Numbers 4
1Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron:
2“Take a census of the sons of Kohath among the sons of Levi, by their clans and ancestral houses,
3from thirty years old upward to fifty years old, everyone entering the service company to do work in the tent of meeting.
4This is the work of the sons of Kohath at the tent of meeting: the most holy things.
5When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons are to go in, take down the screening veil, and cover the ark of the testimony with it.
6They are to put a covering of tahash skin over it, spread a cloth entirely of blue above it, and put its poles in place.
7Over the table of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it the dishes, ladles, bowls, and pitchers for the drink offering. The regular bread is to remain on it.
8They are to spread a crimson cloth over them, cover it with a covering of tahash skin, and put its poles in place.
9They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand for the light, its lamps, tongs, firepans, and all its oil vessels used in attending it.
10They are to put it and all its equipment into a covering of tahash skin and put it on a carrying frame.
11Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with a covering of tahash skin, and put its poles in place.
12They are to take all the equipment used for service in the sanctuary, put it into a blue cloth, cover it with a covering of tahash skin, and put it on a carrying frame.
13They are to remove the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it.
14On it they are to put all the equipment used in its service: the firepans, forks, shovels, and basins—all the altar’s equipment. They are to spread a covering of tahash skin over it and put its poles in place.
15When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons are to finish covering the holy things and all the sanctuary equipment. After that, the sons of Kohath are to come to carry them, but they must not touch the holy things, or they will die. These are the loads of the sons of Kohath at the tent of meeting.
16Eleazar son of Aaron the priest is responsible for the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering, and the anointing oil. He has oversight of the whole dwelling and all that is in it, the holy things and its equipment.”
17Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron:
18“Do not let the branch of the Kohathite clans be cut off from among the Levites.
19Do this for them so that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons are to go in and assign each man to his work and his load.
20They must not go in to look while the holy things are being covered, or they will die.”
21Yahweh spoke to Moses:
22“Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their ancestral houses and clans.
23Register them from thirty years old upward to fifty years old, everyone entering the service company to do the work in the tent of meeting.
24This is the work of the Gershonite clans, their duties and carrying:
25they are to carry the curtains of the dwelling and the tent of meeting, its covering and the covering of tahash skin above it, and the screen at the entrance of the tent of meeting,
26the courtyard hangings, the screen at the gateway of the courtyard surrounding the dwelling and the altar, their cords, and all the equipment for their work. They are to do everything that needs to be done with them.
27All the work of the sons of the Gershonites, all their carrying and all their duties, is to be at the direction of Aaron and his sons. You are to assign to their care everything they must carry.
28This is the work of the clans of the sons of the Gershonites at the tent of meeting. Their charge is under the supervision of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
29“Register the sons of Merari by their clans and ancestral houses.
30Register them from thirty years old upward to fifty years old, everyone entering the service company to do the work of the tent of meeting.
31This is what they are charged to carry in all their work at the tent of meeting: the dwelling’s frames, crossbars, pillars, and bases,
32and the pillars around the courtyard, their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their duties. Assign by name the equipment they are charged to carry.
33This is the work of the clans of the sons of Merari, all their duties at the tent of meeting, under the supervision of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”
34Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation registered the sons of the Kohathites by their clans and ancestral houses,
35from thirty years old upward to fifty years old, everyone entering the service company for work in the tent of meeting.
36Those registered by their clans numbered 2,750.
37These were those registered from the Kohathite clans, everyone serving at the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron registered at Yahweh’s command through Moses.
38Those registered from the sons of Gershon, by their clans and ancestral houses,
39from thirty years old upward to fifty years old, everyone entering the service company for work in the tent of meeting,
40numbered 2,630, registered by their clans and ancestral houses.
41These were those registered from the clans of the sons of Gershon, everyone serving at the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron registered at Yahweh’s command.
42Those registered from the clans of the sons of Merari, by their clans and ancestral houses,
43from thirty years old upward to fifty years old, everyone entering the service company for work in the tent of meeting,
44numbered 3,200, registered by their clans.
45These were those registered from the clans of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron registered at Yahweh’s command through Moses.
46All the Levites whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel registered by their clans and ancestral houses,
47from thirty years old upward to fifty years old, everyone entering to perform the duties of service and carrying at the tent of meeting,
48numbered 8,580.
49At Yahweh’s command through Moses they were assigned, each to his work and his load. They were registered as Yahweh had commanded Moses.