Numbers 3
3
Aaron’s sons
1These are the descendants of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2These are the names of Aaron’s sons: Nadab the oldest, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3These are the names of Aaron’s sons, who are the anointed priests and ordained to the priesthood. 4Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they made an unauthorized offering to the LORD in the Sinai desert. They didn’t have any sons. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
The Levites’ first census
5The LORD spoke to Moses: 6Bring near the tribe of Levi and place them before Aaron the priest. They will assist him. 7They will perform duties for him and for the entire community before the meeting tent, doing the work of the dwelling. 8They will be responsible for all the equipment of the meeting tent and the duties on behalf of the Israelites when they do the work of the dwelling. 9You will give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been assigned as a gift to him from the Israelites. 10You will appoint Aaron and his sons to be responsible for the priesthood. Any other person who approaches will be put to death.
11The LORD spoke to Moses: 12I claim the Levites from the Israelites in place of all the oldest males who open an Israelite womb. The Levites are mine 13because all the oldest males are mine. When I killed all the oldest males in the land of Egypt, I reserved for myself all the oldest males in Israel, both humans and animals. They are mine; I am the LORD.
14The LORD spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert: 15Enroll the Levites by their households and their clans. You will enroll all the males over one month old. 16Moses enrolled them according to the LORD’s word as he was commanded. 17These were Levi’s sons by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18These were the names of Gershon’s sons by their clans: Libni and Shimei. 19Kohath’s sons by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20Merari’s sons by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi by their households.
21To Gershon belonged the clans of Libni and Shimei. These were the clans of the Gershonites. 22Their enrollment, according to the number of males over one month old, was 7,500. 23The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the dwelling on the west side. 24The chief of the household of the Gershonites was Eliasaph, Lael’s son. 25In the dwelling, the Gershonites were responsible for the meeting tent, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the meeting tent, 26the curtains of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance of the courtyard surrounding the meeting tent and the altar, and its cords—all these structures.
27To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites. These were the clans of the Kohathites. 28The number of males over one month old, who would perform duties for the sanctuary, was 8,600. 29The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the dwelling. 30The chief of the household representing the clans of the Kohathites was Elizaphan, Uzziel’s son. 31They were responsible for the chest, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the equipment of the sanctuary with which they would minister, and the screen—all these furnishings. 32The head chief over the chiefs of the Levites was Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest. He was supervisor over those performing the duties of the sanctuary.
33To Merari belonged the clans of Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Merarites. 34Their enrollment, according to the number of males over one month old, was 6,200. 35The chief of the household representing the clans of the Merarites was Zuriel, Abihail’s son. They were to camp on the north side of the dwelling. 36The Merarites were assigned responsibility for the frames of the dwelling, its bars, pillars, bases, and all its equipment—all these items— 37and the pillars of the courtyard all around, their bases, pegs, and cords.
38Those camping in front of the dwelling eastward (that is, before the meeting tent on the east side) were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, who performed the duties of the sanctuary as service for the Israelites. Anyone else who approached would be put to death. 39The total enrollment of the Levites, all the males over one month old whom Moses and Aaron enrolled by orders from the LORD, according to their clans, was 22,000.
Levites rescue the oldest male Israelites
40The LORD said to Moses: Enroll all the oldest males of the Israelites over one month of age and record their names. 41Take the Levites for me, in place of all the oldest sons of the Israelites, for I am the LORD, and the cattle of the Levites in place of all the oldest cattle of the Israelites. 42Moses enrolled all the oldest males of the Israelites as the LORD commanded. 43All the oldest males over one month old, recorded by name according to their enrollment, were 22,273.
44Then the LORD spoke to Moses: 45Take the Levites in place of all the oldest Israelites and the cattle of the Levites in place of their cattle. The Levites are mine; I am the LORD. 46To rescue the 273 remaining oldest Israelites over and above the number of Levites, 47you will receive five shekels each. You will receive them according to the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs to the shekel. 48You will give the money for their rescue to Aaron and his sons.
49So Moses took the money from those rescued over and above the ones rescued by the Levites. 50He took the money from the oldest of the Israelites, 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 51Moses gave the money for those rescued to Aaron and his sons according to the LORD’s word, as the LORD commanded Moses.
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Numbers 3: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
B'midbar (Num) 3
3
1(iv) These are the descendants of Aharon and Moshe as of the day when Adonai spoke with Moshe on Mount Sinai. 2The names of the sons of Aharon are: Nadav the firstborn, Avihu, El‘azar and Itamar. 3These were the names of the sons of Aharon the cohen, whom he anointed and ordained as cohanim. 4But Nadav and Avihu died in the presence of Adonai when they offered unauthorized fire before Adonai in the Sinai Desert, and they had no children; El‘azar and Itamar served as cohanim in the presence of Aharon their father.
5Adonai said to Moshe, 6“Summon the tribe of Levi, and assign them to Aharon the cohen, so that they can help him. 7They are to carry out his duties and the duties of the whole community before the tent of meeting in performing the service of the tabernacle. 8They are to be in charge of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and to carry out all the duties of the people of Isra’el connected with the service of the tabernacle. 9Assign the L’vi’im to Aharon and his sons; their one responsibility in regard to the people of Isra’el is to serve him. 10You are to appoint Aharon and his sons to carry out the duties of cohanim; anyone else who involves himself is to be put to death.”
11Adonai said to Moshe, 12“I have taken the L’vi’im from among the people of Isra’el in lieu of every firstborn male that is first from the womb among the people of Isra’el; the L’vi’im are to be mine. 13All the firstborn males belong to me, because on the day that I killed all the firstborn males in the land of Egypt, I separated for myself all the firstborn males in Isra’el, both human and animal. They are mine; I am Adonai.”
(v) 14Adonai said to Moshe in the Sinai Desert, 15“Take a census of the tribe of Levi by clans and families. Count every male a month old or over.” 16Moshe counted them in the manner Adonai had said, as he had been ordered. 17The names of the sons of Levi were Gershon, K’hat and M’rari. 18The names of the sons of Gershon were Livni and Shim‘i; they fathered their respective clans; 19likewise the sons of K’hat — ‘Amram,Yitz’har, Hevron and ‘Uzi’el — 20and the sons of M’rari — Machli and Mushi. These fathered the clans of the L’vi’im.
21Gershon fathered the clans of Livni and Shim‘i; these were the Gershon clans. 22Of them, 7,500 males a month old and over were counted. 23The Gershon clans were to camp behind the tabernacle, toward the west. 24The chief of the Gershon clan was Elyasaf, the son of La’el. 25In connection with the tent of meeting, the descendants of Gershon were to be in charge of the following: the tabernacle itself, its inner and outer coverings, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26the curtains surrounding the courtyard, the screen for the entrance of the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and the altar, all the fixtures and ropes for these items, and their maintenance.
27K’hat fathered the clans of ‘Amram, Yitz’har, Hevron and ‘Uzi’el; these were the K’hat clans. 28Of them, 8,600 males a month old and over were counted; they were in charge of the Holy Place. 29The K’hat clans were to camp next to the tabernacle, toward the south. 30The chief of the K’hat clan was Elitzafan the son of ‘Uzi’el. 31They were responsible for the ark, the table, the menorah, the altars, the utensils the cohanim use when they serve in the Holy Place, the curtain, and everything involved with the maintenance of these things. 32El‘azar the son of Aharon the cohen was first among the chiefs of the L’vi’im and supervised those in charge of the Holy Place.
33M’rari fathered the clans of Machli and Mushi; these were the M’rari clans. 34Of them, 6,200 males a month old and over were counted. 35The chief of the M’rari clan was Tzuri’el the son of Avichayil. They were to camp next to the tabernacle, toward the north. 36The M’rari clans were assigned responsibility for the frames of the tabernacle, along with its crossbars, posts, sockets and fittings, together with their maintenance; 37also the posts of the surrounding courtyard, with their sockets, pegs and ropes.
38Those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moshe, Aharon and his sons who were in charge of the Holy Place. They carried out their responsibility on behalf of the people of Isra’el, and anyone else who involved himself was to be put to death.
39The total number of L’vi’im whom Moshe and Aharon counted by their clans, all the males a month old and over, was 22,000.
(vi) 40Adonai said to Moshe, “Register all the firstborn males of the people of Isra’el a month old and over, and determine how many there are. 41Then you are to take the L’vi’im for me, Adonai, in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra’el, and the cattle of the L’vi’im in place of the firstborn of the cattle belonging to the people of Isra’el.” 42Moshe counted, as Adonai had ordered him, all the firstborn among the people of Isra’el. 43The total number of firstborn males registered, a month old and over, of those who were counted, was 22,273.
44Adonai said to Moshe, 45“Take the L’vi’im in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra’el, and the cattle of the L’vi’im in place of their cattle; the L’vi’im are to belong to me, Adonai. 46Since there were 273 more firstborn males from Isra’el than male L’vi’im, in order to redeem them, 47you are to take five shekels [two ounces] for each of these (use the sanctuary shekel, which is equal to twenty gerahs). 48Give the redemption money for these extra people to Aharon and his sons.” 49Moshe took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the L’vi’im; 50the amount of money he took from the firstborn of the people of Isra’el was 1,365 shekels, using the sanctuary shekel. 51Moshe gave the redemption-money to Aharon and his sons, in keeping with what Adonai had said, as Adonai had ordered Moshe.
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