Numbers 1:1-4:20

Lexham English Bible

God Commands Moses to Take a Census

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the tent of assembly, on the first of the month, in the second year after they came out^[a] of the land of Egypt, saying, ² “Take a census of^[b] the entire community of the Israelites^[c] according to their clans and their families,^[d] according to the number of names, every male individually ³ from twenty years old^[e] and above, everyone in Israel who is able to go to war. You and Aaron must muster them^[f] for their wars. ⁴ A man from each tribe will be with you, each man the head of his family.^{[g] 5} And these are the names of the men who will assist you:^[h] 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 Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon. ¹⁰ From the descendants 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 Ocran; ¹⁴ from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel; ¹⁵ and from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.” ¹⁶ These are the ones summoned from the community, the leaders of their ancestors’^[i] tribes; they are the heads of Israel’s clans.

¹⁷ So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, ¹⁸ and they summoned the entire community on the first day of the second month. And they registered themselves among their clans according to their families,^[j] according to the number of names from those twenty years old^[k] and above individually, ¹⁹ just as Yahweh commanded Moses. And he counted them in the desert of Sinai.

²⁰ The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[l] according to the number of names, every male individually from twenty years old^[m] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ²¹ those who were counted from the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.

²² From the descendants of Simeon, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[n] those who were counted according to the number of their names, every individual male from twenty years old^[o] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ²³ those who were counted from the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

²⁴ From the descendants of Gad, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[p] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[q] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ²⁵ those who were counted from the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

²⁶ From the descendants of Judah, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[r] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[s] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ²⁷ those who were counted from the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

²⁸ From the descendants of Issachar, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[t] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[u] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ²⁹ those who were counted from the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

³⁰ From the descendants of Zebulun, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[v] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[w] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ³¹ those who were counted from the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

³² From the descendants of Joseph: from the descendants of Ephraim, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[x] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[y] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ³³ those who were counted from the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.

³⁴ From the descendants of Manasseh, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[z] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[aa] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ³⁵ those who were counted from the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

³⁶ From the descendants of Benjamin, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[ab] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[ac] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ³⁷ those who were counted from the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

³⁸ From the descendants of Dan, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[ad] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[ae] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ³⁹ those who were counted from the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

⁴⁰ From the descendants of Asher, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[af] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[ag] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ⁴¹ those who were counted from the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.

⁴² From the descendants of Naphtali, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[ah] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[ai] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ⁴³ those who were counted from the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

⁴⁴ These are the ones counted whom Moses and Aaron mustered,^[aj] with the twelve leaders of Israel, each one from his family.^{[ak] 45} So all those who were counted from the Israelites^[al] according to their families,^[am] from those twenty years old^[an] and above, everyone in Israel who is able to go to war. ⁴⁶ All of the ones counted were six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty. ⁴⁷ The Levites from their ancestors’^[ao] tribe were not mustered^[ap] in their midst.

⁴⁸ And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ⁴⁹ “You will not muster^[aq] the tribe of Levi, and you will not take a census of^[ar] them in the midst of the Israelites.^{[as] 50} You will appoint^[at] them over the tabernacle of the testimony,^[au] over all its vessels, and over all that belongs to it. They will carry the tabernacle and all its vessels, and they will care for it; and they will camp around the tabernacle. ⁵¹ And when the tabernacle is set out, the Levites will take it down,^[av] and when encamping the tabernacle the Levites will set it up; the stranger^[aw] that approaches it will be put to death. ⁵² The Israelites^[ax] will encamp, each in their own camp, and each by their^[ay] own banner according to their divisions. ⁵³ But the Levites will encamp around the tabernacle of the testimony,^[az] and there will not be wrath on the community of the Israelites;^[ba] and the Levites will keep the requirements of the tabernacle of the testimony.”^{[bb] 54} And the Israelites^[bc] did thus; they did everything that Yahweh commanded Moses.

The Arrangement of the Camps

2 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ² “The Israelites^[bd] will encamp each with his standard, with a banner according to their families;^[be] they will encamp around the tent of assembly. ³ The ones who encamp on the eastern side, toward the sunrise, will be of the standard of the camp of Judah according to their divisions; and the leader of the descendants of Judah will be Nahshon son of Amminadab, ⁴ and his division and the ones counted^[bf] are seventy-four thousand six hundred. ⁵ And the ones who encamp next to him will be the tribe of Issachar. And the leader of the descendants of Issachar will be Nethanel son of Zuar, ⁶ and his division are fifty-four thousand four hundred. ⁷ For the tribe of Zebulun: the leader of the descendants of Zebulun will be Eliab son of Helon, ⁸ and his division and the ones counted^[bg] are fifty-seven thousand four hundred. ⁹ All those counted from the camp of Judah are one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred. They will set out first according to their divisions.

¹⁰ “The standard of the camp of Reuben will be to the south according to their divisions. The leader of the descendants will be Elizur son of Shedeur. ¹¹ And his division and the ones counted^[bh] are forty-six thousand five hundred. ¹² Those encamped next to him will be the tribe of Simeon. The leader of the descendants of Simeon will be Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. ¹³ And his division and the ones counted^[bi] are fifty-nine thousand three hundred. ¹⁴ For the tribe of Gad: the leader of the descendants of Gad will be Eliasaph son of Reuel. ¹⁵ And his division and the ones counted^[bj] are forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty. ¹⁶ All those counted^[bk] from the camp of Reuben are one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty. They will set out second according to their divisions.

¹⁷ “The tent of assembly the camp of the Levites will set out in the midst of the camps; they will set out just as they encamped, each according to their standards.^[bl]

¹⁸ “The standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their divisions will be to the west. The leader of the descendants of Ephraim will be Elishama son of Ammihud. ¹⁹ And his division and the ones counted^[bm] are forty thousand five hundred. ²⁰ The tribe of Manasseh will be next to him. The leader of the descendants of the tribe of Manasseh will be Camaliel son of Pedahzur. ²¹ And his division and the ones counted^[bn] are thirty-two thousand two hundred. ²² For the tribe of Benjamin: the leader of the descendants of Benjamin will be Abidan son of Gideoni. ²³ And his division and the ones counted^[bo] are thirty-five thousand four hundred. ²⁴ All those counted^[bp] from the camp of Ephraim are one hundred and eighty thousand one hundred. They will set out third according to their divisions.

²⁵ “The standard of the camp of Dan according to their divisions will be to the west. The leader of the descendants of Dan will be Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. ²⁶ And his division and the ones counted^[bq] are sixty-two thousand seven hundred. ²⁷ Those encamped next to him will be the tribe of Asher. The leader of the descendants of Asher will be Pagiel son of Ocran. ²⁸ And his division and the ones counted^[br] are forty-one thousand five hundred. ²⁹ For the tribe of Naphtali: the leader of the descendants of Naphtali will be Ahira son of Enan. ³⁰ And his division and the ones counted^[bs] are fifty-three thousand four hundred. ³¹ All the ones counted^[bt] from the camp of Dan are one hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They will set out last^[bu] according to their divisions.”

³² These were the ones counted of the Israelites^[bv] according to their families;^[bw] all those counted from the camps according to their divisions were six hundred and three thousand five hundred. ³³ The Levites were not counted in the midst of the Israelites,^[bx] just as Yahweh commanded Moses.

³⁴ And the Israelites^[by] did everything that Yahweh commanded Moses. They encamped according to their standards, and they^[bz] set out each one according to their clans^[ca] among their families.^[cb]

Aaron’s Sons

3 These are the genealogies of Aaron and Moses at the time^[cc] when Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. ² These are the names of the descendants of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ³ These are the names of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, the anointed ones whom he consecrated as priests.^{[cd] 4} Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh^[ce] when they presented a strange fire before Yahweh^[cf] in the desert of Sinai, and they had no children.^[cg] Eleazar and Ithamar served as priest during the presence of Aaron their father.

⁵ Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ⁶ “Bring near the tribe of Levi, and set the tribe^[ch] before Aaron^[ci] the priest, and they will minister to him. ⁷ They shall observe his duties and the duties of the entire community before the tent of assembly, to do the work of the tabernacle. ⁸ And they will keep all the vessels of the tent of assembly and the responsibilities of the Israelites,^[cj] to do the work^[ck] of the tabernacle. ⁹ You will give the Levites to Aaron and to his descendants; they are surely assigned to him from among the Israelites.^{[cl] 10} But you will count Aaron and his descendants; they will keep their priesthood, and the stranger^[cm] who approaches will be put to death.”

¹¹ Yahweh spoke to Moses saying, ¹² “I myself receive the Levites from the midst of the Israelites^[cn] in the place of all the firstborn of the offspring of the womb from the Israelites.^[co] The Levites will be mine ¹³ because all the firstborn are mine; on the day of my killing all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both humankind and animal;^[cp] they will be mine. I am Yahweh.”

¹⁴ Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying, ¹⁵ “Muster^[cq] the descendants of Levi according to their families,^[cr] according to their clans. You will count every male from one month^[cs] and above.” ¹⁶ So Moses mustered^[ct] them according to the command of Yahweh,^[cu] just as he commanded. ¹⁷ These were the sons of Levi according to their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ¹⁸ And these are the names of the sons of Gershon according to their clans: Libni and Shimei. ¹⁹ And the sons of Kohath according to their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁰ The sons of Merari according to their tribes: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their families.^[cv]

²¹ To Gershon belonged^[cw] the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these are the clans of the Gershonites. ²² The ones counted^[cx] according to the number of every male from one month^[cy] and above were seven thousand five hundred. ²³ The clans of the Gershonites will camp behind the tabernacle to the west, ²⁴ and the leader of the family^[cz] of the Gershonites is Eliasaph son of Lael. ²⁵ And the responsibility of the descendants of Gershon in the tent of assembly is the tabernacle, and the tent covering it and the curtain of the doorway of the tent of the assembly, ²⁶ and the hangings of the courtyard and the curtain of the doorway of the courtyard that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its ten cords, all of its use.

²⁷ To Kohath belonged^[da] the clan of Amramites,^[db] the clan of the Izharites,^[dc] the clan of the Hebronites,^[dd] and the clan of the Uzzielites;^[de] these were the clans of the Kohathites.^{[df] 28} According to the number of every male from one month^[dg] and above there were eight thousand six hundred keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary. ²⁹ The clan of the descendants of Kohath will encamp on the side of the tabernacle to the south. ³⁰ The leader of his family^[dh] according to the clans of the Kohathites^[di] is Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. ³¹ Their responsibility was the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altar, and the vessels of the sanctuary, with which they ministered, and the curtain, and all of its use. ³² The chief of the leaders^[dj] of the Levites^[dk] was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest who had oversight of those keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary.

³³ To Merari belonged^[dl] the clan of Mahlites^[dm] and the clan of the Mushites:^[dn] these are the clans of Merari. ³⁴ The ones counted^[do] according to the number of every male from one month^[dp] and above were six thousand two hundred. ³⁵ The leader of the family^[dq] according to the clans of Merari is Zuriel son of Abihail; they will encamp of the side of the tabernacle to the north. ³⁶ The responsibility of the sons of Merari was the supervision of the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, pillars, bases, and all its vessels and all its service, ³⁷ and the pillars around the courtyard, and their bases, pegs, and cords.

³⁸ Those encamped before the tabernacle to the east—before the tent of assembly to the east—were Moses and Aaron and his sons; they will keep the responsibility of the sanctuary for the Israelites;^[dr] and the stranger^[ds] who approaches will be put to death. ³⁹ All those counted from the Levites whom Moses and Aaron mustered^[dt] according to the word of Yahweh,^[du] according to their clans, every male from one month^[dv] and above were twenty-two thousand.

⁴⁰ And Yahweh said to Moses, “Muster every firstborn male from the Israelites^[dw] from one month^[dx] and above and count^[dy] their names. ⁴¹ And you will receive the Levites for me—I am Yahweh—in the place of all the firstborn among the Israelites,^[dz] and the animals^[ea] of the Levites in the place of all the firstborn among the animals^[eb] among the Israelites.”^{[ec] 42} So Moses mustered^[ed] all the firstborn among the Israelites^[ee] just as Yahweh commanded him. ⁴³ And all the firstborn males^[ef] among the number of names from one month^[eg] and above, the ones counted,^[eh] were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

⁴⁴ Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ⁴⁵ “Receive the Levites in the place of all the firstborn among the Israelites,^[ei] and the animals of the Levites in the place of their animals; the Levites will be mine. I am Yahweh. ⁴⁶ And the ransom of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the Israelites^[ej] who are excessive over the Levites, ⁴⁷ you will receive five shekels a person, in the sanctuary shekel; you will collect twenty gerahs^[ek] per shekel. ⁴⁸ You will give the money to Aaron, and to his sons the ransom of the ones who are excessive among them.” ⁴⁹ And Moses received the money of the redemption from the ones who were excessive from those redeemed of the Levites. ⁵⁰ From the firstborn of the Israelites^[el] he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, in the sanctuary shekel. ⁵¹ And Moses gave the money of the ransom to Aaron and to his sons according to the word^[em] of Yahweh just as Yahweh commanded Moses.

The Census of the Kohathites

4 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ² “Take a census^[en] of the descendants^[eo] of Kohath from the midst of the descendants^[ep] of Levi, according to their clans and their families,^{[eq] 3} from thirty years old^[er] and above, up to fifty years old,^[es] everyone who comes to the service to do the work in the tent of assembly. ⁴ This is the work of the descendants^[et] of Kohath in the tent of assembly, concerning the holiness of the sanctuary: ⁵ When setting out the camp, Aaron and his sons will go and lower the curtain of the covering and cover with it the ark of the testimony.^{[eu] 6} They will put on it a covering of fine leather,^[ev] and they will spread a cloth of perfect blue over it, and they will place its poles. ⁷ And over the table of the presence they will spread out a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes, and libation bowls, and the pitchers of the libation; and the bread of continuity will be on it. ⁸ They will spread over it a scarlet cloth, and they will cover it with a covering of fine leather,^[ew] and they will place its poles. ⁹ They will take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand for the light source, its lamps, a pair of its tongs, its small pans, and all the vessels of its oil with which they attend to it. ¹⁰ They will put it and all its vessels inside a covering of fine leather^[ex] and put it on the carrying frame. ¹¹ Over the altar of gold they will spread a blue cloth, and they will cover it with a covering of fine leather^[ey] and place its poles. ¹² They will take all the vessels of the cultic service with which they serve in the sanctuary and put them on a blue cloth, and they will cover them with a covering of fine leather;^[ez] and they will put them on the carrying frame. ¹³ They will remove the fat-soaked ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it; ¹⁴ they will put on it all the vessels with which they serve, the fire pans, forks, shovels, and bowls—all the vessels of the altar. They will spread on it a covering of fine leather;^[fa] and they will place its poles. ¹⁵ And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the vessels of the sanctuary when the camp sets out, the descendants^[fb] of Kohath will come after to carry these, but they must not touch the sanctuary, or they will die. These are the load of the descendants^[fc] of Kohath in the tent of assembly.

¹⁶ “Eleazar son of Aaron the priest is to supervise the oil of the light source, the incense, the regular grain offering,^[fd] the oil of anointment, the supervision of all the tabernacle and all that is in it, in the sanctuary and in its vessels.”

¹⁷ Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ¹⁸ “You must not cut off the tribe of the clan of the Kohathites^[fe] from the midst of the Levites. ¹⁹ Do this to them and they will live and not die when they come near the most holy things. Aaron and his sons will go and appoint them, each one to his task and burden. ²⁰ But they must not go and look for a moment^[ff] at the holy objects.”