Add parallel Print Page Options

Levites Not Numbered in the Census

47 (A)The Levites, however, were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe. 48 Yahweh had spoken to Moses, saying, 49 “Only the tribe of Levi (B)you shall not number, nor shall you take their [a]census among the sons of Israel. 50 But you shall (C)appoint the Levites over the [b]tabernacle of the testimony and over all its furnishings and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall attend to it; they shall also camp around the tabernacle. 51 (D)So when the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encamps, the Levites shall set it up. But (E)the [c]layman who comes near shall be put to death. 52 (F)And the sons of Israel shall camp, each man by his own camp, and each man by his own standard, according to their armies. 53 (G)But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony so that there will be (H)no wrath on the congregation of the sons of Israel. (I)So the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.” 54 Thus the sons of Israel did; according to all which Yahweh had commanded Moses, so they did.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 1:49 Lit sum
  2. Numbers 1:50 Lit dwelling place, so in ch
  3. Numbers 1:51 Lit stranger

47 The Levites, however, were not numbered by their ancestral tribe along with them.(A)

48 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 49 “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not enroll, and you shall not take a census of them with the other Israelites. 50 Rather, you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the covenant and over all its equipment and over all that belongs to it; they are to carry the tabernacle and all its equipment, and they shall tend it and shall camp around the tabernacle.(B) 51 When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.(C) 52 The other Israelites shall camp in their respective regimental camps, by companies,(D) 53 but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the covenant, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the Israelites, and the Levites shall perform the duties of the tabernacle of the covenant.”(E) 54 The Israelites did so; they did just as the Lord commanded Moses.

Read full chapter