The Census

1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting^(A) in the Desert of Sinai^(B) on the first day of the second month^(C) of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt.^(D) He said: ² “Take a census^(E) of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families,^(F) listing every man by name,^(G) one by one. ³ You and Aaron^(H) are to count according to their divisions all the men in Israel who are twenty years old or more^(I) and able to serve in the army.^{(J) 4} One man from each tribe,^(K) each of them the head of his family,^(L) is to help you.^{(M) 5} These are the names^(N) of the men who are to assist you:

¹⁶ These were the men appointed from the community, the leaders^(AM) of their ancestral tribes.^(AN) They were the heads of the clans of Israel.^(AO)

¹⁷ Moses and Aaron took these men whose names had been specified, ¹⁸ and they called the whole community together on the first day of the second month.^(AP) The people registered their ancestry^(AQ) by their clans and families,^(AR) and the men twenty years old or more^(AS) were listed by name, one by one, ¹⁹ as the Lord commanded Moses. And so he counted^(AT) them in the Desert of Sinai:

⁴⁴ These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron^(BV) and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. ⁴⁵ All the Israelites twenty years old or more^(BW) who were able to serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families.^{(BX) 46} The total number was 603,550.^(BY)

⁴⁷ The ancestral tribe of the Levites,^(BZ) however, was not counted^(CA) along with the others. ⁴⁸ The Lord had said to Moses: ⁴⁹ “You must not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other Israelites. ⁵⁰ Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle^(CB) of the covenant law^(CC)—over all its furnishings^(CD) and everything belonging to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they are to take care of it and encamp around it. ⁵¹ Whenever the tabernacle^(CE) is to move,^(CF) the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it.^(CG) Anyone else who approaches it is to be put to death.^{(CH) 52} The Israelites are to set up their tents by divisions, each of them in their own camp under their standard.^{(CI) 53} The Levites, however, are to set up their tents around the tabernacle^(CJ) of the covenant law so that my wrath will not fall^(CK) on the Israelite community. The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the covenant law.^(CL)”

⁵⁴ The Israelites did all this just as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Arrangement of the Tribal Camps

2 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: ² “The Israelites are to camp around the tent of meeting some distance from it, each of them under their standard^(CM) and holding the banners of their family.”

³⁴ So the Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family.

The Levites

3 This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses^(DT) at the time the Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai.^(DU)

² The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn^(DV) and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.^{(DW) 3} Those were the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests,^(DX) who were ordained to serve as priests. ⁴ Nadab and Abihu, however, died before the Lord^(DY) when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai.^(DZ) They had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar^(EA) served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.^(EB)

⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ⁶ “Bring the tribe of Levi^(EC) and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.^{(ED) 7} They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community^(EE) at the tent of meeting by doing the work^(EF) of the tabernacle. ⁸ They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. ⁹ Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons;^(EG) they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him.^{[b] 10} Appoint Aaron^(EH) and his sons to serve as priests;^(EI) anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.”^(EJ)

¹¹ The Lord also said to Moses, ¹² “I have taken the Levites^(EK) from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring^(EL) of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine,^{(EM) 13} for all the firstborn are mine.^(EN) When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.”^(EO)

¹⁴ The Lord said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai,^{(EP) 15} “Count^(EQ) the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or more.”^{(ER) 16} So Moses counted them, as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.

These were the Levite clans, according to their families.

²¹ To Gershon^(FA) belonged the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites;^(FB) these were the Gershonite clans. ²² The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 7,500. ²³ The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle.^{(FC) 24} The leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael. ²⁵ At the tent of meeting the Gershonites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle^(FD) and tent, its coverings,^(FE) the curtain at the entrance^(FF) to the tent of meeting,^{(FG) 26} the curtains of the courtyard^(FH), the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar,^(FI) and the ropes^(FJ)—and everything^(FK) related to their use.

²⁷ To Kohath^(FL) belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites;^(FM) these were the Kohathite^(FN) clans. ²⁸ The number of all the males a month old or more^(FO) was 8,600.^[c] The Kohathites were responsible^(FP) for the care of the sanctuary.^{(FQ) 29} The Kohathite clans were to camp on the south side^(FR) of the tabernacle. ³⁰ The leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan^(FS) son of Uzziel. ³¹ They were responsible for the care of the ark,^(FT) the table,^(FU) the lampstand,^(FV) the altars,^(FW) the articles^(FX) of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain,^(FY) and everything related to their use.^{(FZ) 32} The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar^(GA) son of Aaron, the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible^(GB) for the care of the sanctuary.^(GC)

³³ To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites;^(GD) these were the Merarite clans.^{(GE) 34} The number of all the males a month old or more^(GF) who were counted was 6,200. ³⁵ The leader of the families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.^{(GG) 36} The Merarites were appointed^(GH) to take care of the frames of the tabernacle,^(GI) its crossbars,^(GJ) posts,^(GK) bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use,^{(GL) 37} as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard^(GM) with their bases, tent pegs^(GN) and ropes.

³⁸ Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the east^(GO) of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in front of the tent of meeting.^(GP) They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary^(GQ) on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.^(GR)

³⁹ The total number of Levites counted^(GS) at the Lord’s command by Moses and Aaron according to their clans, including every male a month old or more, was 22,000.^(GT)

⁴⁰ The Lord said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more^(GU) and make a list of their names.^{(GV) 41} Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites,^(GW) and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the Lord.”^(GX)

⁴² So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the Lord commanded him. ⁴³ The total number of firstborn males a month old or more,^(GY) listed by name, was 22,273.^(GZ)

⁴⁴ The Lord also said to Moses, ⁴⁵ “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine.^(HA) I am the Lord.^{(HB) 46} To redeem^(HC) the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, ⁴⁷ collect five shekels^[d](HD) for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel,^(HE) which weighs twenty gerahs.^{(HF) 48} Give the money for the redemption^(HG) of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons.”^(HH)

⁴⁹ So Moses collected the redemption money^(HI) from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites. ⁵⁰ From the firstborn of the Israelites^(HJ) he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels,^[e](HK) according to the sanctuary shekel. ⁵¹ Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.

The Parable of the Tenants^(A)

12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard.^(B) He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. ² At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³ But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴ Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵ He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

⁶ “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all,^(C) saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

⁷ “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸ So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

⁹ “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:

¹² Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd;^(F) so they left him and went away.^(G)

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar^(H)

¹³ Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians^(I) to Jesus to catch him^(J) in his words. ¹⁴ They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax^[b] to Caesar or not? ¹⁵ Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” ¹⁶ They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

¹⁷ Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”^(K)

And they were amazed at him.

Marriage at the Resurrection^(L)

¹⁸ Then the Sadducees,^(M) who say there is no resurrection,^(N) came to him with a question. ¹⁹ “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.^{(O) 20} Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. ²¹ The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. ²² In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. ²³ At the resurrection^[c] whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

²⁴ Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures^(P) or the power of God? ²⁵ When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.^{(Q) 26} Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’^[d]?^{(R) 27} He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

The Greatest Commandment^(S)

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law^(T) came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^{[e] 30} Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^{[f](U) 31} The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[g](V) There is no commandment greater than these.”

³² “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.^{(W) 33} To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”^(X)

³⁴ When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”^(Y) And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.^(Z)

Whose Son Is the Messiah?^(AA)(AB)

³⁵ While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts,^(AC) he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David?^{(AD) 36} David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit,^(AE) declared:

³⁷ David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd^(AG) listened to him with delight.

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

³⁸ As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.^{(AH) 40} They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

The Widow’s Offering^(AI)

⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put^(AJ) and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”^(AK)