Numbers 3

1These are the generations of Aaron and Moses on the day Yahweh spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai.

2These are the names of Aaron's sons: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3These are the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests whose hands he filled to serve as priests.

4Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh when they presented foreign fire before Yahweh in the Sinai wilderness, and they had no sons. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests before Aaron their father.

5Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

6Bring the tribe of Levi close and station them before Aaron the priest, so they may serve him.

7They shall guard his charge and the charge of the entire congregation before the tent of meeting, to perform the service of the tabernacle.

8They shall keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and the charge of the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the tabernacle.

9You shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are entirely given to him from the sons of Israel.

10Appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood; the outsider who draws near shall be put to death.

11Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

12See, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn opening the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall belong to me.

13Because every firstborn belongs to me, for on the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated to myself every firstborn in Israel, from humankind to beast—they shall be mine; I am Yahweh.

14Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

15Take a census of the sons of Levi according to the houses of their fathers, by their clans, every male from the age of one month and upward. Take a census of them.

16Moses numbered them according to Yahweh's word, as he was commanded.

17These were the sons of Levi named Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

18These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei.

19The sons of Kohath according to their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20The sons of Merari according to their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the houses of their fathers.

21To Gershon belonged the Libnite family and the Shimite family; these were the families of the Gershonites.

22Those counted from them, according to the count of all males from a month old and upward, those counted from them were seven thousand five hundred.

23The Gershonite families shall camp behind the tabernacle westward.

24The chief of the father's house of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph son of Lael.

25The sons of Gershon were responsible in the tent of meeting for the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent of meeting.

26the hangings of the court, the curtain for the entrance of the court which is by the tabernacle and by the altar all around, and its cords for all its service.

27To Kohath belonged the Amramite family, the Izharite family, the Hebronite family, and the Uzzielite family; they were the Kohathite families.

28In the number of all males from a month old and upward were eight thousand six hundred, keepers of the holy charge.

29The families of Kohath's sons shall camp on the south side of the tabernacle.

30Elizaphan son of Uzziel is chief of the father's house of the Kohathite families.

31Their charge was the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, the screen, and all its service.

32Eleazar son of Aaron the priest shall be leader of the Levite leaders, overseeing those who guard the charge of the sanctuary.

33Belonging to Merari were the Mahlite family and the Mushite family; these are the families of Merari.

34The number of those counted among them, every male from one month old and upward, was six thousand two hundred.

35For the families of Merari, Zuriel son of Abihail was chief of the father's house. They shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.

36The responsibility and guardianship of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its furnishings, all its service.

37The courtyard's surrounding pillars, their bases, their pegs, and their cords.

38Those camping before the tabernacle on the east, facing the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses, Aaron, and his sons, guarding the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of Israel's children; the outsider who approaches shall die.

39All those counted among the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron counted at Yahweh's command by their families, every male from one month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.

40Yahweh said to Moses, “Number all firstborn males of the sons of Israel from one month old and upward, and take the count of their names.”

41Take the Levites for me—I, Yahweh—in place of every firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of every firstborn among the livestock of the sons of Israel.

42Moses counted all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, as Yahweh had commanded him.

43And all the firstborn males among those mustered of them, by the count of names from one month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.

44Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

45Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock; the Levites shall belong to me—I, Yahweh.

46and for redeeming the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn sons of Israel who exceed the Levites,

47You shall take five shekels per head; by the holy shekel you shall take them—the shekel is twenty gerahs.

48You shall give the money to Aaron and to his sons with which those exceeding among them are redeemed.

49Moses took the redemption silver from those exceeding the redeemed Levites.

50He took the silver from the firstborn of Israel's sons, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels by the sanctuary shekel.

51Moses gave the silver of the redeemed to Aaron and his sons according to Yahweh's word, as Yahweh commanded Moses.