Numbers 4:1-20

World English Bible

4 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, ² “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, ³ from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all who enter into the service to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.

⁴ “This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting, regarding the most holy things. ⁵ When the camp moves forward, Aaron shall go in with his sons; and they shall take down the veil of the screen, cover the ark of the Testimony with it, ⁶ put a covering of sealskin on it, spread a blue cloth over it, and put in its poles.

⁷ “On the table of show bread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the spoons, the bowls, and the cups with which to pour out; and the continual bread shall be on it. ⁸ They shall spread on them a scarlet cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.

⁹ “They shall take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand of the light, its lamps, its snuffers, its snuff dishes, and all its oil vessels, with which they minister to it. ¹⁰ They shall put it and all its vessels within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it on the frame.

¹¹ “On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.

¹² “They shall take all the vessels of ministry with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of sealskin, and shall put them on the frame.

¹³ “They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it. ¹⁴ They shall put on it all its vessels with which they minister about it, the fire pans, the meat hooks, the shovels, and the basins—all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of sealskin, and put in its poles.

¹⁵ “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furniture of the sanctuary, as the camp moves forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it; but they shall not touch the sanctuary, lest they die. The sons of Kohath shall carry these things belonging to the Tent of Meeting.

¹⁶ “The duty of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the continual meal offering, and the anointing oil, the requirements of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, the sanctuary, and its furnishings.”

¹⁷ Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, ¹⁸ “Don’t cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites; ¹⁹ but do this to them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint everyone to his service and to his burden; ²⁰ but they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die.”