²⁴ These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families as they were registered under their names and counted individually, that is, the workers twenty years old or more^(A) who served in the temple of the Lord.

³ The Levites thirty years old or more^(A) were counted,^(B) and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand.^(C)

²¹ Then the Kohathites^(A) set out, carrying the holy things.^(B) The tabernacle was to be set up before they arrived.^(C)

¹⁷ Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, set out.^(A)

³ Count^(A) all the men from thirty to fifty years of age^(B) who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.

⁸ In the second month^(A) of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel^(B) son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work. They appointed Levites twenty^(C) years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord.

²⁴ “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more^(A) shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting,^(B)

²⁷ According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more.

The Numbering of the Levite Clans

³⁴ Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the community counted the Kohathites^(A) by their clans and families. ³⁵ All the men from thirty to fifty years of age^(B) who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, ³⁶ counted by clans, were 2,750. ³⁷ This was the total of all those in the Kohathite clans^(C) who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.

³⁸ The Gershonites^(D) were counted by their clans and families. ³⁹ All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, ⁴⁰ counted by their clans and families, were 2,630. ⁴¹ This was the total of those in the Gershonite clans who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command.

⁴² The Merarites were counted by their clans and families. ⁴³ All the men from thirty to fifty years of age^(E) who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, ⁴⁴ counted by their clans, were 3,200. ⁴⁵ This was the total of those in the Merarite clans.^(F) Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.

⁴⁶ So Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted^(G) all the Levites by their clans and families. ⁴⁷ All the men from thirty to fifty years of age^(H) who came to do the work of serving and carrying the tent of meeting ⁴⁸ numbered 8,580.^{(I) 49} At the Lord’s command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry.

Thus they were counted,^(J) as the Lord commanded Moses.