12 f rom Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;

Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer from Dan,

13 f rom Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran;

Ochran’s son Pagiel from Asher,

14 f rom Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;

Deuel’s son Eliasaph from Gad,

15 f rom Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.”

and Enan’s son Ahira from Naphtali.”

16 T hese were chosen from the congregation, leaders of their fathers’ tribes, heads of the divisions 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 T hen Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned by name,

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

18 a nd they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they recited their ancestry by families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, each one individually.

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 N ow the children of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, 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 who were numbered of the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.

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

22 F rom the children of Simeon, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, of those who were numbered, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, 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 who were numbered of the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

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

24 F rom the children of Gad, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, 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 who were numbered of the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

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

26 F rom the children of Judah, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were 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 who were numbered of the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

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

28 F rom the children of Issachar, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were 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 who were numbered of the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

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

30 F rom the children of Zebulun, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were 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 who were numbered of the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

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

32 F rom the sons of Joseph, the children of Ephraim, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were 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 who were numbered of the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.

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

34 F rom the children of Manasseh, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were 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 who were numbered of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

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

36 F rom the children of Benjamin, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were 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 who were numbered of the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

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

38 F rom the children of Dan, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were 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 who were numbered of the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

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

40 F rom the children of Asher, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were 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 who were numbered of the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.

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

42 F rom the children of Naphtali, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were 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 who were numbered of the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

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

44 T hese are the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each one 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 who were numbered of the children of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and above, all who were 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 six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

The number of all the men was 603, 550.

47 B ut the Levites were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe;

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

48 f or the Lord had spoken to Moses, saying:

For the Lord had told Moses,

49 “ Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor take a census of them among the children of Israel;

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

50 b ut you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, over all its furnishings, and over all things that belong to it; they shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they shall attend to it and camp around 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 is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The outsider who 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 T he children of Israel shall pitch their tents, everyone by his own camp, everyone by his own standard, according to their armies;

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 camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel; 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 the children of Israel did; 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.