Offerings of the Leaders

7 Now it came to pass, when Moses had finished ^(A)setting up the tabernacle, that he ^(B)anointed it and consecrated it and all its furnishings, and the altar and all its utensils; so he anointed them and consecrated them. ² Then ^(C)the leaders of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ houses, who were the leaders of the tribes ^[a]and over those who were numbered, made an offering. ³ And they brought their offering before the Lord, six covered carts and twelve oxen, a cart for every two of the leaders, and for each one an ox; and they presented them before the tabernacle.

⁴ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ⁵ “Accept these from them, that they may be used in doing the work of the tabernacle of meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service.” ⁶ So Moses took the carts and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites. ⁷ Two carts and four oxen ^(D)he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service; ^8 (E)and four carts and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the ^[b]authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. ⁹ But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because theirs was ^(F)the service of the holy things, ^(G)which they carried on their shoulders.