Numbers 4
Expanded Bible
The Jobs of the Kohath Family
4 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “·Count [Take a census of; L Lift the head of] the Kohathites ·among [or separate from] the Levites by ·family groups [clans] and families. 3 ·Count [Take a census of; L Lift the head of] the men from thirty to fifty years old, all who come to serve in the Meeting Tent.
4 “The Kohathites are responsible for the most holy things in the Meeting Tent. 5 When the ·Israelites are [L camp is] ready to move, Aaron and his sons must go into the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle], take down the curtain, and cover the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; L Testimony; Ex. 25:10] with it. 6 Over this they must put a covering made from ·fine leather [or sea cow hide; Ex. 26:14], then spread the solid blue cloth over that [Ex. 26:1–6], and put the poles in place.
7 “Then they must spread a blue cloth over the table for the ·bread that shows a person is in God’s presence [Bread of Presence; Ex. 25:30]. They must put the plates, pans, bowls, and the jars for drink offerings on the table; they must leave the bread that is always there on the table. 8 Then they must put a ·red [crimson] cloth over all of these things, cover everything with ·fine leather [or sea cow hide; Ex. 26:14], and put the poles in place.
9 “With a blue cloth they must cover the ·lampstand [L Menorah; Ex. 25:31–40], its lamps, its wick trimmers, its trays, and all the jars for the oil used in the lamps. 10 Then they must wrap everything in ·fine leather [or sea cow hide; Ex. 26:14] and put all these things on a frame for carrying them.
11 “They must spread a blue cloth over the gold altar [C the altar of incense; Ex. 30:1–6], cover it with ·fine leather [or sea cow hide; Ex. 26:14], and put the poles in place.
12 “They must gather all the things used for serving in the Holy Place and wrap them in a blue cloth. Then they must cover that with ·fine leather [or sea cow hide; Ex. 26:14] and put these things on a frame for carrying them.
13 “They must clean the ashes off the bronze altar [Ex. 27:1–8] and spread a purple cloth over it. 14 They must gather all the things used for serving at the altar—the ·pans for carrying the fire [firepans], the meat forks, the shovels, and the ·bowls [basins]—and put them on the bronze altar. Then they must spread a covering of ·fine leather [or sea cow hide; Ex. 26:14] over it and put the poles in place.
15 “When the ·Israelites are [L camp is] ready to move, and when Aaron and his sons have covered the ·holy furniture [or Holy Place] and all the holy things, the Kohathites may go in and carry them away. In this way they won’t touch the holy things and die. It is the Kohathites’ job to carry the things that are in the Meeting Tent.
16 “Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, will be responsible for the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle] and for everything in it, for all the holy things it has: the oil for the lamp [Ex. 27:20–21], the sweet-smelling incense, the continual ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1], and the oil used to appoint priests [Ex. 30:22–38] and things to the Lord’s service.”
17 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 18 “Don’t let the ·Kohathites [L the tribe of the clans of Kohath] be cut off from the Levites. 19 Do this for the Kohathites so that they may go near the Most Holy Place and live and not die: Aaron and his sons must go in and show each Kohathite what to do and what to carry. 20 The Kohathites must not enter and look at the holy things, even for a second, or they will die.”
The Jobs of the Gershon Family
21 The Lord said to Moses, 22 “·Count [Take a census of; L Lift the head of] the Gershonites by families and ·family groups [clans]. 23 ·Count [Take a census of; L Lift the head of] the men from thirty to fifty years old, all who have a job to do in the Meeting Tent.
24 “This is what the Gershonite ·family groups [clans] must do and what they must carry. 25 They must carry the curtains of the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle], the Meeting Tent, its covering, and its outer covering made from ·fine leather [or sea cow hide; Ex. 26:14]. They must also carry the ·curtains [screen] for the entrance to the Meeting Tent, 26 the curtains of the courtyard [Ex. 27:9–19] that go around the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle] and the altar [Ex. 27:1–8], the ·curtain [screen] for the entry to the courtyard, the ropes, and all the things used with the curtains. They must do everything connected with these things. 27 Aaron and his sons are in charge of what the Gershonites do or carry; you tell them what they are responsible for carrying. 28 This is the work of the ·Gershonite family group [L clan of the sons of Gershon] at the Meeting Tent. Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest, will direct their work.
The Jobs of the Merari Family
29 “·Count [Take a census of; L Lift the head of] the ·Merarite families and [L sons of Merari by] ·family groups [clans]. 30 ·Count [Take a census of; L Lift the head of] the men from thirty to fifty years old, all who work at the Meeting Tent. 31 It is their job to carry the following as they serve in the Meeting Tent: the frames of the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle], the crossbars, the ·posts [pillars], and bases, 32 in addition to the ·posts [pillars] that go around the courtyard, their bases, tent pegs, ropes, and everything that is used with the poles around the courtyard. Tell each man exactly what to carry. 33 This is the work the Merarite ·family group [clan] will do for the Meeting Tent. Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest, will direct their work.”
The Levite Families
34 Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of ·Israel [L the community/congregation/assembly] counted the ·Kohathites [L sons/descendants of Kohath] by families and ·family groups [clans], 35 the men from thirty to fifty years old who were to work at the Meeting Tent. 36 There were 2,750 men in the ·family groups [clans]. 37 This was the total of the Kohath ·family groups [clans] who worked at the Meeting Tent, whom Moses and Aaron counted as the Lord had commanded Moses.
38 Also, the ·Gershonites [L the sons/descendants of Gershon] were counted by families and ·family groups [clans], 39 the men from thirty to fifty years old who were given work at the Meeting Tent. 40 The families and family groups had 2,630 men. 41 This was the total of the Gershon ·family groups [clans] who worked at the Meeting Tent, whom Moses and Aaron counted as the Lord had commanded.
42 Also, the men in the families and ·family groups [clans] of the ·Merari family [L sons/descendants of Merari] were counted, 43 the men from thirty to fifty years old who were to work at the Meeting Tent. 44 The family groups had 3,200 men. 45 This was the total of the Merari ·family groups [clans], whom Moses and Aaron counted as the Lord had commanded Moses.
46 So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by families and ·family groups [clans]. 47 They counted the men from thirty to fifty who were given work at the Meeting Tent and who carried the Tent. 48 The total number of these men was 8,580. 49 Each man was counted as the Lord had commanded Moses; each man was given his work and told what to carry as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Numbers 4
New King James Version
Duties of the Sons of Kohath
4 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 “Take a census of the sons of (A)Kohath from among the children of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ house, 3 (B)from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.
4 (C)“This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of meeting, relating to (D)the most holy things: 5 When the camp prepares to journey, Aaron and his sons shall come, and they shall take down (E)the covering veil and cover the (F)ark of the Testimony with it. 6 Then they shall put on it a covering of badger skins, and spread over that a cloth entirely of (G)blue; and they shall insert (H)its poles.
7 “On the (I)table of showbread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the pans, the bowls, and the [a]pitchers for pouring; and the (J)showbread[b] shall be on it. 8 They shall spread over them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of badger skins; and they shall insert its poles. 9 And they shall take a blue cloth and cover the (K)lampstand of the light, (L)with its lamps, its wick-trimmers, its trays, and all its oil vessels, with which they service it. 10 Then they shall put it with all its utensils in a covering of badger skins, and put it on a carrying beam.
11 “Over (M)the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of badger skins; and they shall insert its poles. 12 Then they shall take all the (N)utensils of service with which they minister in the sanctuary, put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of badger skins, and put them on a carrying beam. 13 Also they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it. 14 They shall put on it all its implements with which they minister there—the firepans, the forks, the shovels, the [c]basins, and all the utensils of the altar—and they shall spread on it a covering of badger skins, and insert its poles. 15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then (O)the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; (P)but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.
“(Q)These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.
16 “The appointed duty of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is (R)the oil for the light, the (S)sweet incense, (T)the daily grain offering, the (U)anointing oil, the oversight of all the tabernacle, of all that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings.”
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 18 “Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites; 19 but do this in regard to them, that they may live and not die when they approach (V)the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and [d]appoint each of them to his service and his task. 20 (W)But they shall not go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, lest they die.”
Duties of the Sons of Gershon
21 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 22 “Also take a census of the sons of (X)Gershon, by their fathers’ house, by their families. 23 (Y)From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, all who enter to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting. 24 This is the (Z)service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and carrying: 25 (AA)They shall carry the (AB)curtains of the tabernacle and the tabernacle of meeting with its covering, the covering of (AC)badger skins that is on it, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting, 26 the screen for the door of the gate of the court, the hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and altar, and their cords, all the furnishings for their service and all that is made for these things: so shall they serve.
27 “Aaron and his sons shall [e]assign all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, all their tasks and all their service. And you shall [f]appoint to them all their tasks as their duty. 28 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting. And their duties shall be (AD)under the [g]authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
Duties of the Sons of Merari
29 “As for the sons of (AE)Merari, you shall number them by their families and by their fathers’ house. 30 (AF)From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, everyone who enters the service to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting. 31 And (AG)this is (AH)what they must carry as all their service for the tabernacle of meeting: (AI)the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, 32 and the pillars around the court with their sockets, pegs, and cords, with all their furnishings and all their service; and you shall (AJ)assign to each man by name the items he must carry. 33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, as all their service for the tabernacle of meeting, under the [h]authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”
Census of the Levites
34 (AK)And Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by their fathers’ house, 35 from thirty (AL)years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting; 36 and those who were numbered by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37 These were the ones who were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all who might serve in the tabernacle of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
38 And those who were numbered of the sons of Gershon, by their families and by their fathers’ house, 39 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting— 40 those who were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ house, were two thousand six hundred and thirty. 41 (AM)These are the ones who were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all who might serve in the tabernacle of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord.
42 Those of the families of the sons of Merari who were numbered, by their families, by their fathers’ [i]house, 43 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting— 44 those who were numbered by their families were three thousand two hundred. 45 These are the ones who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered (AN)according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
46 All who were (AO)numbered of the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families and by their fathers’ houses, 47 (AP)from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who came to do the work of service and the work of bearing burdens in the tabernacle of meeting— 48 those who were numbered were eight thousand five hundred and eighty.
49 According to the commandment of the Lord they were numbered by the hand of Moses, (AQ)each according to his service and according to his task; thus were they numbered by him, (AR)as the Lord commanded Moses.
Footnotes
- Numbers 4:7 jars for the drink offering
- Numbers 4:7 Lit. continual bread
- Numbers 4:14 bowls
- Numbers 4:19 assign
- Numbers 4:27 command
- Numbers 4:27 assign
- Numbers 4:28 Lit. hand
- Numbers 4:33 Lit. hand
- Numbers 4:42 household
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
