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¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the testimony, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

Take the sum of all the congregation of the sons of Israel by their families, by the houses of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls,

from twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel; thou and Aaron shall number them by their hosts.

And with you there shall be a man of every tribe, every one head of the house of his fathers.

And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben, Elizur, the son of Shedeur;

of Simeon, Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai;

of Judah, Nahshon, the son of Amminadab;

of Issachar, Nethaneel, the son of Zuar;

of Zebulun, Eliab, the son of Helon;

10 of the sons of Joseph, of Ephraim, Elishama, the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur;

11 of Benjamin, Abidan, the son of Gideoni;

12 of Dan, Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai;

13 of Asher, Pagiel, the son of Ocran;

14 of Gad, Eliasaph, the son of Deuel;

15 of Naphtali, Ahira, the son of Enan;

16 these were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, captains of the thousands of Israel.

17 ¶ And Moses and Aaron took these men who were designated by their names,

18 and they assembled all the congregation together on the first of the second month, and they were gathered by their lineages, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls,

19 as the LORD had commanded Moses; and he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

20 And the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

21 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

22 Of the sons of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, those that were numbered of him, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

23 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

24 Of the sons of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

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

26 Of the sons of Judah, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

27 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Judah, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

28 Of the sons of Issachar, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

29 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

30 Of the sons of Zebulun, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

31 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

32 Of the sons of Joseph: of the sons of Ephraim, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

33 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand five hundred; and

34 of the sons of Manasseh, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

35 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

36 Of the sons of Benjamin, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

37 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

38 Of the sons of Dan, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

39 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

40 Of the sons of Asher, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

41 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty-one thousand five hundred.

42 Of the sons of Naphtali, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

43 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

44 ¶ These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the twelve princes of Israel, one man for each house of his fathers.

45 So were all those that were numbered of the sons of Israel, by the houses of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel;

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

47 ¶ But the Levites according to the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.

48 For the LORD had spoken unto Moses, saying,

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

50 But thou shalt place the Levites in the tabernacle of the testimony and over all the vessels thereof and over all things that belong to it; they shall bear the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister in it and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.

51 And when the tabernacle departs, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.

52 And the sons of Israel shall pitch their tents, each man by his own camp and each man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.

53 But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of the testimony that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the sons of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.

54 And the sons of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.

The Census of Israel

The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai, on the first day of the second month of the second year(A) after Israel’s departure from the land of Egypt: “Take a census(B) of the entire Israelite community by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of every male one by one. You and Aaron are to register those who are 20 years old or more by their military divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.[a] A man from each tribe is to be with you, each one the head of his ancestral house.(C) These are the names of the men who are to assist 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;
10 from the sons of Joseph:
Elishama son of Ammihud from Ephraim,
Gamaliel son of Pedahzur from Manasseh;
11 Abidan son of Gideoni from Benjamin;
12 Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai from Dan;
13 Pagiel son of Ochran from Asher;
14 Eliasaph son of Deuel[b] from Gad;
15 Ahira son of Enan from Naphtali.

16 These are the men called from the community; they are leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of Israel’s clans.”

17 So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, 18 and they assembled the whole community on the first day of the second month. They recorded their ancestry by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting one by one the names of those 20 years old or more, 19 just as the Lord commanded Moses. He registered them in the Wilderness of Sinai:

20 The descendants of Reuben,(D) the firstborn of Israel: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting one by one the names of every male 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 21 those registered for the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.

22 The descendants of Simeon:(E) according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, those registered counting one by one the names of every male 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 23 those registered for the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.

24 The descendants of Gad:(F) according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 25 those registered for the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.

26 The descendants of Judah:(G) according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 27 those registered for the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.

28 The descendants of Issachar:(H) according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 29 those registered for the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.

30 The descendants of Zebulun:(I) according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 31 those registered for the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.

32 The descendants of Joseph:(J)

The descendants of Ephraim:(K) according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 33 those registered for the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500.

34 The descendants of Manasseh:(L) according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 35 those registered for the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.

36 The descendants of Benjamin:(M) according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 37 those registered for the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.

38 The descendants of Dan:(N) according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 39 those registered for the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.

40 The descendants of Asher:(O) according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 41 those registered for the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.

42 The descendants of Naphtali:(P) according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 43 those registered for the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.

44 These are the men Moses and Aaron registered, with the assistance of the 12 leaders of Israel; each represented his ancestral house. 45 So all the Israelites 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in Israel’s army, were registered by their ancestral houses. 46 All those registered numbered 603,550.(Q)

Duties of the Levites

47 But the Levites were not registered with them by their ancestral tribe. 48 For the Lord had told Moses: 49 “Do not register or take a census of the tribe of Levi with the other Israelites. 50 Appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They are to transport the tabernacle and all its articles, take care of it, and camp around it. 51 Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to stop at a campsite, the Levites are to set it up. Any unauthorized person who comes near it must be put to death.(R)

52 “The Israelites are to camp by their military divisions, each man with his encampment and under his banner. 53 The Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the Israelite community.”(S) 54 The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 1:3 Lit everyone going out to war in Israel
  2. Numbers 1:14 LXX, Syr read Reuel