Numbers 1
Legacy Standard Bible
The Census of Israel’s Warriors
1 Then [a]Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on (A)the first of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “(B)Take a [b]census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head 3 from (C)twenty years old and upward, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel, you and Aaron shall [c]number them by their armies. 4 With you, moreover, there shall be a man of each tribe, (D)each one head of his father’s household. 5 These then are the names of the men who shall stand with you:
(E)of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;
6 of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;
7 of Judah, (F)Nahshon the son of Amminadab;
8 of Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar;
9 of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;
10 of the sons of Joseph:
of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud;
of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;
11 of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;
12 of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;
13 of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran;
14 of Gad, Eliasaph the son of (G)Deuel;
15 of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.
16 These are they who were (H)called upon by the congregation, the leaders of their fathers’ tribes; they were the (I)heads of [d]divisions of Israel.”
17 So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, 18 and they assembled all the congregation together on the (J)first of the second month. Then they registered by (K)genealogy in their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, head by head, 19 just as (L)Yahweh had commanded Moses. So he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.
20 (M)Now the sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 21 their numbered men of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.
22 (N)Of the sons of Simeon, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, their numbered men, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, (O)whoever was able to go out to war, 23 their numbered men of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.
24 (P)Of the sons of Gad, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 25 their numbered men of the tribe of Gad were 45,650.
26 (Q)Of the sons of Judah, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 27 their numbered men of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.
28 (R)Of the sons of Issachar, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 29 their numbered men of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.
30 (S)Of the sons of Zebulun, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 31 their numbered men of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.
32 (T)Of the sons of Joseph, namely, of the sons of Ephraim, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 33 their numbered men of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.
34 (U)Of the sons of Manasseh, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 35 their numbered men of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.
36 (V)Of the sons of Benjamin, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 37 their numbered men of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.
38 (W)Of the sons of Dan, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 39 their numbered men of the tribe of Dan were 62,700.
40 (X)Of the sons of Asher, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 41 their numbered men of the tribe of Asher were 41,500.
42 (Y)Of the sons of Naphtali, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 43 their numbered men of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.
44 These are the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each of whom was of his father’s household. 45 So all the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their fathers’ households, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war in Israel, 46 even all the numbered men were (Z)603,550.
Levites Not Numbered in the Census
47 (AA)The Levites, however, were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe. 48 Yahweh had spoken to Moses, saying, 49 “Only the tribe of Levi (AB)you shall not number, nor shall you take their [e]census among the sons of Israel. 50 But you shall (AC)appoint the Levites over the [f]tabernacle of the testimony and over all its furnishings and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall attend to it; they shall also camp around the tabernacle. 51 (AD)So when the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encamps, the Levites shall set it up. But (AE)the [g]layman who comes near shall be put to death. 52 (AF)And the sons of Israel shall camp, each man by his own camp, and each man by his own standard, according to their armies. 53 (AG)But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony so that there will be (AH)no wrath on the congregation of the sons of Israel. (AI)So the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.” 54 Thus the sons of Israel did; according to all which Yahweh had commanded Moses, so they did.
Footnotes
- Numbers 1:1 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
- Numbers 1:2 Lit sum
- Numbers 1:3 Lit muster, so in ch
- Numbers 1:16 Or clans; lit thousands
- Numbers 1:49 Lit sum
- Numbers 1:50 Lit dwelling place, so in ch
- Numbers 1:51 Lit stranger
Numbers 1
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
I. Census and Preparation for the Departure from Sinai
Chapter 1
The Census. 1 In the second year after the Israelites’ departure from the land of Egypt, on the first day of the second month, the Lord said to Moses at the tent of meeting in the wilderness of Sinai: 2 [a]Take a census of the whole community of the Israelites,(A) by clans and ancestral houses, registering by name each male individually. 3 You and Aaron shall enroll in companies all the men in Israel of twenty years or more who are fit for military service.
Moses’ Assistants. 4 With you there shall be a man from each tribe, each the head of his ancestral house. 5 (B)These are the names of those who are to assist you:
from Reuben: Elizur, son of Shedeur;
6 from Simeon: Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai;
7 from Judah:(C) Nahshon, son of Amminadab;
8 from Issachar: Nethanel, son of Zuar;
9 from Zebulun: Eliab, son of Helon;
10 for the descendants of Joseph: from Ephraim: Elishama, son of Ammihud; and from Manasseh: Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur;
11 from Benjamin: Abidan, son of Gideoni;
12 from Dan: Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai;
13 from Asher: Pagiel, son of Ochran;
14 from Gad: Eliasaph, son of Reuel;
15 from Naphtali: Ahira, son of Enan.
16 (D)These were the elect of the community, leaders of their ancestral tribes, heads of the clans of Israel. 17 So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, 18 and assembled the whole community on the first day of the second month. Every man of twenty years or more then registered individually his name and lineage according to clan and ancestral house, 19 as the Lord had commanded Moses. So he enrolled them in the wilderness of Sinai.
Count of the Twelve Tribes. 20 Of the descendants of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, registered individually by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service: 21 those enrolled from the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.
22 Of the descendants of Simeon, registered individually by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service: 23 those enrolled from the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.
24 Of the descendants of Gad, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service: 25 those enrolled from the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.
26 Of the descendants of Judah, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service: 27 those enrolled from the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred.
28 Of the descendants of Issachar, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service: 29 those enrolled from the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred.
30 Of the descendants of Zebulun, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service: 31 those enrolled from the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
32 Of the descendants of Joseph:
Of the descendants of Ephraim, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service: 33 those enrolled from the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.
34 Of the descendants of Manasseh, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service: 35 those enrolled from the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.
36 Of the descendants of Benjamin, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service: 37 those enrolled from the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.
38 Of the descendants of Dan, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service: 39 those enrolled from the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
40 Of the descendants of Asher, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service: 41 those enrolled from the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.
42 Of the descendants of Naphtali, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service: 43 those enrolled from the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.
44 It was these who were enrolled, each according to his ancestral house, by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel. 45 The total enrollment of the Israelites of twenty years or more, according to their ancestral houses, everyone fit for military service in Israel— 46 the total enrollment was six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty.
Levites Omitted in the Census. 47 Now the Levites were not enrolled(E) by their ancestral tribe with the others.[b] 48 For the Lord had told Moses, 49 The tribe of Levi alone you shall not enroll nor include in the census along with the other Israelites. 50 You are to give the Levites charge of the tabernacle of the covenant with all its equipment and all that belongs to it. It is they who shall carry the tabernacle with all its equipment and who shall be its ministers;(F) and they shall camp all around the tabernacle. 51 When the tabernacle is to move on, the Levites shall take it down; when the tabernacle is to be pitched, it is the Levites who shall set it up. Any unauthorized person who comes near[c] it shall be put to death.(G) 52 The other Israelites shall camp according to their companies, each in their own divisional camps,(H) 53 but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the covenant to ensure that God’s wrath will not fall upon the Israelite community. The Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the covenant.(I) 54 The Israelites complied; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Footnotes
- 1:2 All Israel was divided into tribes, each tribe into clans, and each clan into ancestral houses.
- 1:47 The Levites were not enrolled in this census, which was principally for military purposes, but a separate census was made of them. Cf. 3:15–16, 39.
- 1:51 Comes near: here and in 3:10, 38; 17:5; 18:4, 7 the Hebrew word rendered “comes near” is very nearly a technical term for someone who intrudes upon or violates a space set apart as holy and for which they have not been qualified by priesthood.
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