1 Now this is the history of the generations of Aaron and Moses in
the day that Yahweh spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai. 2 These are the names
of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and
Ithamar.
3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed,
whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office. 4 Nadab and Abihu
died before Yahweh, when they offered strange fire before Yahweh, in the
wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar ministered
in the priest’s office in the presence of Aaron their father.
5 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and
set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7 They
shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the
Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8 They shall keep
all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, and the obligations of the
children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9 You shall give
the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the
behalf of the children of Israel. 10 You shall appoint Aaron and his sons,
and they shall keep their priesthood. The stranger who comes near shall be
put to death.”
11 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Behold, I have taken the Levites
from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the
womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine: 13 for
all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn
in the land of Egypt I made holy to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man
and animal. They shall be mine. I am Yahweh.”
14 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15 “Number
the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families: every male
from a month old and upward shall you number.”
16 Moses numbered them according to the word of Yahweh, as he was
commanded.
17 These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and
Merari.
18 These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and
Shimei.
19 The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, and Izhar, Hebron, and
Uzziel.
20 The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi.
These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses.
21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the
Shimeites: these are the families of the Gershonites.
22 Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the
males, from a month old and upward, even those who were numbered of them were
seven thousand five hundred.
23 The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle
westward.
24 The prince of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph
the son of Lael. 25 The charge of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of
Meeting shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the screen
for the door of the Tent of Meeting, 26 and the hangings of the court, and
the screen for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and around
the altar, and its cords for all of its service.
27 Of Kohath was 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. 28 According to the
number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight
thousand six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the south side of
the tabernacle. 30 The prince of the fathers’ house of the families of the
Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31 Their charge shall be
the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary
with which they minister, and the screen, and all its service. 32 Eleazar
the son of Aaron the priest shall be prince of the princes of the Levites,
with the oversight of those who keep the charge of the sanctuary.
33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the
Mushites. These are the families of Merari. 34 Those who were numbered of
them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward,
were six thousand two hundred.
35 The prince of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel
the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36 The appointed charge of the sons of Merari shall be the tabernacle’s
boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its instruments, all its
service, 37 the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins,
and their cords. 38 Those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, in
front of the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses, and Aaron
and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the
children of Israel. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
39 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at
the commandment of Yahweh, by their families, all the males from a month old
and upward, were twenty-two thousand.
40 Yahweh said to Moses, “Number all the firstborn males of the children
of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
41 You shall take the Levites for me (I am Yahweh) instead of all the
firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead
of all the firstborn among the cattle of the children of Israel.”
42 Moses numbered, as Yahweh commanded him, all the firstborn among the
children of Israel. 43 All the firstborn males according to the number of
names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered of them, were
twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.
44 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Take 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 Yahweh.
46 For the redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of
the children of Israel, who exceed the number of the Levites, 47 you shall
take five shekels apiece for each one; after the shekel of the sanctuary you
shall take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs): 48 and you shall give the
money, with which the remainder of them is redeemed, to Aaron and to his
sons.”
49 Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of
those who were redeemed by the Levites; 50 from the firstborn of the
children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five
shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: 51 and Moses gave the
redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of Yahweh,
as Yahweh commanded Moses.
World English Bible - Public Domain |