Numbers 3
3
The Levites
1This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai.
2The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3Those were the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. 4Nadab and Abihu, however, died before the Lord when they made an offering with unauthorised fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
5The Lord said to Moses, 6‘Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. 7They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the tent of meeting by doing the work 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; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him.#3:9 Most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text; some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also 8:16) to me 10Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.’
11The Lord also said to Moses, 12‘I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, 13for all the firstborn are mine. 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.’
14The Lord said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai, 15‘Count the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or more.’ 16So Moses counted them, as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.
17These were the names of the sons of Levi:
Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
18These were the names of the Gershonite clans:
Libni and Shimei.
19The Kohathite clans:
Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
20The Merarite clans:
Mahli and Mushi.
These were the Levite clans, according to their families.
21To Gershon belonged the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites; 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.
24The 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 and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the tent of meeting, 26the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes – and everything related to their use.
27To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites; these were the Kohathite clans.
28The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600.#3:28 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts 8,300
The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.
29The Kohathite clans were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.
30The leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31They were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use.
32The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.
33To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the Merarite clans.
34The number of all the males a month old or more 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.
36The Merarites were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use, 37as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and ropes.
38Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, towards the sunrise, in front of the tent of meeting.
They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites.
Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.
39The total number of Levites counted at the Lord’s command by Moses and Aaron according to their clans, including every male a month old or more, was 22,000.
40The Lord said to Moses, ‘Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more and make a list of their names. 41Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the Lord.’
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, listed by name, was 22,273.
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. I am the Lord. 46To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, 47collect five shekels#3:47 That is, about 58 grams for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. 48Give the money for the redemption of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons.’
49So Moses collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites. 50From the firstborn of the Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels,#3:50 That is, about 16 kilograms 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.
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Numbers 3
3
Levites to Be Priesthood
1Now these are the records of the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day when the Lord spoke [by special revelation] with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom Aaron #3:3 Lit filled their hand.consecrated and ordained to minister in the priest’s office. 4But Nadab and Abihu died in the presence of the Lord when they offered strange (unholy, unacceptable, inappropriate) fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests #3:4 Lit before the face.in the presence and under the supervision of Aaron their father. [Lev 10:1-4]
5Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them before Aaron the priest, so that they may serve him. 7They shall carry out the duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, doing the service of the tabernacle. 8They shall also take care of all the furnishings and utensils of the Tent of Meeting, and [attend to] the duties of the Israelites, doing the service of the tabernacle. 9You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons [as servants and helpers]; they are to be given wholly to him from among the Israelites. 10So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall observe and attend to their priesthood; but the layman (non-Levite) who approaches [the holy things] shall be put to death.”
11Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of and as a substitute for every firstborn, that is, the first that opens the womb among the Israelites. So the Levites shall be Mine, 13for all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be mine; I am the Lord.”
14Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15“Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families (clans). You shall number every male from a month old and upward.” 16So Moses numbered them just as he was commanded by the word (mouth) of the Lord. 17These are the [three] sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18These are the names of the [two] sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei; 19and the [four] sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; 20and the [two] sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ households.
21Of Gershon were the families of the Libnites and of the Shimeites. These are the families of the Gershonites. 22The males who were numbered, every male from a month old and upward totaled 7,500. 23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west, 24and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.
Duties of the Levites
25Now the responsibilities of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting involved the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the curtain for the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, 26and the hangings of the courtyard, the curtain for the doorway of the courtyard which is around the tabernacle and the altar, its tent ropes, and all the service #3:26 Lit of it.concerning them.
27Of Kohath were the families of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these are the families of the Kohathites. 28The males who were numbered, every male from a month old and upward totaled #3:28 Some suspect that this count should be 8,300 which, when added to the 7,500 of v 22 and the 6,200 of v 34 gives the total of 22,000 in v 39. Unless the figure there was rounded, the number here may have been a copyist’s error (omitting just one letter between two that are the same in Hebrew).8,600, attending to the duties of the sanctuary. 29The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle, 30and the leader of the fathers’ households of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31Now their responsibilities involved the ark, the table [on which the bread of the Presence was placed], the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the curtain, and all the service concerning them. 32Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, was chief of the leaders of the Levites; he supervised those who performed the duties of the sanctuary.
33Of Merari were the families of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these are the families of Merari. 34The males who were numbered, every male from a month old and upward totaled 6,200. 35The leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. The Merarites were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36Now the appointed responsibilities of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets or bases, and all the equipment, and all the service concerning them, 37and the pillars around the courtyard with their bases and their pegs and their cords (tent ropes).
38Now those to camp before the tabernacle toward the east, before the Tent of Meeting, toward the sunrise, were to be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for whatever was required of the Israelites; and the #3:38 This ban against “the layman” or “the unauthorized” from coming near the sanctuary (the sacred tent, the tabernacle proper) should not be construed as discrimination against people who were not Israelites. It included everyone except the ordained descendants of Levi of the house of Aaron. The tabernacle proper was made up of two small rooms which no one except the priest or priests who had the assignment was ever to enter. The congregation entered the outside enclosure (the courtyard) only. This was true also of the later temples. Neither Jesus nor any of his disciples or Paul ever entered the sanctuary. When Jesus “taught in the temple” or “entered into the temple,” the Greek word invariably indicates that He was in the temple enclosure (hieron) and not in the sanctuary (naos). A violation of this ban is recorded in 2 Chr 26:16-21. King Uzziah attempted to enter the sanctuary to burn incense. While he was being confronted and restrained by Azariah the priest and eighty others he broke out in leprosy. He remained a leper for the rest of his life.layman (non-Levite) who approached [the sanctuary] was to be put to death. 39All the men of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the #3:39 Lit mouth.command of the Lord, by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000.
Firstborn Redeemed
40Then the Lord said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the Israelites from a month old and upward, and #3:40 Lit take the number of.make a list of their names. 41You shall take the Levites for Me instead of and as a substitute for all the firstborn among the Israelites. I am the Lord; and you shall take the cattle of the Levites instead of and as a substitute for all the firstborn among the cattle of the Israelites.” 42So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded him; 43and all the firstborn males from a month old and upward as numbered were 22,273 [273 more than the Levites].
44Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45“Take the Levites [for Me] instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. And the Levites shall be Mine. I am the Lord. 46For the ransom (redemption price) of the 273 of the firstborn of the Israelites who outnumber the Levites, 47you shall take five shekels apiece, per head, you shall take them in terms of the sanctuary shekel (the shekel is twenty gerahs), 48and give the money, the ransom (redemption price) of those who outnumber the Levites to Aaron and to his sons.” 49So Moses took the ransom (redemption) money from those who were in excess, beyond those ransomed by the Levites; 50from the firstborn of the Israelites he took the money in terms of the sanctuary shekel, 1,365 shekels. 51Then Moses gave the ransom money to Aaron and to his sons at the command of the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
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