Census of the Levites Commanded

14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying: 15 “Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families; you shall number oevery male from a month old and above.”

16 So Moses numbered them according to the 4word of the Lord, as he was commanded. 17 pThese were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18 And these are the names of the sons of qGershon by their families: rLibni and Shimei. 19 And the sons of sKohath by their families: tAmram, Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 uAnd the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses.

21 From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites; these were the families of the Gershonites. 22 Those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above—of those who were numbered there were seven thousand five hundred. 23 vThe families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward. 24 And the leader of the father’s house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25 wThe duties of the children of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting included xthe tabernacle, ythe tent with zits covering, athe screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting, 26 bthe screen for the door of the court, cthe hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and the altar, and dtheir cords, according to all the work relating to them.

27 eFrom 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. 28 According to the number of all the males, from a month old and above, there were eight thousand 5six hundred 6keeping charge of the sanctuary. 29 fThe families of the children of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. 30 And the leader of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of gUzziel. 31 hTheir duty included ithe ark, jthe table, kthe lampstand, lthe altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, mthe screen, and all the work relating to them.

32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, with oversight of those who kept charge of the sanctuary.

33 From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari. 34 And those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above, were six thousand two hundred. 35 The leader of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. nThese were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 And othe appointed duty of the children of Merari included the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, its utensils, all the work relating to them, 37 and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their cords.

38 pMoreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, qkeeping charge of the sanctuary, rto meet the needs of the children of Israel; but sthe outsider who came near was to be put to death. 39 tAll who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and above, were twenty-two thousand.