1 T he 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,

Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

2 “ 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,

“ Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head

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

from twenty years old and upward, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel, you and Aaron shall number them by their armies.

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

With you, moreover, there shall be a man of each tribe, each one head of his father’s household.

5 T hese are the names of the men who will help you: Shedeur’s son Elizur from Reuben,

These then are the names of the men who shall stand with you: of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;

6 Z urishaddai’s son Shelumiel from Simeon,

of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;

7 A mminadab’s son Nahshon from Judah,

of Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;

8 Z uar’s son Nethanel from Issachar,

of Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar;

9 a nd Helon’s son Eliab from Zebulun.

of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;

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

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

11 T here will be Gideoni’s son Abidan from Benjamin,

of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;

12 A mmishaddai’s son Ahiezer from Dan,

of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;

13 O chran’s son Pagiel from Asher,

of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran;

14 D euel’s son Eliasaph from Gad,

of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;

15 a nd Enan’s son Ahira from Naphtali.”

of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.

16 T hese were the ones chosen from the people. They were the leaders of their fathers’ families, the heads of thousands in Israel.

These are they who were called of the congregation, the leaders of their fathers’ tribes; they were the heads of divisions of Israel.”

17 M oses and Aaron took these men who had been chosen by name.

So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name,

18 A nd 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.

and they assembled all the congregation together on the first of the second month. Then they registered by ancestry in their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, head by head,

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

just as the Lord had commanded Moses. So he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

20 T he 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.

Now the sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,

21 T he number of the family of Reuben was 46, 500.

their numbered men of the tribe of Reuben were 46, 500.

22 T he 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.

Of the sons of Simeon, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, their numbered men, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,

23 T he number of the family of Simeon was 59, 300.

their numbered men of the tribe of Simeon were 59, 300.

24 T he 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.

Of the sons of Gad, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,

25 T he number of the family of Gad was 45, 650.

their numbered men of the tribe of Gad were 45, 650.

26 T he 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.

Of the sons of Judah, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,

27 T he number of the family of Judah was 74, 600.

their numbered men of the tribe of Judah were 74, 600.

28 T he 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.

Of the sons of Issachar, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,

29 T he number of the family of Issachar was 54, 400.

their numbered men of the tribe of Issachar were 54, 400.

30 T he 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.

Of the sons of Zebulun, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,

31 T he number of the family of Zebulun was 57, 400.

their numbered men of the tribe of Zebulun were 57, 400.

32 T he 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.

Of the sons of Joseph, namely, of the sons of Ephraim, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,

33 T he number of the family of Ephraim was 40, 500.

their numbered men of the tribe of Ephraim were 40, 500.

34 T he 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.

Of the sons of Manasseh, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,

35 T he number of the family of Manasseh was 32, 200.

their numbered men of the tribe of Manasseh were 32, 200.

36 T he 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.

Of the sons of Benjamin, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,

37 T he number of the family of Benjamin was 35, 400.

their numbered men of the tribe of Benjamin were 35, 400.

38 T he 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.

Of the sons of Dan, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,

39 T he number of the family of Dan was 62, 700.

their numbered men of the tribe of Dan were 62, 700.

40 T he 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.

Of the sons of Asher, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,

41 T he number of the family of Asher was 41, 500.

their numbered men of the tribe of Asher were 41, 500.

42 T he 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.

Of the sons of Naphtali, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,

43 T he number of the family of Naphtali was 53, 400.

their numbered men of the tribe of Naphtali were 53, 400.

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

These are the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each of whom was of his father’s household.

45 A ll 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.

So all the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their fathers’ households, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war in Israel,

46 T he number of all the men was 603, 550.

even all the numbered men were 603, 550. Levites Exempted

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

The Levites, however, were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe.

48 F or the Lord had told Moses,

For the Lord had spoken to Moses, saying,

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

“Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor shall you take their census among the sons of Israel.

50 B ut 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.

But you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it; they shall also camp around the tabernacle.

51 W hen 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.

So when the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encamps, the Levites shall set it up. But the layman who comes near shall be put to death.

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

The sons of Israel shall camp, each man by his own camp, and each man by his own standard, according to their armies.

53 B ut 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.”

But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there will be no wrath on the congregation of the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.”

54 S o the people of Israel did this. They did everything the Lord had told Moses.

Thus the sons of Israel did; according to all which the Lord had commanded Moses, so they did.