Parashat Bamidbar

Census of Fighting Men

1 In the wilderness of Sinai, on the first day of the second month in the second year from the Exodus from the land of Egypt, Adonai spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting saying, ² “Do a head count of all the community of Bnei-Yisrael by their families and their ancestral house, with a total of every male one by one. ³ You and Aaron are to muster by their divisions every son from 20 years and upward available to serve in the army of Israel. ⁴ One man from each tribe, each head of his father’s household, is to assist you.

⁵ “These then are the names of the men who will assist you: from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur. ⁶ From Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. ⁷ From Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab. ⁸ From Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar. ⁹ From Zebulon, Eliab son of Helon. ¹⁰ From the sons of Joseph—from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud, 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 Deuel. ¹⁵ From Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.” ¹⁶ These were those selected from the community, princes of their ancestral tribes. They were heads of the thousands of Israel.

¹⁷ So Moses and Aaron took these men designated by name. ¹⁸ They assembled all the community on the first day of the second month. They declared their lineage according to their families, the households of their forefathers, with the number of the names of those 20 years old and upward being listed individually. ¹⁹ Moses numbered Israel in the wilderness of Sinai just as Adonai had commanded him.

²⁰ The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn (their generations, their families, by their ancestral households, according to the count of their names, every male from 20 years and upward, all available for the army), ²¹ those counted from the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.

²² From the sons of Simeon (their generations, according to their families, their ancestral households, whose names were counted by polls, every male 20 years and upward, every one who would go with the army), ²³ they counted from the tribe of Simeon 59,300.

²⁴ From the sons of Gad (their generations according to their families, to their ancestral households, in the count of names of every male 20 years old and upward, every one available to go out with the army), ²⁵ those counted from the tribe of Gad were 45,650.

²⁶ From the sons of Judah (their generations, by their families, their ancestral households, the count of their names, all who would go out with the army), ²⁷ those counted from the tribe of Judah were 74,600.

²⁸ From the sons of Issachar (their generations, according to their families, their ancestral households, by number of the names of every male 20 years old and upward, going out with the army), ²⁹ those counted from the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.

³⁰ From the sons of Zebulon (their generations, according to their families, to their ancestral households, by number of the names of everyone 20 years old and upward going out with the army), ³¹ those counted from the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.

³² From the sons of Joseph—the sons of Ephraim (their generations according to their families, to their ancestral households, by count of the names of all those 20 years old and upward going out with the army), ³³ those numbered from the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.

³⁴ From the sons of Manasseh (their generations according to their families, their ancestral households, by number of the names of those 20 years old and upward going out with the army), ³⁵ those counted from the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.

³⁶ From the sons of Benjamin (their generations by their families, their ancestral households, by number of the names of every one 20 years old and upward going out with the army), ³⁷ those numbered from the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.

³⁸ From the sons of Dan, their generations by their families their ancestral households, by number of everyone 20 years old and upward who would go out with the army, ³⁹ those numbered from the tribe of Dan were 62,700.

⁴⁰ From the sons of Asher (their generations by their families, their ancestral households, by number everyone 20 years old and upward who could go out with the army), ⁴¹ those counted from the tribe of Asher were 41,500.

⁴² From the sons of Naphtali (their generations by their families, their ancestral households, by number everyone 20 years old and upward who would go out with the army), ⁴³ those counted from the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.

⁴⁴ These were the ones numbered—Moses, Aaron and the princes of Israel counted them. Each of the twelve men represented his ancestral house. ⁴⁵ So all those counted from Bnei-Yisrael, according to their ancestral houses, from 20 years old and up—all able to go out with the army in Israel— ⁴⁶ all those who were counted totaled 603,550.

Duties of the Levities

⁴⁷ The Levites, however, were not counted by the tribe of their ancestors, ⁴⁸ for Adonai told Moses saying, ⁴⁹ “Definitely you are not to number the tribe of Levi, nor take the sum of them among Bnei-Yisrael. ⁵⁰ Instead, you are to appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, over all its implements and all pertaining to it. They are to carry the Tabernacle and all its utensils, tend to it and camp around it.

⁵¹ Whenever the Tabernacle sets out, the Levites are to dismantle it, and whenever the Tabernacle is pitched, the Levites are to set it up. But the commoner who comes near to it must be put to death.

⁵² Bnei-Yisrael will encamp, each man with his own camp, each with his own standard, according to their own divisions. ⁵³ The Levites are to camp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, so that there will be no wrath unleashed on the community of Bnei-Yisrael. So the Levites are to maintain care of the Tabernacle of the Testimony.

⁵⁴ So Bnei-Yisrael did—all that Adonai commanded Moses, so they did.