Duties of the Kohathites

Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “Take a [a]census of the [b]descendants of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ households, from (A)thirty years old and upward, even to fifty years old, everyone who can enter the service of ministry to do work in the tent of meeting. This is the work of the [c]descendants of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the most holy things.

“When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down (B)the veil of the curtain, and cover the (C)ark of the testimony with it; and they shall place a (D)covering of [d]fine leather on it, and spread over it a cloth of pure [e]violet, and insert its carrying poles. Over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall also spread a cloth of violet and put on it the dishes, the pans, the sacrificial bowls, and the jugs for the drink offering; and (E)the continual bread shall be on it. And they shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet material, and cover the same with a covering of fine leather, and they shall insert its carrying poles. Then they shall take a violet cloth and cover the (F)lampstand for the light, (G)along with its lamps, its tongs, its trays, and all its oil containers, by which they attend to it; 10 and they shall put it and all its utensils in a covering of fine leather, and put it on the carrying [f]bars. 11 Over the golden altar they shall spread a violet cloth, and cover it with a covering of fine leather, and they shall insert its carrying poles; 12 and they shall take all the utensils of service, with which they serve in the sanctuary, and put them in a violet cloth and cover them with a covering of fine leather, and put them on the carrying [g]bars. 13 Then they shall clean away the [h]ashes from the (H)altar, and spread a purple cloth over it. 14 They shall also put on it all its utensils by which they serve in connection with it: the firepans, the forks, shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread a cover of fine leather over it and insert its carrying poles. 15 When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them by the poles, so that they will not touch the holy objects (I)and die. These are the [i]things in the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.

16 “Now the responsibility of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is (J)the oil for the light, the (K)fragrant incense, (L)the continual grain offering, and (M)the anointing oil—the responsibility of all the [j]tabernacle and everything that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings.”

17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 18 “Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be eliminated from among the Levites. 19 Rather, do this for them so that they will live and (N)not die when they approach the most holy objects: Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each of them to his work and to his load; 20 but (O)they shall not come in to see the holy objects even for a moment, or they will die.”

Duties of the Gershonites

21 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 22 “Take a [k]census of the sons of Gershon [l]also, by their fathers’ households, by their families; 23 from (P)thirty years old and upward to fifty years old you shall [m]count them: all who can enter to perform service, to do the work in the tent of meeting. 24 This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in carrying: 25 they shall carry (Q)the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering and (R)the covering of fine leather that is on top of it, and the curtain for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 and (S)the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance of the gate of the courtyard that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their ropes and all the equipment for their service; and everything that is to be done [n]by them, [o]they shall perform. 27 All the service of the sons of the Gershonites, that is, all their loads and all their work, shall be performed at the [p]command of Aaron and his sons; and you shall assign to them as a duty all their loads. 28 This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting; and their duties shall be [q]under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

Duties of the Merarites

29 As for the sons of Merari, you shall count them by their families, by their fathers’ households; 30 from (T)thirty years old and upward, even to fifty years old, you shall count them, everyone who can enter the service to do the work of the tent of meeting. 31 Now this is the duty of their loads, for all their service in the tent of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, and its bases, 32 and the pillars around the courtyard and their bases, their pegs, and their ropes, with all their equipment and with all their service; and you shall assign by names of the men the items [r]that each is to carry. 33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the tent of meeting, [s]under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”

34 So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation counted the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by their fathers’ households, 35 from (U)thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter the service for work in the tent of meeting. 36 Their numbered men by their families were 2,750. 37 These were the numbered men of the Kohathite families, everyone who was serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the [t]commandment of the Lord [u]through Moses.

38 And the numbered men of the sons of Gershon by their families and by their fathers’ households, 39 from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter the service for work in the tent of meeting— 40 their numbered men by their families, by their fathers’ households, were 2,630. 41 These were the numbered men of the families of the sons of Gershon, everyone who was serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the [v]commandment of the Lord.

42 And the numbered men of the families of the sons of Merari by their families, by their fathers’ households, 43 from (V)thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter the service for work in the tent of meeting— 44 their numbered men by their families were 3,200. 45 These were the numbered men of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the [w]commandment of the Lord [x]through Moses.

46 All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted, by their families and by their fathers’ households, 47 from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter to do the work of service and the work of carrying in the tent of meeting— 48 their numbered men were (W)8,580. 49 According to the [y]commandment of the Lord [z]through Moses, they (X)were counted, everyone by his serving or carrying; so these were his numbered men, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 4:2 Lit sum
  2. Numbers 4:2 Lit sons
  3. Numbers 4:4 Lit sons
  4. Numbers 4:6 Meaning of the Heb uncertain, and so throughout the ch
  5. Numbers 4:6 Or bluish; LXX hyacinth in color, and so throughout the ch
  6. Numbers 4:10 Or frame
  7. Numbers 4:12 Or frame
  8. Numbers 4:13 Or fatty ashes; i.e., soaked with fat
  9. Numbers 4:15 Lit burden...of the sons
  10. Numbers 4:16 Lit dwelling place, and so throughout the ch
  11. Numbers 4:22 Lit sum
  12. Numbers 4:22 Lit also them
  13. Numbers 4:23 Lit muster, and so throughout the ch
  14. Numbers 4:26 Or to them
  15. Numbers 4:26 Lit so they shall serve
  16. Numbers 4:27 Lit mouth
  17. Numbers 4:28 Lit in the hand
  18. Numbers 4:32 Lit of the duty of their loads
  19. Numbers 4:33 Lit in the hand
  20. Numbers 4:37 Lit mouth
  21. Numbers 4:37 Lit by the hand of
  22. Numbers 4:41 Lit mouth
  23. Numbers 4:45 Lit mouth
  24. Numbers 4:45 Lit by the hand of
  25. Numbers 4:49 Lit mouth
  26. Numbers 4:49 Lit by the hand of

哥辖子孙的职责

耶和华对摩西和亚伦说: “你要按宗族和家系统计利未人中哥辖子孙的人数, 登记三十岁到五十岁、可在会幕司职的男子。 他们在会幕里管理至圣之物。

“拔营出发的时候,亚伦父子们要进会幕解下圣所和至圣所之间的幔子,用它遮盖约柜, 再在上面依次盖上海狗皮和纯蓝色的布,然后穿上抬约柜的横杠。

“要在摆放供饼的桌子上铺一块蓝布,把盘、碟、杯和献酒用的瓶子摆在上面。桌上要有供饼。 这些东西上面要盖朱红色的布,再盖上海狗皮,然后穿上抬桌子的横杠。

“要用蓝布把灯台、灯盏、蜡剪、蜡盘和盛油的器皿全遮盖起来, 10 再在上面盖上海狗皮,然后放在抬架上。

11 “金香坛上面要盖蓝色布,再盖上海狗皮,穿上抬金香坛的横杠。

12 “圣所里面一切器皿都要用蓝色布包好,盖上海狗皮,放在抬架上。

13 “要清除祭坛上的灰烬,铺上紫色布, 14 然后把火鼎、肉叉、铲、碗等祭坛的器具放在上面,再盖上海狗皮,穿上抬祭坛的横杠。

15 “拔营出发时,哥辖的子孙要等到亚伦父子们把圣所和圣所的器具都盖好后,才可以来抬。他们负责抬这些会幕的器具,但不可触摸这些圣物,免得死亡。 16 亚伦祭司的儿子以利亚撒负责管理整个圣幕及里面的灯油、香料、素祭、膏油等一切物品。”

17 耶和华对摩西和亚伦说: 18 “不要让哥辖宗族在利未人中灭绝。 19 他们走近至圣之物以前,亚伦父子们要先进去指派他们做什么、抬什么,以免他们死亡。 20 他们不可进去看圣物,一刻都不可,免得死亡。”

革顺子孙的职责

21 耶和华对摩西说: 22 “你要按宗族和家系统计革顺子孙的人数, 23 登记三十岁到五十岁、可在会幕司职的男子。 24 以下是他们负责的事务。

25 “他们要抬圣幕的幔子、会幕、会幕顶盖、顶盖上的海狗皮、会幕门帘、 26 围绕圣幕和祭坛的院子的帷幔、院门门帘、绳索等器具,还负责其他相关事务。 27 你们要把任务分配给革顺的子孙,他们要遵照亚伦父子们的吩咐司职。 28 这是革顺宗族的人在会幕里的职责,他们要按祭司亚伦的儿子以他玛的吩咐司职。

米拉利子孙的职责

29 “你要按宗族和家系统计米拉利子孙的人数, 30 登记三十岁到五十岁、可在会幕司职的男子。 31 他们在会幕里负责抬圣幕的木板、横闩、柱子、带凹槽的底座, 32 院子四周的柱子及其带凹槽的底座、橛子、绳索和其他相关器具。你们要把当抬的物件一一指派给他们。 33 这是米拉利宗族的人在会幕的职责,由祭司亚伦的儿子以他玛监督。”

34 于是,摩西、亚伦和会众的首领按宗族和家系统计哥辖的子孙, 35 登记了三十岁到五十岁、可在会幕司职的男子, 36 共两千七百五十人。 37 这是哥辖宗族在会幕司职的人数,是摩西和亚伦照耶和华的吩咐统计的。

38-40 按宗族和家系统计,革顺的子孙中三十岁到五十岁、可在会幕司职的共两千六百三十人。 41 这是革顺宗族在会幕司职的人数,是摩西和亚伦照耶和华的吩咐统计的。

42-44 按宗族和家系统计,米拉利的子孙中三十岁到五十岁、可在会幕司职的共三千二百人。 45 这是米拉利宗族的人数,是摩西和亚伦照耶和华的吩咐统计的。

46 摩西、亚伦和以色列人的首领按宗族和家系统计了利未人的人数, 47-48 三十岁到五十岁可司职、搬运会幕器具的利未人共八千五百八十人。 49 照耶和华对摩西的吩咐,每个人都被统计在内,都有指定的职责和当抬的器具。这样,照耶和华对摩西的吩咐,人口统计完毕。