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Numbers 3
Legacy Standard Bible

Priests and Levites

3 (A)Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when Yahweh spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 (B)These then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the (C)anointed priests, whom he [a]ordained to minister as priests. 4 (D)But Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh when they offered strange fire before Yahweh in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests [b]in the lifetime of their father Aaron.

5 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “(E)Bring the tribe of Levi near and have them stand before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7 And they shall keep his responsibility and the responsibility for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to perform the (F)service of the tabernacle. 8 They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the responsibility of the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the [c]tabernacle. 9 You shall thus (G)give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel. 10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that (H)they may keep their priesthood, but (I)the [d]outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

11 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Now, behold, I (J)have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every (K)firstborn, the first offspring of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. 13 For (L)all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am Yahweh.”

14 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses (M)in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15 “[e](N)Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall [f]number.” 16 So Moses numbered them according to the [g]word of Yahweh, just as he had been commanded. 17 (O)These then are the sons of Levi by their names:

Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
18 And these are the names of the (P)sons of Gershon by their families:
Libni and Shimei;
19 and the sons of Kohath by their families:
Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel;
20 and the sons of Merari by their families:
Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.

21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites. 22 Their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, even their numbered men were 7,500. 23 The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward, 24 and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.

Responsibilities of the Priests

25 Now (Q)the responsibility of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle and (R)the tent, its covering, and (S)the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting, 26 and (T)the hangings of the court, and (U)the screen for the doorway of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords, according to all the service [h]concerning them.

27 Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites and the family of the Izharites and the family of the Hebronites and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites. 28 In the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary. 29 The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the southward side of the tabernacle, 30 and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families was [i]Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31 Now (V)their responsibility involved (W)the ark, (X)the table, (Y)the lampstand, (Z)the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service [j]concerning them; 32 and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the chief of the leaders of Levi and had the oversight of those who keep the responsibility of the sanctuary.

33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari. 34 And their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200. 35 And the leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to (AA)camp on the northward side of the tabernacle. 36 Now the appointed responsibility of the sons of Merari involved the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its bases, all its equipment, and the service concerning them, 37 and the pillars around the court with their bases and their pegs and their cords.

38 Now those who were to (AB)camp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses and Aaron and his sons, keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary for the responsibility of the sons of Israel; but (AC)the [k]outsider coming near was to be put to death. 39 All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the [l]command of Yahweh by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were (AD)22,000.

Redemption of the Firstborn

40 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “(AE)Number every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and [m]make a list of their names. 41 And you (AF)shall take the Levites for Me, I am Yahweh, instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.” 42 So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as Yahweh had commanded him; 43 and all the firstborn males by the number of names from a month old and upward, for their numbered men were (AG)22,273.

44 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “(AH)Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am Yahweh. 46 (AI)For the redemption price of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites, 47 you shall take (AJ)five [n]shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in (AK)terms of the shekel of the sanctuary ((AL)the shekel is twenty [o]gerahs), 48 and give the money, the redemption price of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons.” 49 So Moses took the money of the redemption price from those who were in excess, beyond those redeemed by the Levites; 50 from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365. 51 Then Moses gave the money of the redemption price to Aaron and to his sons, at the [p]command of Yahweh, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 3:3 Lit filled their hand
  2. Numbers 3:4 Lit before the face
  3. Numbers 3:8 Lit dwelling place, so in ch
  4. Numbers 3:10 Lit stranger
  5. Numbers 3:15 Lit Muster
  6. Numbers 3:15 Lit muster, so in ch
  7. Numbers 3:16 Lit mouth
  8. Numbers 3:26 Lit of it
  9. Numbers 3:30 In Ex 6:22, Elzaphan
  10. Numbers 3:31 Lit of it
  11. Numbers 3:38 Lit stranger
  12. Numbers 3:39 Lit word
  13. Numbers 3:40 Lit take the number
  14. Numbers 3:47 A shekel was approx. 0.4 oz. or 11 gm
  15. Numbers 3:47 A gerah was approx. 0.025 oz. or 0.7 gm
  16. Numbers 3:51 Lit mouth
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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

  1. Numbers 3:7 Or to guard
  2. Numbers 3:8 Or to guard
  3. Numbers 3:8 Or and guard
  4. Numbers 3:9 Some Hb mss, LXX, Sam read Me; Nm 8:16
  5. Numbers 3:28 LXX reads 8,300
  6. Numbers 3:28 Or for guarding
  7. Numbers 3:31 The screen between the most holy place and the holy place; Ex 35:12
  8. Numbers 3:32 Or for guarding
  9. Numbers 3:38 Or who guarded
  10. Numbers 3:39 Some Hb mss, Sam, Syr omit and Aaron
  11. Numbers 3:50 Over 34 pounds of silver
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