Numbers 3
Lexham English Bible
Aaron’s Sons
3 These are the genealogies of Aaron and Moses at the time[a] 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.[b] 4 Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh[c] when they presented a strange fire before Yahweh[d] in the desert of Sinai, and they had no children.[e] 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[f] before Aaron[g] 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,[h] to do the work[i] 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.[j] 10 But you will count Aaron and his descendants; they will keep their priesthood, and the stranger[k] 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[l] in the place of all the firstborn of the offspring of the womb from the Israelites.[m] 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;[n] they will be mine. I am Yahweh.”
14 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying, 15 “Muster[o] the descendants of Levi according to their families,[p] according to their clans. You will count every male from one month[q] and above.” 16 So Moses mustered[r] them according to the command of Yahweh,[s] 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.[t]
21 To Gershon belonged[u] the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these are the clans of the Gershonites. 22 The ones counted[v] according to the number of every male from one month[w] 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[x] 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[y] the clan of Amramites,[z] the clan of the Izharites,[aa] the clan of the Hebronites,[ab] and the clan of the Uzzielites;[ac] these were the clans of the Kohathites.[ad] 28 According to the number of every male from one month[ae] 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[af] according to the clans of the Kohathites[ag] 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[ah] of the Levites[ai] was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest who had oversight of those keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary.
33 To Merari belonged[aj] the clan of Mahlites[ak] and the clan of the Mushites:[al] these are the clans of Merari. 34 The ones counted[am] according to the number of every male from one month[an] and above were six thousand two hundred. 35 The leader of the family[ao] 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;[ap] and the stranger[aq] who approaches will be put to death. 39 All those counted from the Levites whom Moses and Aaron mustered[ar] according to the word of Yahweh,[as] according to their clans, every male from one month[at] and above were twenty-two thousand.
40 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Muster every firstborn male from the Israelites[au] from one month[av] and above and count[aw] their names. 41 And you will receive the Levites for me—I am Yahweh—in the place of all the firstborn among the Israelites,[ax] and the animals[ay] of the Levites in the place of all the firstborn among the animals[az] among the Israelites.”[ba] 42 So Moses mustered[bb] all the firstborn among the Israelites[bc] just as Yahweh commanded him. 43 And all the firstborn males[bd] among the number of names from one month[be] and above, the ones counted,[bf] 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,[bg] 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[bh] who are excessive over the Levites, 47 you will receive five shekels a person, in the sanctuary shekel; you will collect twenty gerahs[bi] 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[bj] 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[bk] of Yahweh just as Yahweh commanded Moses.
Footnotes
- Numbers 3:1 Literally “on a day”
- Numbers 3:3 Literally “he filled their hands to serve as a priest”
- Numbers 3:4 Literally “before the face of Yahweh”
- Numbers 3:4 Literally “before the face of Yahweh”
- Numbers 3:4 Literally “sons were not for them”
- Numbers 3:6 Literally “cause it to stand”
- Numbers 3:6 Literally “in the presence of Aaron”
- Numbers 3:8 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Numbers 3:8 Or “service”
- Numbers 3:9 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Numbers 3:10 Or “outsider”
- Numbers 3:12 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Numbers 3:12 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Numbers 3:13 Literally “from humankind to animal”
- Numbers 3:15 Or “count,” or “summon,” or “enroll”
- Numbers 3:15 Literally “the house of their fathers”
- Numbers 3:15 Literally “the son of a month”
- Numbers 3:16 Or “counted,” or “summoned,” or “enrolled”
- Numbers 3:16 Literally “mouth of Yahweh”
- Numbers 3:20 Literally “the house of their fathers”
- Numbers 3:21 Literally “To Gershon was”
- Numbers 3:22 Literally “the ones counted of them,” or “the ones mustered of them”
- Numbers 3:22 Literally “the son of a month and above”
- Numbers 3:24 Literally “the house of his father”
- Numbers 3:27 Literally “For Kohath was”
- Numbers 3:27 Hebrew “Amramite”
- Numbers 3:27 Hebrew “Izharite”
- Numbers 3:27 Hebrew “Hebronite”
- Numbers 3:27 Hebrew “Uzzielite”
- Numbers 3:27 Hebrew “Kohathite”
- Numbers 3:28 Literally “the son of a month”
- Numbers 3:30 Literally “the house of his father”
- Numbers 3:30 Hebrew “Kohathite”
- Numbers 3:32 Literally “the leader of leaders”
- Numbers 3:32 Hebrew “Levite”
- Numbers 3:33 Literally “for Merari was”
- Numbers 3:33 Hebrew “Mahlite”
- Numbers 3:33 Hebrew “Mushite”
- Numbers 3:34 Literally “the ones counted of them,” or “the ones mustered of them”
- Numbers 3:34 Literally “the son of a month”
- Numbers 3:35 Literally “the house of his father”
- Numbers 3:38 Literally “for the responsibility of the children of Israel”
- Numbers 3:38 Or “outsider”
- Numbers 3:39 Or “counted,” or “summoned,” or “enrolled”
- Numbers 3:39 Literally “the mouth of Yahweh”
- Numbers 3:39 Literally “the son of a month”
- Numbers 3:40 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Numbers 3:40 Literally “the son of a month”
- Numbers 3:40 Literally “and lift up the number of”
- Numbers 3:41 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Numbers 3:41 Hebrew “animal”
- Numbers 3:41 Hebrew “animal”
- Numbers 3:41 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Numbers 3:42 Or “counted” or “summoned” or “enrolled”
- Numbers 3:42 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Numbers 3:43 Hebrew “male”
- Numbers 3:43 Literally “the son of a month”
- Numbers 3:43 Literally “the ones counted of them,” or “the ones mustered of them”
- Numbers 3:45 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Numbers 3:46 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Numbers 3:47 Hebrew “gerah”
- Numbers 3:50 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Numbers 3:51 Literally “mouth”
Numbers 3
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Aaron’s Sons and the Levites
3 These are the family records of Aaron and Moses at the time the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.(A) 2 These are the names of Aaron’s sons: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. 4 But Nadab and Abihu died in the Lord’s presence when they presented unauthorized fire(B) before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests under the direction of Aaron their father.(C)
5 The Lord spoke to Moses: 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. 7 They are to perform duties for[a] him and the entire community before the tent of meeting by attending to the service of the tabernacle. 8 They are to take care of[b] all the furnishings of the tent of meeting(D) and perform duties for[c] the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle. 9 Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been assigned exclusively to him[d] from the Israelites.(E) 10 You are to appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out their priestly responsibilities, but any unauthorized person who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”(F)
11 The Lord spoke to Moses: 12 “See, I have taken the Levites from the Israelites in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb.(G) The Levites belong to Me, 13 because every firstborn belongs to Me. At the time I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt,(H) I consecrated every firstborn in Israel to Myself, both man and animal. They are Mine; I am Yahweh.”(I)
The Levitical Census
14 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai: 15 “Register the Levites by their ancestral houses and their clans. You are to register every male one month old or more.” 16 So Moses registered them in obedience to the Lord as he had been commanded:
17 These were Levi’s sons by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18 These were the names of Gershon’s sons by their clans: Libni and Shimei. 19 Kohath’s sons by their clans were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 Merari’s sons by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans by their ancestral houses.(J)
21 The Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan came from Gershon; these were the Gershonite clans. 22 Those registered, counting every male one month old or more, numbered 7,500. 23 The Gershonite clans camped behind the tabernacle on the west side,(K) 24 and the leader of the Gershonite family was Eliasaph son of Lael. 25 The Gershonites’ duties(L) at the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting,(M) 26 the hangings of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance(N) to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and the tent ropes—all the work relating to these.
27 The Amramite clan, the Izharite clan, the Hebronite clan, and the Uzzielite clan came from Kohath; these were the Kohathites. 28 Counting every male one month old or more, there were 8,600[e] responsible for the duties of[f] the sanctuary. 29 The clans of the Kohathites camped on the south side of the tabernacle,(O) 30 and the leader of the family of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31 Their duties involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the sanctuary utensils that were used with these, and the screen[g](P)—and all the work relating to them.(Q) 32 The chief of the Levite leaders was Eleazar(R) son of Aaron the priest; he had oversight of those responsible for the duties of[h] the sanctuary.
33 The Mahlite clan and the Mushite clan came from Merari; these were the Merarite clans. 34 Those registered, counting every male one month old or more, numbered 6,200. 35 The leader of the family of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they camped on the north side of the tabernacle.(S) 36 The assigned duties of Merari’s descendants involved the tabernacle’s supports, crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and all the work related to these,(T) 37 in addition to the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes.
38 Moses, Aaron, and his sons, who performed the duties of[i] the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites, camped in front of the tabernacle on the east,(U) in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise. Any unauthorized person who came near it was to be put to death.(V)
39 The total number of all the Levite males one month old or more that Moses and Aaron[j] registered by their clans at the Lord’s command was 22,000.
Redemption of the Firstborn
40 The Lord told Moses: “Register every firstborn male of the Israelites(W) one month old or more, and list their names. 41 You are to take the Levites for Me—I am Yahweh—in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of every firstborn among the Israelites’ cattle.” 42 So Moses registered every firstborn among the Israelites, as the Lord commanded him. 43 The total number of the firstborn males one month old or more listed by name was 22,273.
44 The Lord spoke to Moses again: 45 “Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of their cattle. The Levites belong to Me; I am Yahweh.(X) 46 As the redemption price for the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites, 47 collect five shekels for each person, according to the standard sanctuary shekel—20 gerahs to the shekel.(Y) 48 Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are in excess among the Israelites.”
49 So Moses collected the redemption money from those in excess of the ones redeemed by the Levites. 50 He collected the money from the firstborn Israelites: 1,365 shekels[k] measured by the standard sanctuary shekel. 51 He gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons in obedience to the Lord, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
Footnotes
- Numbers 3:7 Or to guard
- Numbers 3:8 Or to guard
- Numbers 3:8 Or and guard
- Numbers 3:9 Some Hb mss, LXX, Sam read Me; Nm 8:16
- Numbers 3:28 LXX reads 8,300
- Numbers 3:28 Or for guarding
- Numbers 3:31 The screen between the most holy place and the holy place; Ex 35:12
- Numbers 3:32 Or for guarding
- Numbers 3:38 Or who guarded
- Numbers 3:39 Some Hb mss, Sam, Syr omit and Aaron
- Numbers 3:50 Over 34 pounds of silver
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