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Numbers 3
The Message

The Levites

3 This is the family tree of Aaron and Moses at the time God spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

2-4 The names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar—anointed priests ordained to serve as priests. But Nadab and Abihu fell dead in the presence of God when they offered unauthorized sacrifice to him in the Wilderness of Sinai. They left no sons, and so only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father, Aaron.

5-10 God spoke to Moses. He said, “Bring forward the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron so they can help him. They shall work for him and the whole congregation at the Tent of Meeting by doing the work of The Dwelling. Their job is to be responsible for all the furnishings of The Dwelling, ministering to the affairs of The Dwelling as the People of Israel come to perform their duties. Turn the Levites over to Aaron and his sons; they are the ones assigned to work full time for him. Appoint Aaron and his sons to minister as priests; anyone else who tries to elbow his way in will be put to death.”

11-13 God spoke to Moses: “I have taken the Levites from among the People of Israel as a stand-in for every Israelite mother’s firstborn son. The Levites belong to me. All the firstborn are mine—when I killed all the firstborn in Egypt, I consecrated for my own use every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They belong to me. I am God.”

14-16 God spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai: “Count the Levites by their ancestral families and clans. Count every male a month old and older.” Moses counted them just as he was instructed by the mouth of God.

17 These are the names of the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

18 These are the names of the Gershonite clans: Libni and Shimei.

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

20 The sons of Merari by clan: Mahli and Mushi.

These are the clans of Levi, family by family.

21-26 Gershon was ancestor to the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites, known as the Gershonite clans. All the males who were one month and older numbered 7,500. The Gershonite clans camped on the west, behind The Dwelling, led by Eliasaph son of Lael. At the Tent of Meeting the Gershonites were in charge of maintaining The Dwelling and its tent, its coverings, the screen at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the hangings of the Courtyard, the screen at the entrance to the Courtyard that surrounded The Dwelling and Altar, and the cords—in short, everything having to do with these things.

27-32 Kohath was ancestor to the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites. These were known as the Kohathite clans. All the males who were one month and older numbered 8,600. The Kohathites were in charge of the Sanctuary. The Kohathite clans camped on the south side of The Dwelling, led by Elizaphan son of Uzziel. They were in charge of caring for the Chest, the Table, the Lampstand, the Altars, the articles of the Sanctuary used in worship, and the screen—everything having to do with these things. Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, supervised the leaders of the Levites and those in charge of the Sanctuary.

33-37 Merari was ancestor to the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites, known as the Merarite clans. The males who were one month and older numbered 6,200. They were led by Zuriel son of Abihail and camped on the north side of The Dwelling. The Merarites were in charge of the frames of The Dwelling, its crossbars, posts, bases, and all its equipment—everything having to do with these things, as well as the posts of the surrounding Courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and cords.

38 Moses and Aaron and his sons camped to the east of The Dwelling, toward the rising sun, in front of the Tent of Meeting. They were in charge of maintaining the Sanctuary for the People of Israel and the rituals of worship. Anyone else who tried to perform these duties was to be put to death.

39 The sum total of Levites counted at God’s command by Moses and Aaron, clan by clan, all the males one month and older, numbered 22,000.

40-41 God spoke to Moses: “Count all the firstborn males of the People of Israel who are one month and older. List their names. Then set apart for me the Levites—remember, I am God—in place of all the firstborn among the People of Israel, also the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. I am God.”

42-43 So, just as God commanded him, Moses counted all the firstborn of the People of Israel. The total of firstborn males one month and older, listed by name, numbered 22,273.

44-48 Again God spoke to Moses. He said, “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are mine, I am God. Redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of Levites by collecting five shekels for each one, using the Sanctuary shekel (the shekel weighing twenty gerahs). Give that money to Aaron and his sons for the redemption of the excess number of Israelites.”

49-51 So Moses collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites. From the 273 firstborn Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels according to the Sanctuary shekel. Moses turned over the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of God.

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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

  1. Numbers 3:3 Lit filled their hand
  2. Numbers 3:4 Lit before the face
  3. Numbers 3:8 Lit dwelling place, so in ch
  4. Numbers 3:10 Lit stranger
  5. Numbers 3:15 Lit Muster
  6. Numbers 3:15 Lit muster, so in ch
  7. Numbers 3:16 Lit mouth
  8. Numbers 3:26 Lit of it
  9. Numbers 3:30 In Ex 6:22, Elzaphan
  10. Numbers 3:31 Lit of it
  11. Numbers 3:38 Lit stranger
  12. Numbers 3:39 Lit word
  13. Numbers 3:40 Lit take the number
  14. Numbers 3:47 A shekel was approx. 0.4 oz. or 11 gm
  15. Numbers 3:47 A gerah was approx. 0.025 oz. or 0.7 gm
  16. Numbers 3:51 Lit mouth
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson

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