Numbers 3
Legacy Standard Bible
Priests and Levites
3 (A)Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when Yahweh spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 (B)These then 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 (C)anointed priests, whom he [a]ordained to minister as priests. 4 (D)But Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh when they offered strange fire before Yahweh in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests [b]in the lifetime of their father Aaron.
5 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “(E)Bring the tribe of Levi near and have them stand before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7 And they shall keep his responsibility and the responsibility for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to perform the (F)service of the tabernacle. 8 They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the responsibility of the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the [c]tabernacle. 9 You shall thus (G)give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel. 10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that (H)they may keep their priesthood, but (I)the [d]outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”
11 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Now, behold, I (J)have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every (K)firstborn, the first offspring of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. 13 For (L)all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am Yahweh.”
14 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses (M)in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15 “[e](N)Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall [f]number.” 16 So Moses numbered them according to the [g]word of Yahweh, just as he had been commanded. 17 (O)These then are the sons of Levi by their names:
Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
18 And these are the names of the (P)sons of Gershon by their families:
Libni and Shimei;
19 and the sons of Kohath by their families:
Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel;
20 and the sons of Merari by their families:
Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.
21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites. 22 Their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, even their numbered men were 7,500. 23 The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward, 24 and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.
Responsibilities of the Priests
25 Now (Q)the responsibility of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle and (R)the tent, its covering, and (S)the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting, 26 and (T)the hangings of the court, and (U)the screen for the doorway of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords, according to all the service [h]concerning them.
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 were the families of the Kohathites. 28 In the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary. 29 The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the southward side of the tabernacle, 30 and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families was [i]Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31 Now (V)their responsibility involved (W)the ark, (X)the table, (Y)the lampstand, (Z)the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service [j]concerning them; 32 and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the chief of the leaders of Levi and had the oversight of those who keep the responsibility of the sanctuary.
33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari. 34 And their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200. 35 And the leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to (AA)camp on the northward side of the tabernacle. 36 Now the appointed responsibility of the sons of Merari involved the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its bases, all its equipment, and the service concerning them, 37 and the pillars around the court with their bases and their pegs and their cords.
38 Now those who were to (AB)camp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses and Aaron and his sons, keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary for the responsibility of the sons of Israel; but (AC)the [k]outsider coming near was to be put to death. 39 All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the [l]command of Yahweh by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were (AD)22,000.
Redemption of the Firstborn
40 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “(AE)Number every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and [m]make a list of their names. 41 And you (AF)shall take the Levites for Me, I am Yahweh, instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.” 42 So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as Yahweh had commanded him; 43 and all the firstborn males by the number of names from a month old and upward, for their numbered men were (AG)22,273.
44 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “(AH)Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am Yahweh. 46 (AI)For the redemption price of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites, 47 you shall take (AJ)five [n]shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in (AK)terms of the shekel of the sanctuary ((AL)the shekel is twenty [o]gerahs), 48 and give the money, the redemption price of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons.” 49 So Moses took the money of the redemption price from those who were in excess, beyond those redeemed by the Levites; 50 from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365. 51 Then Moses gave the money of the redemption price to Aaron and to his sons, at the [p]command of Yahweh, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
Footnotes
- Numbers 3:3 Lit filled their hand
- Numbers 3:4 Lit before the face
- Numbers 3:8 Lit dwelling place, so in ch
- Numbers 3:10 Lit stranger
- Numbers 3:15 Lit Muster
- Numbers 3:15 Lit muster, so in ch
- Numbers 3:16 Lit mouth
- Numbers 3:26 Lit of it
- Numbers 3:30 In Ex 6:22, Elzaphan
- Numbers 3:31 Lit of it
- Numbers 3:38 Lit stranger
- Numbers 3:39 Lit word
- Numbers 3:40 Lit take the number
- Numbers 3:47 A shekel was approx. 0.4 oz. or 11 gm
- Numbers 3:47 A gerah was approx. 0.025 oz. or 0.7 gm
- Numbers 3:51 Lit mouth
Numbers 3
Jubilee Bible 2000
3 ¶ These also are the generations of Aaron and of Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai.
2 And 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, anointed priests, whose hands he filled to administer the priesthood.
4 But Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons; and Eleazar and Ithamar exercised the priesthood in the sight of Aaron, their father.
5 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
6 Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them before Aaron, the priest, that they may minister unto him.
7 And they shall keep his commandment and the commandment of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the testimony, to minister in the service of the tabernacle.
8 And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the testimony and the charge of the sons of Israel, to minister in the service of the tabernacle.
9 And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons; they are completely given unto him out of the sons of Israel.
10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons that they shall guard their priesthood; and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.
11 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
12 Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the firstborn that open the womb among the sons of Israel; therefore the Levites shall be mine;
13 because all the firstborn are mine; from the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both of men and of animals; they shall be mine: I am the LORD.
14 ¶ The LORD also spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15 Number the sons of Levi by the houses of their fathers, by their families; thou shalt number every male from a month old and upward.
16 And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.
17 And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.
19 And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20 And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the houses of their fathers.
21 Of Gershon was the family of Libni and the family of Shimei; these are the families of Gershon.
22 Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, those that were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred.
23 The families of Gershon shall pitch behind the tabernacle to the west;
24 and the prince of the house of the father of the Gershonites, Eliasaph, son of Lael.
25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the testimony shall be the tabernacle and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the testimony,
26 and the hangings of the court and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.
27 And of Kohath was the family of Amram and the family of Izehar and the family of Hebron and the family of Uzziel; these are the families of the Kohathites.
28 In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle towards the Negev;
30 and the prince of the house of the father of the families of Kohath, Elizaphan, son of Uzziel.
31 And their charge shall be the ark and the table and the lampstand and the altars and the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the veil, with all its service.
32 And Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, shall be principal over the princes of the Levites and have the oversight of those that keep the charge of the sanctuary.
33 Of Merari was the family of Mahli and the family of Mushi; these are the families of Merari.
34 And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred;
35 and the prince of the house of the father of the families of Merari, Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle to the Aquilon.
36 And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle and the bars thereof and the pillars thereof and the sockets thereof and all the instruments thereof, with all its service,
37 and the pillars of the court round about and their sockets and their stakes and their cords.
38 And those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, before the tabernacle of the testimony towards the sunrise, shall be Moses and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the sons of Israel; and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.
39 All that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron, according to the word of the LORD, numbered by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.
40 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward and take the number of their names.
41 And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the animals of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the animals of the sons of Israel.
42 And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.
43 And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.
44 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the animals of the Levites instead of their animals, and the Levites shall be mine; I am the LORD.
46 And for the ransoms of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the sons of Israel, who are more than the Levites,
47 thou shalt take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them (the shekel is of twenty gerahs).
48 And thou shalt give the money, of the ransoms of the odd number of them, unto Aaron and to his sons.
49 And Moses took the ransom money of those that were over and above the ones that were redeemed by the Levites
50 and received of the firstborn of the sons of Israel, in money, a thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
51 And Moses gave the money of the ransoms unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International