Numbers 3

The Levites

3This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses^t at the time the Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai.^u

²The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn^v and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.^{w 3}Those were the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests,^x who were ordained to serve as priests. ⁴Nadab and Abihu, however, died before the Lord^y when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai.^z They had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar^a served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.^b

⁵The Lord said to Moses, ⁶“Bring the tribe of Levi^c and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.^{d 7}They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community^e at the tent of meeting by doing the work^f of the tabernacle. ⁸They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. ⁹Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons;^g they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him.^{a 10}Appoint Aaron^h and his sons to serve as priests;ⁱ anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.”^j

¹¹The Lord also said to Moses, ¹²“I have taken the Levites^k from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring^l of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine,^{m 13}for all the firstborn are mine.ⁿ When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.”^o

¹⁴The Lord said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai,^{p 15}“Count^q the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or more.”^{r 16}So Moses counted them, as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.

¹⁷These were the names of the sons of Levi:^s

Gershon,^t Kohath^u and Merari.^v

¹⁸These were the names of the Gershonite clans:

Libni and Shimei.^w

¹⁹The Kohathite clans:

Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.^x

²⁰The Merarite clans:^y

Mahli and Mushi.^z

These were the Levite clans, according to their families.

²¹To Gershon^a belonged the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites;^b these were the Gershonite clans. ²²The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 7,500. ²³The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle.^{c 24}The leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael. ²⁵At the tent of meeting the Gershonites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle^d and tent, its coverings,^e the curtain at the entrance^f to the tent of meeting,^{g 26}the curtains of the courtyard^h, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar,ⁱ and the ropes^j—and everything^k related to their use.

²⁷To Kohath^l belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites;^m these were the Kohathiteⁿ clans. ²⁸The number of all the males a month old or more^o was 8,600.^b The Kohathites were responsible^p for the care of the sanctuary.^{q 29}The Kohathite clans were to camp on the south side^r of the tabernacle. ³⁰The leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan^s son of Uzziel. ³¹They were responsible for the care of the ark,^t the table,^u the lampstand,^v the altars,^w the articles^x of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain,^y and everything related to their use.^{z 32}The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar^a son of Aaron, the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible^b for the care of the sanctuary.^c

³³To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites;^d these were the Merarite clans.^{e 34}The number of all the males a month old or more^f who were counted was 6,200. ³⁵The leader of the families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.^{g 36}The Merarites were appointed^h to take care of the frames of the tabernacle,ⁱ its crossbars,^j posts,^k bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use,^{l 37}as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard^m with their bases, tent pegsⁿ and ropes.

³⁸Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the east^o of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in front of the tent of meeting.^p They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary^q on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.^r

³⁹The total number of Levites counted^s at the Lord’s command by Moses and Aaron according to their clans, including every male a month old or more, was 22,000.^t

⁴⁰The Lord said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more^u and make a list of their names.^{v 41}Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites,^w and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the Lord.”^x

⁴²So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the Lord commanded him. ⁴³The total number of firstborn males a month old or more,^y listed by name, was 22,273.^z

⁴⁴The Lord also said to Moses, ⁴⁵“Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine.^a I am the Lord.^{b 46}To redeem^c the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, ⁴⁷collect five shekels^cd for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel,^e which weighs twenty gerahs.^{f 48}Give the money for the redemption^g of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons.”^h

⁴⁹So Moses collected the redemption moneyⁱ from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites. ⁵⁰From the firstborn of the Israelites^j he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels,^dk according to the sanctuary shekel. ⁵¹Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.