Numbers 1
Common English Bible
First census
1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert in the meeting tent on the first day of the second month,[a] in the second year after they left the land of Egypt: 2 Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their clans and their households, recording the name of every male, 3 20 years old and above, who is eligible for military service in Israel. These you and Aaron will enlist in their military units. 4 Take with you one man from each tribe who is the head of his household. 5 These are the names of the men who will assist you:
from Reuben, Elizur, Shedeur’s son;
6 from Simeon, Shelumiel, Zurishaddai’s son;
7 from Judah, Nahshon, Amminadab’s son;
8 from Issachar, Nethanel, Zuar’s son;
9 from Zebulun, Eliab, Helon’s son;
10 from Joseph’s sons:
from Ephraim, Elishama, Ammihud’s son;
from Manasseh, Gamaliel, Pedahzur’s son;
11 from Benjamin, Abidan, Gideoni’s son;
12 from Dan, Ahiezer, Ammishaddai’s son;
13 from Asher, Pagiel, Ochran’s son;
14 from Gad, Eliasaph, Deuel’s son;
15 from Naphtali, Ahira, Enan’s son.
16 These are the ones appointed from the community, chiefs of their ancestral tribes and leaders of the divisions of Israel.
17 Moses and Aaron took these men who were selected by name 18 and they assembled the entire community on the first day of the second month. They registered them by their clans and their households, recording the name of each male 20 years old and above. 19 Moses enlisted them in the Sinai desert just as the Lord commanded him.
20 There were the descendants of Reuben, Israel’s oldest, registered by their clans and their households. Every man 20 years old and above eligible for military service was individually recorded by name. 21 Those enlisted from the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.
22 There were the descendants of Simeon, registered by their clans and their households. Every male 20 years old and above eligible for military service was individually recorded by name. 23 Those enlisted from the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.
24 There were the descendants of Gad, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 25 Those enlisted from the tribe of Gad were 45,650.
26 There were the descendants of Judah, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 27 Those enlisted from the tribe of Judah were 74,600.
28 There were the descendants of Issachar, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 29 Those enlisted from the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.
30 There were the descendants of Zebulun, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 31 Those enlisted from the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.
32 From Joseph’s descendants there were the descendants of Ephraim, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 33 Those enlisted from the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.
34 There were the descendants of Manasseh, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 35 Those enlisted from the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.
36 There were the descendants of Benjamin, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 37 Those enlisted from the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.
38 There were the descendants of Dan, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 39 Those enlisted from the tribe of Dan were 62,700.
40 There were the descendants of Asher, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 41 Those enlisted from the tribe of Asher were 41,500.
42 There were the descendants of Naphtali, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. 43 Those enlisted from the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.
44 These are the ones who were enlisted by Moses, Aaron, and the twelve chiefs of Israel, each from his own household. 45 All the Israelites 20 years old and above eligible for military service in Israel were enlisted by their households. 46 All those enlisted were 603,550. 47 But the Levites, belonging to their own ancestral tribe, weren’t enlisted along with them.
The Levites’ exclusion from the census
48 The Lord spoke to Moses: 49 You must not enlist the tribe of Levi, nor should you take their census along with the Israelites. 50 Rather, assign the Levites to the covenant dwelling, to all its equipment, and to everything that belongs to it. They will carry the dwelling and all its equipment, perform its religious ceremonies, and camp around the dwelling. 51 When it’s time to break camp, the Levites will take down the dwelling; and when it’s time to make camp, the Levites will set up the dwelling. Any other person who approaches will be put to death. 52 The Israelites will camp each in their own place under the banner of their own military unit. 53 But the Levites will camp around the covenant dwelling so that God’s anger will not strike the Israelite community. The Levites will guard the covenant dwelling.
54 The Israelites did everything exactly as the Lord commanded Moses.
Footnotes
- Numbers 1:1 April–May, Iyar
Numbers 1
New Living Translation
Registration of Israel’s Troops
1 A year after Israel’s departure from Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses in the Tabernacle[a] in the wilderness of Sinai. On the first day of the second month[b] of that year he said, 2 “From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their clans and families. List all the men 3 twenty years old or older who are able to go to war. You and Aaron must register the troops, 4 and you will be assisted by one family leader from each tribe.
5 “These are the tribes and the names of the leaders who will assist you:
| Tribe | Leader |
|---|---|
| Reuben | Elizur son of Shedeur |
| 6 Simeon | Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai |
| 7 Judah | Nahshon son of Amminadab |
| 8 Issachar | Nethanel son of Zuar |
| 9 Zebulun | Eliab son of Helon |
| 10 Ephraim son of Joseph | Elishama son of Ammihud |
| Manasseh son of Joseph | Gamaliel son of Pedahzur |
| 11 Benjamin | Abidan son of Gideoni |
| 12 Dan | Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai |
| 13 Asher | Pagiel son of Ocran |
| 14 Gad | Eliasaph son of Deuel |
| 15 Naphtali | Ahira son of Enan |
16 These are the chosen leaders of the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.”
17 So Moses and Aaron called together these chosen leaders, 18 and they assembled the whole community of Israel on that very day.[c] All the people were registered according to their ancestry by their clans and families. The men of Israel who were twenty years old or older were listed one by one, 19 just as the Lord had commanded Moses. So Moses recorded their names in the wilderness of Sinai.
20-21 This is the number of men twenty years old or older who were able to go to war, as their names were listed in the records of their clans and families[d]:
| Tribe | Number |
|---|---|
| Reuben (Jacob’s[e] oldest son) | 46,500 |
| 22-23 Simeon | 59,300 |
| 24-25 Gad | 45,650 |
| 26-27 Judah | 74,600 |
| 28-29 Issachar | 54,400 |
| 30-31 Zebulun | 57,400 |
| 32-33 Ephraim son of Joseph | 40,500 |
| 34-35 Manasseh son of Joseph | 32,200 |
| 36-37 Benjamin | 35,400 |
| 38-39 Dan | 62,700 |
| 40-41 Asher | 41,500 |
| 42-43 Naphtali | 53,400 |
44 These were the men registered by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, all listed according to their ancestral descent. 45 They were registered by families—all the men of Israel who were twenty years old or older and able to go to war. 46 The total number was 603,550.
47 But this total did not include the Levites. 48 For the Lord had said to Moses, 49 “Do not include the tribe of Levi in the registration; do not count them with the rest of the Israelites. 50 Put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant,[f] along with all its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and all its furnishings as you travel, and they must take care of it and camp around it. 51 Whenever it is time for the Tabernacle to move, the Levites will take it down. And when it is time to stop, they will set it up again. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the Tabernacle must be put to death. 52 Each tribe of Israel will camp in a designated area with its own family banner. 53 But the Levites will camp around the Tabernacle of the Covenant to protect the community of Israel from the Lord’s anger. The Levites are responsible to stand guard around the Tabernacle.”
54 So the Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Footnotes
- 1:1a Hebrew the Tent of Meeting.
- 1:1b This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in April or May.
- 1:18 Hebrew on the first day of the second month; see 1:1.
- 1:20-21a In the Hebrew text, this sentence (This is the number of men twenty years old or older who were able to go to war, as their names were listed in the records of their clans and families) is repeated in 1:22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42.
- 1:20-21b Hebrew Israel’s. The names “Jacob” and “Israel” are often interchanged throughout the Old Testament, referring sometimes to the individual patriarch and sometimes to the nation.
- 1:50 Or Tabernacle of the Testimony; also in 1:53.
Numbers 1
New King James Version
The First Census of Israel(A)
1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses (B)in the Wilderness of Sinai, (C)in the tabernacle of meeting, on the (D)first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2 (E)“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male (F)individually, 3 from (G)twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies. 4 And with you there shall be a man from every tribe, each one the head of his father’s house.
5 “These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: from Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; 6 from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; 7 from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; 8 from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar; 9 from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; 10 from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; 11 from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; 12 from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; 13 from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran; 14 from Gad, Eliasaph the son of (H)Deuel;[a] 15 from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.” 16 (I)These were (J)chosen[b] from the congregation, leaders of their fathers’ tribes, (K)heads of the divisions in Israel.
17 Then Moses and Aaron took these men who had been [c]mentioned (L)by name, 18 and they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they recited their (M)ancestry by families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, each one individually. 19 As the Lord commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai.
20 Now the (N)children of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 21 those who were numbered of the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.
22 From the (O)children of Simeon, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, of those who were numbered, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 23 those who were numbered of the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.
24 From the (P)children of Gad, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 25 those who were numbered of the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.
26 From the (Q)children of Judah, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 27 those who were numbered of the tribe of Judah were (R)seventy-four thousand six hundred.
28 From the (S)children of Issachar, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 29 those who were numbered of the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred.
30 From the (T)children of Zebulun, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 31 those who were numbered of the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
32 From the sons of Joseph, the (U)children of Ephraim, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 33 those who were numbered of the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.
34 From the (V)children of Manasseh, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 35 those who were numbered of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.
36 From the (W)children of Benjamin, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 37 those who were numbered of the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.
38 From the (X)children of Dan, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 39 those who were numbered of the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
40 From the (Y)children of Asher, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 41 those who were numbered of the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.
42 From the children of Naphtali, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: 43 those who were numbered of the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.
44 (Z)These are the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each one representing his father’s house. 45 So all who were numbered of the children of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war in Israel— 46 all who were numbered were (AA)six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
47 But (AB)the Levites were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe; 48 for the Lord had spoken to Moses, saying: 49 (AC)“Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor take a census of them among the children of Israel; 50 (AD)but you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, over all its furnishings, and over all things that belong to it; they shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they shall attend to it (AE)and camp around the tabernacle. 51 (AF)And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it (AG)up. (AH)The outsider who comes near shall be put to death. 52 The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, (AI)everyone by his own camp, everyone by his own standard, according to their armies; 53 (AJ)but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no (AK)wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall (AL)keep[d] charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony.”
54 Thus the children of Israel did; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they did.
Footnotes
- Numbers 1:14 Reuel, Num. 2:14
- Numbers 1:16 called
- Numbers 1:17 designated
- Numbers 1:53 have in their care
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
