Add parallel Print Page Options

The People of Israel Are Counted

(A) The people of Israel had left Egypt and were living in the Sinai Desert. Then on the first day of the second month[a] of the second year, when Moses was in the sacred tent the Lord said:

2-3 I want you and Aaron to find out how many people are in each of Israel's clans and families. And make a list of all the men 20 years and older who are able to fight in battle. 4-15 The following twelve family leaders, one from each tribe, will help you:

Elizur son of Shedeur

from Reuben,

Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai

from Simeon,

Nahshon son of Amminadab

from Judah,

Nethanel son of Zuar

from Issachar,

Eliab son of Helon

from Zebulun,

Elishama son of Ammihud

from Ephraim,

Gamaliel son of Pedahzur

from Manasseh,

Abidan son of Gideoni

from Benjamin,

Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai

from Dan,

Pagiel son of Ochran

from Asher,

Eliasaph son of Deuel

from Gad,

and Ahira son of Enan

from Naphtali.

16-17 Moses and Aaron, together with these twelve tribal leaders, 18 called together the people that same day. They were counted according to their clans and families. Then Moses and the others listed the names of the men twenty years and older, 19 just as the Lord had commanded. 20-46 The number of men from each tribe who were at least 20 years old and strong enough to fight in Israel's army was as follows:

46,500 from Reuben,

the oldest son of Jacob,[b]

59,300 from Simeon,

45,650 from Gad,

74,600 from Judah,

54,400 from Issachar,

57,400 from Zebulun,

40,500 from Ephraim,

32,200 from Manasseh,

35,400 from Benjamin,

62,700 from Dan,

41,500 from Asher,

53,400 from Naphtali.

The total number of men registered by Moses, Aaron, and the twelve leaders was 603,550.

47 But those from the Levi tribe were not included 48 because the Lord had said to Moses:

49 When you count the Israelites, do not include those from the Levi tribe. 50-51 Instead, give them the job of caring for the sacred tent, its furnishings, and the objects used for worship. They will camp around the tent, and whenever you move, they will take it down, carry it to the new camp, and set it up again. Anyone else who tries to go near it must be put to death.

52 The rest of the Israelites will camp in their own groups and under their own banners. 53 But the Levites will camp around the sacred tent to make sure that no one goes near it and makes me furious with the Israelites.

54 The people of Israel did everything the Lord had commanded.

Footnotes

  1. 1.1 second month: Ziv, the second month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-April to mid-May.
  2. 1.20-46 Jacob: The Hebrew text has “Israel,” Jacob's name after God renamed him.

And Hashem spoke unto Moshe in the midbar of Sinai, in the Ohel Mo’ed, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of Eretz Mitzrayim, saying,

Take ye the rosh (top amount, census) of kol Adat Bnei Yisroel after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, with the number of their shmot, every zachar by their head count;

From twenty years old and upward, all that are ablebodied to serve in tzava b’Yisroel (army in Yisroel); thou and Aharon shall number them by their tzva’ot (legions).

And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one Rosh of the bais of his Avot.

And these are the shemot haanashim that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuven, Elitzur ben Shedeur;

Of Shim’on, Shelumiel ben Tzurishaddai;

Of Yehudah, Nachshon ben Amminadav;

Of Yissakhar, Netanel ben Tzuar;

Of Zevulun, Eliav ben Chelon;

10 Of the bnei Yosef: of Ephrayim, Elishama ben Ammihud; of Menasheh, Gamli’el ben Pedahtzur;

11 Of Binyamin, Avidan ben Gideoni;

12 Of Dan, Achiezer ben Ammishaddai;

13 Of Asher, Pagiel ben Ochran;

14 Of Gad, Elyasaph ben Deuel;

15 Of Naphtali, Achira ben Enan.

16 These were the called men of the Edah, nasiim of the tribes of their avot, rashei alfei Yisroel (head-men of the clans of Yisroel).

17 And Moshe and Aharon took these men which had been designated by their names;

18 And they assembled kol HaEdah together on the first yom of the second month, and they declared their family after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, one by one.

19 As Hashem commanded Moshe, so he counted them in the midbar of Sinai.

20 And the bnei Reuven, Yisroel’s bechor, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, one by one, every zakhar from twenty years old and upward, all that are ablebodied to serve in tzava;

21 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuven, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.

22 Of the bnei Shim’on, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the shmot, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

23 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Shim’on, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.

24 Of the bnei Gad, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava;

25 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty.

26 Of the bnei Yehudah, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

27 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Yehudah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.

28 Of the bnei Yissakhar, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

29 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Yissakhar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

30 Of the bnei Zevulun, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

31 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Zevulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.

32 Of the bnei Yosef, namely, of the bnei Ephrayim, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

33 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephrayim, were forty thousand and five hundred.

34 Of the bnei Menasheh, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

35 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Menasheh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.

36 Of the bnei Binyamin, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

37 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Binyamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.

38 Of the bnei Dan, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

39 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.

40 Of the bnei Asher, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

41 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred.

42 Of the bnei Naphtali, throughout their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

43 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.

44 These are those that were numbered, which Moshe and Aharon numbered, and the nasiim (princes, rulers, exalted) of Yisroel, being shneym asar (twelve) men, each one representing the bais of his avot.

45 So were all those that were numbered of the Bnei Yisroel, by the bais of their avot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava b’Yisroel (army in Yisroel);

46 Even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

47 But the Levi’im after the tribe of their avot were not numbered among them.

48 For Hashem had spoken unto Moshe saying,

49 Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the Bnei Yisroel;

50 But thou shalt appoint the Levi’im over the Mishkan HaEdut and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it; they shall bear the Mishkan, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp round about the Mishkan.

51 And when the Mishkan setteth forward, the Levi’im shall take it down; and when the Mishkan is to be pitched, the Levi’im shall set it up; and the zar (stranger, outsider, unauthorized party) that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

52 And the Bnei Yisroel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own machaneh (camp), and every man by his own degel (standard, banner), throughout their tzva’ot (hosts).

53 But the Levi’im shall encamp around the Mishkan HaEdut, that there be no ketzef (wrath) fall upon the Adat Bnei Yisroel; and the Levi’im shall be shomer mishmeret (watch the watch, attend to, keep the charge, the reverence) of the Mishkan HaEdut.

54 And the Bnei Yisroel did according to all that Hashem commanded Moshe, so did they.