Numbers 4
4
Second census and the Levites’ duties
The Kohathites’ duties
1The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron: 2Take a census of the Kohathites from among the Levites by their clans and their households, 3from 30 to 50 years old, all who are eligible for service to do the work of the meeting tent. 4These are the responsibilities of the Kohathites in the meeting tent: the most holy things.
5When it’s time to break camp, Aaron and his sons will enter and take down the screening curtain, and they will cover the chest containing the covenant with it. 6Then they will place a covering of fine leather#4.6 Or dolphin skin; see also 4:8, 10-12. on it. They will spread a whole cloth of blue over it, and they will set its poles in place. 7They will spread a blue cloth on the presentation table and place on it the plates, the dishes, the bowls, and the container for the drink offering. The usual bread will be on it. 8They will spread on them a red cloth, cover it with fine leather, and set its poles in place. 9They will take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand used for light, its lamps, its extinguishers, its trays, and all the containers for oil that are used in its service. 10They will place it and its equipment in a covering of fine leather, and then place it on the carrying frame. 11They will spread a blue cloth on the gold altar and cover it with fine leather. 12They will take all the service equipment used in the sanctuary, place it in a blue cloth, and cover it with fine leather. Then they will place it on the carrying frame. 13They will remove the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth on it. 14They will place on it all the equipment used for servicing it, the censers, the meat fork, the shovels, the bowls, all the equipment of the altar. They will spread a covering of fine leather over it and then set its poles in place.
15Aaron and his sons will finish covering the sanctuary and all the equipment of the sanctuary when it is time to break camp. After that the Kohathites will enter to carry it, but they will not touch the sanctuary, lest they die. These are the objects in the dwelling that the Kohathites are to carry. 16But Eleazar son of Aaron the priest will have oversight of the oil for lighting, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering, and the anointing oil, as well as oversight of the entire dwelling and everything in it related to the sanctuary and its equipment.
17The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron: 18You must not let the tribe of the Kohathite clans be eliminated from the Levites. 19This is what you must do for them so that they stay alive and don’t die when they approach the most holy things. Aaron and his sons will enter and assign each of them his work and his load. 20But they may not enter to look at the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die.
The Gershonites’ duties
21The LORD spoke to Moses: 22Take a census of the Gershonites also, by their households and their clans. 23You will enroll those from 30 to 50 years old, all who are eligible for service to do work in the dwelling. 24This is the duty of the Gershonite clans for work and for carrying the load: 25They will carry the fabric of the dwelling, the meeting tent with its covering, the outer covering of fine leather, the screen for the entrance of the meeting tent, 26the curtains of the courtyard, the screen of the entrance at the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the meeting tent and the altar, their cords, and all their equipment for their work. They will do everything that needs to be done with these objects.
27All the duties of the Gershonites for carrying their load and for their work will be at the command of Aaron and his sons. You will assign to them the responsibility to carry their load. 28This is the work of the Gershonite clans in the dwelling. Their responsibility will be under Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
The Merarites’ duties
29You will enroll the Merarites by their clans and their households. 30You will enroll those from 30 to 50 years old, all who are eligible for service to do work in the meeting tent. 31This is what they are responsible to carry as their work in the meeting tent: the frames of the meeting tent, its bars, pillars, and bases; 32the pillars of the courtyard all around, with their bases, pegs, cords, and all the equipment used with them. You will list by name the objects they are required to carry. 33This is the duty of the Merarite clans for all their work in the meeting tent under the supervision of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
Summary of the census
34So Moses, Aaron, and the chiefs of the community enrolled the Kohathites by their clans and their households, 35those from 30 to 50 years old who were eligible for work in the meeting tent. 36Their enrollment by their clans was 2,750. 37These are the enrolled of the Kohathite clans, all who worked in the meeting tent and whom Moses and Aaron enrolled according to the LORD’s command through Moses.
38The enrollment of the Gershonites by their clans and their households, 39those 30 to 50 years old who were eligible for work in the meeting tent: 40their enrollment by their clans and their households was 2,630. 41These are the enrolled of the Gershonite clans, all who worked in the meeting tent, and whom Moses and Aaron enrolled according to the LORD’s command.
42The enrollment of the Merarite clans by their clans and their households, 43those 30 to 50 years old who were eligible for work in the meeting tent: 44their enrollment by their clans was 3,200. 45These are the enrolled of the Merarite clans, whom Moses and Aaron enrolled according to the LORD’s command through Moses.
46All the enrolled Levites whom Moses, Aaron, and the chiefs of Israel enrolled by their clans and their households, 47those 30 to 50 years old who were eligible to do the work and to carry the load of the meeting tent: 48their enrollment was 8,580. 49Each was enrolled by the LORD’s command through Moses to work and to carry his load. Each was assigned just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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Numbers 4: CEB
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