民数记 3
Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified)
3 耶和华在西奈山晓谕摩西的日子，亚伦和摩西的后代如下： 2 亚伦的儿子，长子名叫拿答，还有亚比户、以利亚撒、以他玛。 3 这是亚伦儿子的名字，都是受膏的祭司，是摩西叫他们承接圣职供祭司职分的。 4 拿答、亚比户在西奈的旷野向耶和华献凡火的时候，就死在耶和华面前了，他们也没有儿子。以利亚撒、以他玛在他们的父亲亚伦面前供祭司的职分。
区别利未人服侍亚伦
5 耶和华晓谕摩西说： 6 “你使利未支派近前来，站在祭司亚伦面前好服侍他， 7 替他和会众在会幕前守所吩咐的，办理帐幕的事。 8 又要看守会幕的器具，并守所吩咐以色列人的，办理帐幕的事。 9 你要将利未人给亚伦和他的儿子，因为他们是从以色列人中选出来给他的。 10 你要嘱咐亚伦和他的儿子谨守自己祭司的职任。近前来的外人必被治死。”
11 耶和华晓谕摩西说： 12 “我从以色列人中拣选了利未人，代替以色列人一切头生的，利未人要归我， 13 因为凡头生的是我的。我在埃及地击杀一切头生的那日，就把以色列中一切头生的，连人带牲畜都分别为圣归我，他们定要属我。我是耶和华。”
利未男丁之数与其职守
14 耶和华在西奈的旷野晓谕摩西说： 15 “你要照利未人的宗族、家室数点他们，凡一个月以外的男子都要数点。” 16 于是摩西照耶和华所吩咐的，数点他们。 17 利未众子的名字是革顺、哥辖、米拉利。 18 革顺的儿子，按着家室，是立尼、示每； 19 哥辖的儿子，按着家室，是暗兰、以斯哈、希伯伦、乌薛； 20 米拉利的儿子，按着家室，是抹利、母示。这些按着宗族是利未人的家室。
21 属革顺的，有立尼族、示每族，这是革顺的二族。 22 其中被数，从一个月以外所有的男子，共有七千五百名。 23 这革顺的二族要在帐幕后西边安营。 24 拉伊勒的儿子以利雅萨做革顺人宗族的首领。 25 革顺的子孙在会幕中所要看守的，就是帐幕和罩篷，并罩篷的盖与会幕的门帘， 26 院子的帷子和门帘（院子是围帐幕和坛的），并一切使用的绳子。
27 属哥辖的，有暗兰族、以斯哈族、希伯伦族、乌薛族，这是哥辖的诸族。 28 按所有男子的数目，从一个月以外看守圣所的，共有八千六百名。 29 哥辖儿子的诸族要在帐幕的南边安营。 30 乌薛的儿子以利撒反做哥辖宗族家室的首领。 31 他们所要看守的是约柜、桌子、灯台、两座坛与圣所内使用的器皿，并帘子和一切使用之物。 32 祭司亚伦的儿子以利亚撒做利未人众首领的领袖，要监察那些看守圣所的人。
33 属米拉利的，有玛利族、母示族，这是米拉利的二族。 34 他们被数的，按所有男子的数目，从一个月以外的，共有六千二百名。 35 亚比亥的儿子苏列做米拉利二宗族的首领。他们要在帐幕的北边安营。 36 米拉利子孙的职分是看守帐幕的板、闩、柱子、带卯的座和帐幕一切所使用的器具， 37 院子四围的柱子、带卯的座、橛子和绳子。
38 在帐幕前东边向日出之地安营的是摩西、亚伦和亚伦的儿子。他们看守圣所，替以色列人守耶和华所吩咐的。近前来的外人必被治死。 39 凡被数的利未人，就是摩西、亚伦照耶和华吩咐所数的，按着家室，从一个月以外的男子，共有二万二千名。
40 耶和华对摩西说：“你要从以色列人中数点一个月以外，凡头生的男子，把他们的名字记下。 41 我是耶和华。你要拣选利未人归我，代替以色列人所有头生的；也取利未人的牲畜，代替以色列所有头生的牲畜。” 42 摩西就照耶和华所吩咐的，把以色列人头生的都数点了。 43 按人名的数目，从一个月以外，凡头生的男子，共有二万二千二百七十三名。
利未人代替以色列族首生之男
44 耶和华晓谕摩西说： 45 “你拣选利未人代替以色列人所有头生的，也取利未人的牲畜代替以色列人的牲畜。利未人要归我。我是耶和华。 46 以色列人中头生的男子比利未人多二百七十三个，必当将他们赎出来。 47 你要按人丁，照圣所的平，每人取赎银五舍客勒（一舍客勒是二十季拉）， 48 把那多余之人的赎银交给亚伦和他的儿子。” 49 于是摩西从那被利未人所赎以外的人取了赎银。 50 从以色列人头生的所取之银，按圣所的平，有一千三百六十五舍客勒。 51 摩西照耶和华的话把这赎银给亚伦和他的儿子，正如耶和华所吩咐的。
Numbers 3
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 3
Aaron’s Offspring.[a] 1 These are the descendants of Aaron and Moses on the day that the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron: the oldest was Nadab, and then there were Abihu and Eleazar and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed and consecrated to minister in the priesthood. 4 Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered unclean fire to the Lord in the Sinai Desert. They had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of their father Aaron.
The Tribe of Levi. 5 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Gather the tribe of Levi and have them stand before Aaron the priest so that they can minister to him. 7 They will serve him and serve the whole assembly standing before the tent of meeting, ministering to the needs of the tabernacle. 8 They will take care of all of the furnishings of the tent of meeting and attend to the needs of the people of Israel as they minister in the tabernacle. 9 You will give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are dedicated to him from among the people of Israel. 10 You will appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will serve as priests. Anyone else who draws near is to be put to death.”
11 [b]The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel as a substitute for the firstborn of the people of Israel, those who opened the womb. The Levites will be my own, 13 for every firstborn has belonged to me from the day that I slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. I have set apart all the firstborn as my own in Israel, both human and animal. They will be mine. I am the Lord.”
14 Counting the Levites. The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert, saying, 15 “Count the sons of Levi by clan, by family. Count every male one month old and older.”
16 So Moses counted them, as the word of the Lord had commanded[c] him. 17 These are the names of the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.[d] 18 These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei. 19 The sons of Kohath by their families were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 The sons of Merari by the families were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their clan.
21 From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites. These are the families of the Gershonites. 22 They counted them, all males one month old and older, and they numbered seven thousand, five hundred. 23 The clan of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle to the west. 24 Eliasaph, the son of Lael, was the leader of the clan of the Gershonites. 25 In the tent of meeting the sons of Gershon had responsibility for the care of the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting, 26 the curtains for the courtyard, the screen for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, its cords, and everything that had to be done with these.
27 From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites. 28 They counted them, all males one month old and older, and they numbered eight thousand, three hundred, ministering to the needs of the sanctuary. 29 The clan of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. 30 Elizaphan, the son of Uzziel, was the leader of the clan of the Kohathites. 31 Their responsibility was for the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary, the screen, and everything that had to be done with these.
32 Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, was to be the supervisor of the leaders of the Levites. He was to oversee those who had the responsibility to care for the needs of the sanctuary.
33 From Merari came the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari. 34 They counted them, all males one month old and older, and they numbered six thousand, two hundred. 35 Zuriel, the son of Abihail, was the leader of the clan of Merari. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 Their responsibility was for the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, its pillars, its sockets and all of their parts, 37 the pillars around the courtyard, and their pins, and their cords.
38 Finally, Moses, Aaron and his sons camped in front of the tabernacle on its east side, in front of the tent of meeting and eastward. They kept watch over the sanctuary, keeping the people of Israel and any other person from coming near, under penalty of death.
39 The total number of the Levites who were counted by Moses and Aaron at the command of the Lord, everyone in their families who was one month old and older, was twenty-two thousand.
40 Redemption of the Firstborn. The Lord said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn males of the people of Israel, those one month old and older, and make a list of their names. 41 The Levites will be a substitute for me in place of the firstborn of the people of Israel. I am the Lord. The cattle of the Levites will be a substitute for the firstborn of the cattle of the people of Israel.”
42 Moses counted all of the firstborn of the people of Israel as the Lord had commanded him 43 and he listed all the firstborn males by name, those one month old and older. They numbered twenty-two thousand, two hundred seventy-three.
44 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Take the Levites as a substitute for all the firstborn of the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites as a substitute for their cattle. The Levites are mine. I am the Lord.”
46 Those who were to be redeemed among the firstborn of the people of Israel, not counting the Levites, numbered two hundred seventy-three. 47 “You will take five shekels for each person according to the shekel of the sanctuary, that is, twenty gerahs for each shekel 48 and give the money to Aaron and his sons to redeem those who are in excess among them.”
49 Moses took the redemption money for those who were in excess, above the number of those redeemed by the Levites. 50 He received the money for the firstborn of the people of Israel, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 51 Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons as the Lord had commanded Moses by the word of the Lord.
Footnotes
- Numbers 3:1 In the tribe of Levi, which is to be at the spiritual service of the community, a distinction exists between the priests, whose office it is to offer sacrifice, and the “Levites,” who are to provide material services. Historically, however, this distinction dates only from the time of King Josiah (640–609 B.C.) and would become definitive only after the return from the Exile.
- Numbers 3:11 The Levites, being consecrated to the service of God, take the place of the firstborn of the entire people, those who have belonged to God ever since the Passover when the people were delivered from Egypt and the destroying angel spared their firstborn from slaughter (Ex 12:23).
- Numbers 3:16 As the word of the Lord had commanded: Moses’ commitment to the Lord is firm and without exception.
- Numbers 3:17 See Ex 6:16-25. By omitting mention of Aaron and his family, the editor, a priest, means to underscore the superiority of the priests, who are not to be numbered among the simple Levites.
Copyright © 2011 by Global Bible Initiative
