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

Now these are the records of Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

2 T he names of the sons of Aaron are Nadab the first-born, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3 T hese are the names of the sons of Aaron, the chosen religious leaders. Aaron set them apart to work as religious leaders.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he consecrated to minister as priests.

4 B ut 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

Nadab and Abihu had died before the Lord when they offered profane fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of Aaron their father. The Levites Serve in the Tabernacle

5 T hen the Lord said to Moses,

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

6 “ Bring the family of Levi near. Set them in front of Aaron the religious leader so they may serve him.

“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.

7 T hey 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,

And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle.

8 a nd 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.

Also they shall attend to all the furnishings of the tabernacle of meeting, and to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the work of the tabernacle.

9 Y ou will give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are all given to him from among the people of Israel.

And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are given entirely to him from among the children of Israel.

10 S et 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.”

So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

11 T he Lord said to Moses,

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

12 “ 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.

“Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine,

13 F or 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

because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the Lord.” Census of the Levites Commanded

14 T hen the Lord said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai,

Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying:

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

“Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families; you shall number every male from a month old and above.”

16 S o Moses numbered them just as he had been told by the word of the Lord.

So Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded.

17 T he names of the sons of Levi are Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

18 T he names of the sons of Gershon by their families are Libni and Shimei.

And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

19 T he sons of Kohath by their families are Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

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

And the sons of Merari by their families: 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 the Shimeites. These were the families of the Gershonites.

From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites; these were the families of the Gershonites.

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

Those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above—of those who were numbered there were seven thousand five hundred.

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

The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward.

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

And the leader of the father’s house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25 T he sons of Gershon were to take care of the meeting tent, its covering, and the curtain for the door of the meeting tent.

The duties of the children of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting,

26 A nd 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.

the screen for the door of the court, the hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords, according to all the work relating to them.

27 O f Kohath were the families of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites. These were the families of the Kohathites.

From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites.

28 T he number of every male a month old and older was 8, 600. They did the duties of the holy place.

According to the number of all the males, from a month old and above, there were eight thousand six hundred keeping charge of the sanctuary.

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

The families of the children of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.

30 T he leader of the fathers’ houses of the Kohathite families was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

And the leader of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

31 T hey 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.

Their duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to them.

32 E leazar, 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.

And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, with oversight of those who kept charge of the sanctuary.

33 O f Merari were the families of the Mahlites and the Mushites. These were the families of Merari.

From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari.

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

And those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above, were six thousand two hundred.

35 T he 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.

The leader of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.

36 T he 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,

And the appointed duty of the children of Merari included the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, its utensils, all the work relating to them,

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

and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their cords.

38 M oses 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.

Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary, to meet the needs of the children of Israel; but the outsider who came near was to be put to death.

39 T he 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

All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and above, were twenty-two thousand. Levites Dedicated Instead of the Firstborn

40 T he Lord said to Moses, “Number every first-born male of the sons of Israel a month old and older. Write down their names.

Then the Lord said to Moses: “Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and above, and take the number of their names.

41 T ake 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.”

And you shall take the Levites for Me—I am the Lord —instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel.”

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

So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded him.

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

And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names from a month old and above, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

44 T hen the Lord said to Moses,

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

45 “ 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.

“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites shall be Mine: I am the Lord.

46 T here 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.

And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the number of the Levites,

47 T ake five pieces of silver for each, by the weight of silver agreed upon for the meeting tent.

you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs.

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

And you shall give the money, with which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons.”

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

So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites.

50 H e 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.

From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

51 T hen Moses gave the money to Aaron and his sons, just as the Lord had told Moses by His Word.

And Moses gave their redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.