1 A nd these births of Aaron and Moses, in the day of Jehovah's speaking with Moses in mount Sinai.

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

2 A nd these the names of the sons of Aaron: the first-born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar;

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

3 t hese the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whose hand he hath consecrated for acting as priest.

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

4 A nd Nadab dieth -- Abihu also -- before Jehovah, in their bringing near strange fire before Jehovah, in the wilderness of Sinai, and sons they had not; and Eleazar -- Ithamar also -- acteth as priest in the presence 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 Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

Then the Lord said to Moses,

6 ` Bring near the tribe of Levi, and thou hast caused it to stand before Aaron the priest, and they have served him,

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

7 a nd kept his charge, and the charge of all the company before the tent of meeting, to do 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 have kept all the vessels of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sons of Israel, to do the service of 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 thou hast given the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are surely given to him out of the sons of Israel.

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

10 ` And Aaron and his sons thou dost appoint, and they have kept their priesthood, and the stranger who cometh near is 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 Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

12 ` And I, lo, I have taken the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel instead of every first-born opening a womb among the sons of Israel, and the Levites have been 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 Mine every first-born, in the day of My smiting every first-born in the land of Egypt I have sanctified to Myself every first-born in Israel, from man unto beast; Mine they are; I Jehovah.'

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 Jehovah speaketh unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

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

15 ` Number the sons of Levi by the house of their fathers, by their families; every male from a son of a month and upward thou dost number them.'

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

16 A nd Moses numbereth them according to the command of Jehovah, as he hath been commanded.

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

17 A nd these are sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

The names of the sons of Levi are Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

18 A nd these 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 A nd the sons of Kohath, by their families, Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

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

20 A nd the sons of Merari by their families Mahli and Mushi; these are the families of the Levites, by the house of their fathers.

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 the family of the Libnite, and the family of the Shimite; these are the families of the Gershonite.

Of Gershon were the families of the Libnites and the Shimeites. These were the families of the Gershonites.

22 T heir numbered ones, in number, every male from a son of a month and upward, their numbered ones seven thousand and five hundred.

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

23 T he families of the Gershonite, behind the tabernacle, do encamp westward.

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

24 A nd the prince of a father's house for the Gershonite Eliasaph son of Lael.

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

25 A nd the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the vail at the opening 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, and the vail at the opening of the court, which by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and its cords, to all its service.

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 A nd of Kohath the family of the Amramite, and the family of the Izharite, and the family of the Hebronite, and the family of the Uzzielite; these are families of the Kohathite.

Of Kohath were the families of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites. These were the families of the Kohathites.

28 I n number, all the males, from a son of a month and upward, eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge 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 encamp by the side of the tabernacle southward.

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

30 A nd the prince of a father's house for the families of the Kohathite Elizaphan son of Uzziel.

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

31 A nd their charge the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary with which they serve, and the vail, and all its service.

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 A nd the prince of the princes of the Levites, Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, the oversight of the keepers of the 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 the family of the Mahlite, and the family of the Mushite; these the families of Merari.

Of Merari were the families of the Mahlites and the Mushites. These were the families of Merari.

34 A nd their numbered ones, in number, all the males from a son of a month and upward, six thousand and two hundred.

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

35 A nd the prince of a father's house for the families of Merari Zuriel son of Abihail; by the side of the tabernacle they encamp northward.

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 oversight -- the charge of the sons of Merari -- the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets, and all its vessels, and all its service,

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 court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.

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

38 A nd those encamping before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting, at the east, Moses and Aaron, and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the sons of Israel, and the stranger who cometh near is 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 those numbered of the Levites whom Moses numbered -- Aaron also -- by the command of Jehovah, by their families, every male from a son of a month and upward, two and twenty thousand.

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 Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Number every first-born male of the sons of Israel from a son of a month and upward, and take up 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 a nd thou hast taken the Levites for Me (I Jehovah), instead of every first-born among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of every firstling among the cattle of the sons of Israel.'

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 A nd Moses numbereth, as Jehovah hath commanded him, all the first-born among the sons of Israel.

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

43 A nd all the first-born -- male -- by the number of names, from a son of a month and upward, of their numbered ones, are two and twenty thousand two hundred and seventy and three.

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

44 A nd Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

Then the Lord said to Moses,

45 ` Take the Levites instead of every first-born among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites have been Mine; I Jehovah.

“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 ` And those ransomed of the two hundred and seventy and three (who are more than the Levites) of the first-born of the sons of Israel,

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 t hou hast even taken five shekels a-piece by the poll -- by the shekel of the sanctuary thou takest; twenty gerahs the shekel;

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

48 a nd thou hast given the money to Aaron, and to his sons, whereby those over and above are ransomed.'

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

49 A nd Moses taketh the ransom money from those over and above those ransomed by the Levites;

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

50 f rom the first-born of the sons of Israel he hath taken the money, a thousand and three hundred and sixty and five -- by 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 giveth the money of those ransomed to Aaron, and to his sons, according to the command of Jehovah, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

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