Numbers 3
3
1And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that Jehovah spoke with Moses on mount Sinai. 2And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, who were consecrated to exercise the priesthood. 4And Nadab and Abihu died before Jehovah when they offered strange fire before Jehovah in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons; and Eleazar and Ithamar exercised the priesthood in the presence of Aaron their father. 5And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 6Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him; 7and they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole assembly, before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8And they shall keep all the utensils of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9And thou shalt give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given to him out of the children of Israel. 10And Aaron and his sons shalt thou appoint that they may attend to their priest's office; and the stranger that cometh near shall be put to death. 11And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 12And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn that breaketh open the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine; 13for every firstborn is mine. On the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and beast; mine shall they be: I am Jehovah.
14And Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15Number the sons of Levi according to their fathers' houses, after their families; every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them. 16And Moses numbered them, according to the commandment of Jehovah, — as he had been commanded. 17And these are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. 18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon according to their families: Libni and Shimei. 19And the sons of Kohath according to their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 20And the sons of Merari according to their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' houses. 21Of Gershon, the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites. 22Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, those that were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred. 23The families of the Gershonites encamped behind the tabernacle westward. 24And the prince of the father's house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting was: the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the curtain of the entrance to the tent of meeting. 26And the hangings of the court, and the curtain of the entrance to the court, which surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and the cords thereof for all its service. 27And of Kohath, the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites. 28According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, who kept the charge of the sanctuary. 29The families of the sons of Kohath encamped on the side of the tabernacle southward. 30And the prince of the father's house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31And their charge was the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, and the curtain, and all that belongs to its service. 32And the prince of princes of the Levites was Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest: he had the oversight of them that kept the charge of the sanctuary. 33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari. 34And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred. 35And the prince of the father's house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They encamped on the side of the tabernacle northward. 36And the charge of the sons of Merari consisted in the oversight of the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its bases, and all its furniture, and all that belongs to its service, 37and the pillars of the court round about, and their bases, and their pegs, and their cords. 38And those who encamped before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, were Moses, and Aaron and his sons, who kept the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh near shall be put to death. 39All that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of Jehovah, according to their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.
40And Jehovah said to Moses, Number all the first-born males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. 41And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am Jehovah) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites, instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel. 42And Moses numbered, as Jehovah had commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel. 43And all the firstborn males, by the number of the names, from a month old and upward, according to their numbering, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three. 44And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 45Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am Jehovah. 46And for those that are to be ransomed, the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are in excess over the Levites, 47thou shalt take five shekels apiece by the poll, according to the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them, — twenty gerahs the shekel; 48and thou shalt give the money unto Aaron and unto his sons for those in excess among them who are to be ransomed. 49And Moses took the ransom-money from them that were over and above those who were ransomed by the Levites; 50of the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, a thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 51And Moses gave the money of them that were ransomed to Aaron and to his sons, according to the commandment of Jehovah, — as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Numbers 3
3
Aaron’s Sons and the Levites
1These are the family records of Aaron and Moses at the time the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.#Ex 19:3 2These are the names of Aaron’s sons: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3These are the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. 4But Nadab and Abihu died in the Lord’s presence when they presented unauthorized fire#Lv 10:1–2 before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests under the direction of Aaron their father.#Lv 10:6; Nm 4:16,28,33
5The Lord spoke to Moses: 6“Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them to the priest Aaron to assist him. 7They are to perform duties for#3:7 Or to guard, also in v. 8 him and the entire community before the tent of meeting by attending to the service of the tabernacle. 8They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting#Nm 1:50,53 and perform duties for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle. 9Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been assigned exclusively to him#3:9 Some Hb mss, LXX, Sam read me; Nm 8:16 from the Israelites.#Nm 8:16,19,22; 18:6 10You are to appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out their priestly responsibilities, but any unauthorized person who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”#Nm 1:51; 3:38; 8:19; 18:7
11The Lord spoke to Moses: 12“See, I have taken the Levites from the Israelites in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb.#Ex 13:1–2; 32:26–29; Nm 3:6,12–13,40–43; 8:16–18; 18:1 The Levites belong to me, 13because every firstborn belongs to me. At the time I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt,#Ex 13:15–16 I consecrated every firstborn in Israel to myself, both man and animal. They are mine; I am the Lord.”#Ex 3:14–16; 6:6–7; Nm 3:41,45
The Levitical Census
14The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai: 15“Register the Levites by their ancestral families#3:15 Lit the house of their fathers, also in v. 20 and their clans. You are to register every male one month old or more.” 16So Moses registered them in obedience to the Lord as he had been 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 were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20Merari’s sons by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans by their ancestral families.#Ex 6:17–19; 1Ch 6:1,16,20–29
21The Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan came from Gershon; these were the Gershonite clans. 22Those registered, counting every male one month old or more, numbered 7,500. 23The Gershonite clans camped behind the tabernacle on the west side,#Nm 2:18–24 24and the leader of the Gershonite families#3:24 Lit a father’s house, also in vv. 30,35 was Eliasaph son of Lael. 25The Gershonites’ duties#Nm 4:24–26 at the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting,#Ex 26:7,14,36–37; 35:11,15 26the hangings of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance#Ex 27:9–19; 35:17–18; 38:9–31 to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and the tent ropes — all the work relating to these.
27The Amramite clan, the Izharite clan, the Hebronite clan, and the Uzzielite clan came from Kohath; these were the Kohathites. 28Counting every male one month old or more, there were 8,600#3:28 LXX reads 8,300 responsible for the duties of#3:28 Or for guarding, also in v. 32 the sanctuary. 29The clans of the Kohathites camped on the south side of the tabernacle,#Nm 2:10–16 30and the leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31Their duties involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the sanctuary utensils that were used with these, and the screen#3:31 The screen between the most holy place and the holy place; Ex 35:12#Ex 35:12 — and all the work relating to them.#Ex 25:10–27:21 32The chief of the Levite leaders was Eleazar#Ex 6:23–25; 28:1; Lv 10:6,12,16; Nm 3:2,4 son of Aaron the priest; he had oversight of those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.
33The Mahlite clan and the Mushite clan came from Merari; these were the Merarite clans. 34Those registered, counting every male one month old or more, numbered 6,200. 35The leader of the families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they camped on the north side of the tabernacle.#Nm 2:25–31 36The assigned duties of Merari’s descendants involved the tabernacle’s supports, crossbars, pillars, bases, all its equipment, and all the work related to these,#Ex 35:1–13; Nm 4:31–32 37in addition to the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes.
38Moses, Aaron, and his sons, who performed the duties of#3:38 Or who guarded the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites, camped in front of the tabernacle on the east,#Nm 2:3–9 in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise. Any unauthorized person who came near it was to be put to death.#Nm 1:51; 3:10; 8:19; 18:7
39The total number of all the Levite males one month old or more that Moses and Aaron#3:39 Some Hb mss, Sam, Syr omit and Aaron registered by their clans at the Lord’s command was 22,000.
Redemption of the Firstborn
40The Lord told Moses, “Register every firstborn male of the Israelites#Ex 13:1–2; Nm 8:16–18 one month old or more, and list their names. 41You are to take the Levites for me — I am the Lord — in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of every firstborn among the Israelites’ cattle.” 42So Moses registered every firstborn among the Israelites, as the Lord commanded him. 43The total number of the firstborn males one month old or more listed by name was 22,273.
44The Lord spoke to Moses again: 45“Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of their cattle. The Levites belong to me; I am the Lord.#Nm 3:13,41; 10:10; 15:40–41 46As the redemption price for the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites, 47collect five shekels for each person, according to the standard sanctuary shekel — twenty gerahs to the shekel.#3:47 A shekel is about two-fifths of an ounce of silver#Nm 18:16 48Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are in excess among the Israelites.”
49So Moses collected the redemption amount from those in excess of the ones redeemed by the Levites. 50He collected the silver from the firstborn Israelites: 1,365 shekels#3:50 Over 34 pounds of silver measured by the standard sanctuary shekel. 51He gave the redemption silver to Aaron and his sons in obedience to the Lord, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
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