Numbers 3

1This is the account of Aaron and Moses at the time Yahweh spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

2These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests.

4But Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh when they offered unauthorized fire before Yahweh in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of Aaron their father.

5Yahweh said to Moses,

6“Bring the tribe of Levi forward and present them to Aaron the priest, so that they may assist him.

7They are to carry out duties for him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle.

8They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and carry out duties for the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle.

9Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the Israelites.

10Appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out their priesthood. Any outsider who comes near is to be put to death.”

11Yahweh said to Moses,

12“I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of every firstborn, the first to open the womb among the Israelites. The Levites are 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, both human and animal. They are to be mine. I am Yahweh.”

14Yahweh said to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai,

15“Register the Levites by their ancestral houses and their clans. Register every male one month old and upward.”

16So Moses 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 the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei.

19The sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20The sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites by their ancestral houses.

21From Gershon came the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites.

22Those registered, counting every male one month old and upward, numbered 7,500.

23The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle, on the west side.

24The leader of the ancestral house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.

25At the tent of meeting the Gershonites were responsible for the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting,

26the hangings of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords—all the work connected with these.

27From Kohath came the clan of the Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan of the Uzzielites; these were the clans of the Kohathites.

28Counting every male one month old and upward, they numbered 8,600. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.

29The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.

30The leader of the ancestral house of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.

31They were responsible for the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the sacred utensils used in the service, and the screen—all the work connected with these.

32The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he had oversight of those responsible for the care of the sanctuary.

33From Merari came the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites; these were the clans of Merari.

34Those registered, counting every male one month old and upward, numbered 6,200.

35The leader of the ancestral house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.

36The Merarites were assigned to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, its posts, its bases, and all its equipment—all the work connected with these—

37as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and cords.

38Those camping in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Any outsider who came near was to be put to death.

39All the Levites registered, whom Moses and Aaron registered at Yahweh’s command by their clans, every male one month old and upward, numbered twenty-two thousand.

40Yahweh said to Moses, “Register every firstborn male of the Israelites one month old and upward, and make a list of their names.

41Take the Levites for me—I am Yahweh—in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of every firstborn among the livestock of the Israelites.”

42So Moses registered every firstborn among the Israelites, as Yahweh had commanded him.

43All the firstborn males one month old and upward, listed by name, numbered 22,273.

44Yahweh said to Moses,

45“Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am Yahweh.

46To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites,

47collect five shekels for each person. Collect it by the sanctuary shekel—the shekel is twenty gerahs.

48Give the money for redeeming those who are in excess to Aaron and his sons.”

49So Moses collected the redemption money from those who were in excess of the ones redeemed by the Levites.

50From the firstborn Israelites he collected the money, 1,365 shekels by the sanctuary shekel.

51Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons at Yahweh’s command, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.