Numbers 3
1These are the descendants of Aaron and Moses at the time Yahweh spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
2These are the names of Aaron’s sons: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3These are the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests whose hands he filled to serve as priests.
4But Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh when they presented unauthorized fire before Yahweh in the Sinai wilderness. They had no sons. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
5Yahweh spoke to Moses:
6“Bring the tribe of Levi near and have it stand before Aaron the priest to serve him.
7They are to keep his charge and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, doing the work of the dwelling.
8They are to care for all the equipment of the tent of meeting and keep the charge of the sons of Israel, doing the work of the dwelling.
9Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are given, wholly given, to him from among the sons of Israel.
10Appoint Aaron and his sons to keep charge of their priesthood. An unauthorized person who approaches must be put to death.”
11Yahweh spoke to Moses:
12“Look, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel in place of every firstborn who opens the womb among the sons of Israel. The Levites shall be mine,
13because every firstborn is mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, human and animal. They shall be mine. I am Yahweh.”
14Yahweh spoke to Moses in the Sinai wilderness:
15“Register the sons of Levi by their ancestral houses and clans. Register every male one month old and upward.”
16Moses registered them at Yahweh’s command, as he had been commanded.
17These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18These are 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 are the clans of Levi by their ancestral houses.
21To Gershon belonged the Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan. These are the Gershonite clans.
22Those registered, counting every male one month old and upward, numbered 7,500.
23The Gershonite clans were to camp behind the dwelling, on the west.
24The leader of the Gershonites’ ancestral house was Eliasaph son of Lael.
25The sons of Gershon were responsible for these things at the tent of meeting: the dwelling and the tent, its covering, the screen at the entrance of the tent of meeting,
26the courtyard hangings, the screen at the courtyard entrance surrounding the dwelling and the altar, and its cords, with all the work connected with them.
27To Kohath belonged the Amramite clan, the Izharite clan, the Hebronite clan, and the Uzzielite clan. These are the Kohathite clans.
28Counting every male one month old and upward, there were 8,600 keeping charge of the sanctuary.
29The clans of the sons of Kohath were to camp along the south side of the dwelling.
30The leader of the Kohathite clans’ ancestral house was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31They were responsible for the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the sanctuary equipment used in service, the screen, and all the work connected with them.
32The chief over the Levite leaders was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, with oversight of those keeping charge of the sanctuary.
33To Merari belonged the Mahlite clan and the Mushite clan. These are the clans of Merari.
34Those registered, counting every male one month old and upward, numbered 6,200.
35The leader of the Merarite clans’ ancestral house was Zuriel son of Abihail. They were to camp along the north side of the dwelling.
36The sons of Merari had charge of the dwelling’s frames, crossbars, pillars, bases, all its equipment, and all the work connected with it,
37along with the pillars around the courtyard, their bases, pegs, and cords.
38Moses, Aaron, and his sons were to camp in front of the dwelling, on the east, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, keeping charge of the sanctuary on behalf of the sons of Israel. An unauthorized person who approached was to be put to death.
39The total Levites whom Moses and Aaron registered by their clans at Yahweh’s command, every male one month old and upward, was 22,000.
40Yahweh said to Moses, “Register every firstborn male among the sons of Israel one month old and upward, and count their names.
41Take the Levites for me—I am Yahweh—in place of every firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the Levites’ livestock in place of every firstborn among the livestock of the sons of Israel.”
42Moses registered every firstborn among the sons of Israel, as Yahweh had commanded him.
43The total firstborn males registered by name, one month old and upward, was 22,273.
44Yahweh spoke to Moses:
45“Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the Levites’ livestock in place of their livestock. The Levites shall be mine. I am Yahweh.
46As the redemption price for the 273 firstborn of the sons of Israel who exceed the number of the Levites,
47take five shekels per head. Take it according to the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel.
48Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are in excess.”
49Moses took the redemption silver from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites.
50From the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the silver, 1,365 shekels according to the sanctuary shekel.
51Moses gave the redemption silver to Aaron and his sons at Yahweh’s command, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.