Numbers 1–6

The First Census of Israel

1^*On the first day of the second month in the second year after the people of Israel left Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses there in the Tent of his presence in the Sinai Desert. He said, ^2*“You and Aaron are to take a census of the people of Israel by clans and families. List the names of all the men ^3*twenty years old or older who are fit for military service. ^4*Ask one clan chief from each tribe to help you.” ^5–16*These are the men, leaders within their tribes, who were chosen from the community for this work:

Tribe Clan Chief

Reuben Elizur son of Shedeur;

Simeon Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

Judah Nahshon son of Amminadab;

Issachar Nethanel son of Zuar;

Zebulun Eliab son of Helon;

Ephraim Elishama son of Ammihud;

Manasseh Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

Benjamin Abidan son of Gideoni;

Dan Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

Asher Pagiel son of Ochran;

Gad Eliasaph son of Deuel;

Naphtali Ahira son of Enan.

^17*With the help of these twelve men Moses and Aaron ^18*called together the whole community on the first day of the second month and registered all the people by clans and families. The names of all the men twenty years old or older were recorded and counted, ^19*as the Lord had commanded. In the Sinai Desert, Moses registered the people. ^20–46*The men twenty years old or older who were fit for military service were registered by name according to clan and family, beginning with the tribe of Reuben, Jacob’s eldest son. The totals were as follows:

Tribe

Number

Reuben

46,500

Simeon

59,300

Gad

45,650

Judah

74,600

Issachar

54,400

Zebulun

57,400

Ephraim

40,500

Manasseh

32,200

Benjamin

35,400

Dan

62,700

Asher

41,500

Naphtali

53,400

Total: 603,550

⁴⁷The Levites were not registered with the other tribes, ⁴⁸because the Lord had said to Moses, ⁴⁹“When you take a census of the men fit for military service, do not include the tribe of Levi. ⁵⁰Instead, put the Levites in charge of the Tent of my presence and all its equipment. They shall carry it and its equipment, serve in it, and set up their camp round it. ⁵¹Whenever you move your camp, the Levites shall take the Tent down and set it up again at each new camping place. Anyone else who comes near the Tent shall be put to death. ⁵²The rest of the Israelites shall set up camp, company by company, each man with his own group and under his own banner. ⁵³But the Levites shall camp round the Tent to guard it, so that no one may come near and cause my anger to strike the community of Israel.” ⁵⁴So the people of Israel did everything that the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Arrangement of Tribes in Camp

2The Lord gave Moses and Aaron the following instructions. ²When the Israelites set up camp, each man will camp under the banner of his division and the flag of his own clan. The camp is to be set up all round the Tent.

^3–9On the east side, those under the banner of the division of Judah shall camp in their groups, under their leaders, as follows:

Tribe

Leader

Number

Judah

Nahshon son of Amminadab

74,600

Issachar

Nethanel son of Zuar

54,400

Zebulun

Eliab son of Helon

57,400

Total:

186,400

The division of Judah shall march first.

^10–16On the south, those under the banner of the division of Reuben shall camp in their groups, under their leaders, as follows:

Tribe

Leader

Number

Reuben

Elizur son of Shedeur

46,500

Simeon

Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai

59,300

Gad

Eliasaph son of Deuel

45,650

Total:

151,450

The division of Reuben shall march second.

¹⁷Then, between the first two divisions and the last two the Levites are to march carrying the Tent. Each division shall march in the same order as they camp, each in position under its banner.

^18–24On the west, those under the banner of the division of Ephraim shall camp in their groups, under their leaders, as follows:

Tribe

Leader

Number

Ephraim

Elishama son of Ammihud

40,500

Manasseh

Gamaliel son of Pedahzur

32,200

Benjamin

Abidan son of Gideoni

35,400

Total:

108,100

The division of Ephraim shall march third. ^25–31On the north, those under the banner of the division of Dan shall camp in their groups, under their leaders, as follows:

Tribe

Leader

Number

Dan

Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai

62,700

Asher

Pagiel son of Ochran

41,500

Naphtali

Ahira son of Enan

53,400

Total:

157,600

The division of Dan shall march last.

³²The total number of the people of Israel enrolled in the divisions, group by group, was 603,550. ³³As the Lord had commanded Moses, the Levites were not registered with the rest of the Israelites.

³⁴So the people of Israel did everything the Lord had commanded Moses. They camped, each under his own banner, and they marched, each with his own clan.

Aaron’s Sons

3This is the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. ^2*Aaron had four sons: Nadab, the eldest, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ³They were anointed and ordained as priests, ^4*but Nadab and Abihu were killed when they offered unholy fire to the Lord in the Sinai Desert. They had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during Aaron’s lifetime.

The Levites Are Appointed to Serve the Priests

⁵The Lord said to Moses, ⁶“Bring forward the tribe of Levi and appoint them as servants of Aaron the priest. ⁷They shall do the work required for the Tent of my presence and perform duties for the priests and for the whole community. ⁸They shall take charge of all the equipment of the Tent and perform the duties for the rest of the Israelites. ⁹The only responsibility the Levites have is to serve Aaron and his sons. ¹⁰You shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; anyone else who tries to do so shall be put to death.”

¹¹The Lord said to Moses, ^12–13“The Levites are now to be mine. When I killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians, I consecrated as my own the eldest son of each Israelite family and the firstborn of every animal. Now, instead of having the firstborn sons of Israel as my own, I have the Levites; they will belong to me. I am the Lord.”

The Census of the Levites

¹⁴In the Sinai Desert the Lord commanded Moses ¹⁵to register the Levites by clans and families, enrolling every male a month old or older, ¹⁶and Moses did so. ^17–20Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, who were the ancestors of the clans that bear their names. Gershon had two sons: Libni and Shimei; Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; and Merari had two sons: Mahli and Mushi. They were the ancestors of the families that bear their names.

²¹The clan of Gershon was composed of the families of Libni and Shimei. ²²The total number of males one month old or older that were enrolled was 7,500. ²³This clan was to camp on the west behind the Tent, ²⁴with Eliasaph son of Lael as chief of the clan. ²⁵They were responsible for the Tent, its inner cover, its outer cover, the curtain for the entrance, ²⁶the curtains for the court which is round the Tent and the altar, and the curtain for the entrance of the court. They were responsible for all the service connected with these items.

²⁷The clan of Kohath was composed of the families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁸The total number of males one month old or older that were enrolled was 8,600. ²⁹This clan was to camp on the south side of the Tent, ³⁰with Elizaphan son of Uzziel as chief of the clan. ³¹They were responsible for the Covenant Box, the table, the lamp-stand, the altars, the utensils the priests use in the Holy Place, and the curtain at the entrance to the Most Holy Place. They were responsible for all the service connected with these items.

³²The chief of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest. He was in charge of those who carried out the duties in the Holy Place.

³³The clan of Merari was composed of the families of Mahli and Mushi. ³⁴The total number of males one month old or older that were enrolled was 6,200. ³⁵This clan was to camp on the north side of the Tent, with Zuriel son of Abihail as chief of the clan. ³⁶They were assigned responsibility for the frames for the Tent, its bars, posts, bases, and all its fittings. They were responsible for all the service connected with these items. ³⁷They were also responsible for the posts, bases, pegs, and ropes for the outer court.

³⁸Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp in front of the Tent on the east. They were responsible for carrying out the services performed in the Holy Place for the people of Israel. Anyone else who tried to do so was to be put to death. ³⁹The total number of all the Levite males one month old or older that Moses enrolled by clans at the command of the Lord, was 22,000.

The Levites Take the Place of the First-Born Sons

^40–41The Lord said to Moses, “All of Israel’s firstborn sons belong to me. So register by name every firstborn male Israelite, one month old or older. But in place of them I claim all the Levites as mine! I am the Lord! I also claim the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock.” ⁴²Moses obeyed, and registered all the firstborn males ⁴³one month old or older; the total was 22,273.

⁴⁴The Lord said to Moses, ⁴⁵“Now dedicate the Levites as mine in place of all the firstborn Israelite sons, and dedicate the livestock of the Levites in place of the firstborn of the Israelites’ livestock. ⁴⁶Since the firstborn Israelite sons outnumber the Levites by 273, you must buy back the extra sons. ⁴⁷For each one pay five pieces of silver, according to the official standard, ⁴⁸and give this money to Aaron and his sons.” ⁴⁹Moses obeyed and took ⁵⁰the 1,365 pieces of silver ⁵¹and gave them to Aaron and his sons.

The Duties of the Levite Clan of Kohath

4The Lord told Moses ²to take a census of the Levite clan of Kohath by sub-clans and families, ³and to register all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who were qualified to work in the Tent of the Lord’s presence. ⁴Their service involves the most holy things.

⁵The Lord gave Moses the following instructions. When it is time to break camp, Aaron and his sons shall enter the…