Numbers 3

1  NOW THESE are the generations of Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.2  These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.3  These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom Aaron consecrated and ordained to minister in the priest’s office.4  But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered strange fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the presence and under the supervision of Aaron their father. 5  And the Lord said to Moses,6  Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.7  And they shall carry out his instructions and the duties connected with the whole assembly before the Tent of Meeting, doing the service of the tabernacle.8  And they shall keep all the instruments and furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and take charge of [attending] the Israelites, to serve in the tabernacle.9  And you shall give the Levites [as servants and helpers] to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the Israelites.10  And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall observe and attend to their priest’s office; but the excluded [anyone daring to assume priestly duties or privileges who is not of the house of Aaron and called of God] who comes near [the holy things] shall be put to death.11  And the Lord said to Moses,12  Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites; and the Levites shall be Mine,13  For all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast; Mine they shall be. I am the Lord.14  And the Lord said to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai,15  Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses and by families. Every male from a month old and upward you shall number.16  So Moses numbered them as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.17  These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.18  And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.19  The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.20  The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses.21  Of Gershon were the families of the Libnites and of the Shimeites. These are the families of the Gershonites.22  The males who were numbered of them from a month old and upward totaled 7,500.23  The families of the Gershonites were to encamp behind the tabernacle on the west,24  The leader of the fathers’ houses of the Gershonites being Eliasaph son of Lael.25  And the responsibility of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting was to be the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, and the hangings for the door of the Tent of Meeting,26  And the hangings of the court, the curtain for the door of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, its cords, and all the service pertaining to them.27  Of Kohath were the families of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these are the families of the Kohathites.28  The number of all the males from a month old and upward totaled 8,600, attending to the duties of the sanctuary.29  The families of the sons of Kohath were to encamp on the south side of the tabernacle,30  The chief of the fathers’ houses of the families of the Kohathites being Elizaphan son of Uzziel.31  Their charge was to be the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen, and all the service having to do with these.32  Eleazar son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, and have the oversight of those who had charge of the sanctuary.33  Of Merari were the families of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these are the families of Merari.34  Their number of all the males from a month old and upward totaled 6,200.35  And the head of the fathers’ houses of the families of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail; the Merarites were to encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.36  And the appointed charge of the sons of Merari was the boards or frames of the tabernacle, and its bars, pillars, sockets or bases, and all the accessories or instruments of it, and all the work connected with them,37  And the pillars of the surrounding court and their sockets or bases, with their pegs and their cords.38  But those to encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, before the Tent of Meeting, toward the sunrise, were to be Moses and Aaron and his sons, keeping the full charge of the rites of the sanctuary in whatever was required for the Israelites; and the excluded [one not a descendant of Aaron and called of God] who came near [the sanctuary] was to be put to death.39  All the Levites whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the command of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were 22,000.40  And the Lord said to Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the Israelites from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.41  You shall take the Levites for Me instead of all the firstborn among the Israelites. I am the Lord; and you shall take the cattle of the Levites for Me instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the Israelites.42  So Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the firstborn Israelites.43  But all the firstborn males from a month old and upward as numbered were 22,273 [273 more than the Levites].44  And the Lord said to Moses,45  Take the Levites [for Me] instead of all the firstborn Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be Mine. I am the Lord.46  And for those 273 who are to be redeemed of the firstborn of the Israelites who outnumber the Levites,47  You shall take five shekels apiece, reckoning by the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs; you shall collect them,48  And you shall give the ransom silver from the excess number [over the Levites] to be redeemed to Aaron and his sons.49  So Moses took the redemption money from those who were left over from the number who were redeemed by the Levites.50  From the firstborn of the Israelites he took the money, 1,365 shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.51  And Moses gave the money from those who were ransomed to Aaron and his sons, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Numbers 3

The Sons of Aaron

1 s Now these are the recordst of Aaron and Moses whent the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointedt priests, whom he consecratedt to minister as priests.t

4 Nadab and Abihu diedt before the Lords when they offeredt stranget firets before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children.s So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priestst in the presence oft Aaron their father.

The Assignment of the Levites

5 The Lord spoke to Moses:6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near,s and presentt them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.t7 They are responsible for his needst and the needs of the whole community before the tent of meeting, by attendingt to the service of the tabernacle.8 And they are responsible for all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and for the needs of the Israelites, as they servets in the tabernacle.9 You are to assignt the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they will be assigned exclusivelyt to him out of allt the Israelites.

10 So you are to appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will be responsible for their priesthood;s but the unauthorized persont who comes near must be put to death.”
11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses:12 “Look,t I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead oft every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites. So the Levites belong to me,

13 because all the firstborn are mine. When I destroyedt all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They belong to me. I am the Lord.”s

The Numbering of the Levites

14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai:15 “Number the Levites by their clanst and their families; every male from a month old and upward you are to number.”t

16 So Moses numbered them according to the wordt of the Lord, just as he had been commanded.t

The Summary of Families

17 These were the sonst of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18 These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.19 The sons of Kohath by their families were: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20 The sons of Merari by their families were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their clans.

The Numbering of the Gershonites

21 From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites.22 Those of them who were numbered, counting every male from a month old and upward, were 7,500.23 The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle toward the west.

24 Now the leadert of the clant of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.
25 Andt the responsibilities of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the curtain at the entrance of the tent of meeting,

26 the hangings of the courtyard,s the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard that surrounded the tabernacle and the altar, and their ropes, plus all the service connected with these things.t

The Numbering of the Kohathites

27 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.s28 Counting every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600. They were responsible for the caret of the sanctuary.29 The families of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.

30 Now the leader of the clan of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31 Their responsibilities included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered,t the curtain, and all their service.t

32 Now the head of all the Levitical leaderst was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsiblet for the sanctuary.

The Numbering of Merari

33 From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these weret the families of Merari.34 Those of them who were numbered, counting every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200.

35 Now the leader of the clan of the families of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36 The appointed responsibilities of the Merarites included the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, its posts, its sockets, its utensils, plus all the service connected with these things,t

37 and the pillars of the courtyard all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their ropes.
38 But those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting, were Moses, Aaron,s and his sons. They were responsible for the needst of the sanctuary and for the needs of the Israelites, but the unauthorized person who approached was to be put to death.

39 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered by the wordt of the Lord, according to their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000.t

The Substitution for the Firstborn

40 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Number all the firstborn males of the Israelites from a month old and upward, and taket the number of their names.41 And taket the Levites for me – I am the Lord – instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.”42 So Moses numbered all the firstborn males among the Israelites, as the Lord had commanded him.

43 And all the firstborn males, by the number of the names from a month old and upward, totaled 22,273.
44 Then the Lord spoke to Moses:45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. And the Levites will be mine. I am the Lord.46 And for the redemption of the 273 firstborn males of the Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites,47 collectt five shekels for eacht one individually; you are to collectt this amountt in the currency of the sanctuary shekel (this shekel is twenty gerahs).s

48 And give the money for the redemption of the excess number of them to Aaron and his sons.”
49 So Moses took the redemption moneys from those who were in excess of those redeemed by the Levites.50 From the firstborn males of the Israelites he collected the money, 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.

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