Numbers 3
Modern English Version
The Sons of Aaron
3 These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai.
2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister as priests. 4 Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they brought strange fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children, and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the sight of Aaron their father.
Duties of the Levites
5 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, and they will minister to him. 7 They will keep his directives, and serve the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8 They will keep all the instruments of the tent of meeting, and attend to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9 You will give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him from the children of Israel. 10 You will appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will attend to their priesthood, and the foreigner that approaches will be put to death.
11 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 12 I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that open the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites will be Mine 13 because all the firstborn are Mine, for on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I set apart to Me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They will be Mine. I am the Lord.
A Census of the Levites
14 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying: 15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families. You will number every male from a month old and older. 16 Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded.
17 These were the sons of Levi by their names:
Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.
18 These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families:
Libni and Shimei;
19 the sons of Kohath by their families:
Amram, and Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel;
20 the sons of Merari by their families:
Mahli and Mushi.
These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.
21 From Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites. These are the families of the Gershonites. 22 Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and older, those who were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred. 23 The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the west side of the tabernacle. 24 The chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25 The charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the hanging for the door of the tent of meeting, 26 the hangings of the court, the curtain for the opening of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords—all the service pertaining to these.
27 Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites. 28 The number of all the males, from a month old and older, were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the guard of the sanctuary. 29 The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. 30 The chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31 Their duty included the ark, and the table, and the lampstand, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary they minister with, and the hanging, and all its service. 32 Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites and to have the oversight of those who kept the guard of the sanctuary.
33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari. 34 Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and older, were six thousand two hundred. 35 The chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 Under the oversight and guard of the sons of Merari were the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the sockets, all their accessories, all the service pertaining to these, 37 and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, and pins, and cords.
38 But those who were to camp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tent of meeting on the east side, were Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the guard of the sanctuary for the guard of the children of Israel, and the foreigner who approached was to be put to death.
39 All who were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and older, were twenty-two thousand.
The Redemption of the Firstborn
40 The Lord said to Moses: Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and older and take the number of their names. 41 You will take the Levites for Me (I am the Lord) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel.
42 Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel. 43 All the firstborn males, by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
44 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock, and the Levites will be Mine. I am the Lord. 46 For those who are to be redeemed of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites, 47 you will take five shekels[a] apiece by the poll; according to the shekel of the sanctuary you will take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs). 48 And you will give the money, by which the number of them is to be redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.
49 Moses took the redemption money of those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites. 50 Of the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels,[b] after the shekel of the sanctuary. 51 And Moses gave the money of those who were redeemed to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Footnotes
- Numbers 3:47 About 2 ounces, or 58 grams.
- Numbers 3:50 About 35 pounds, or 16 kilograms.
Numbers 3
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
Aaron’s Sons and the Levites
3 These are the family records of Aaron and Moses at the time the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.(A) 2 These are the names of Aaron’s sons: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. 4 But Nadab and Abihu died in the Lord’s presence when they presented unauthorised fire(B) before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests under the direction of Aaron their father.(C)
5 The Lord spoke to Moses: 6 ‘Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them to the priest Aaron to assist him. 7 They are to perform duties for[a] him and the entire community before the tent of meeting by attending to the service of the tabernacle. 8 They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting(D) and perform duties for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle. 9 Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been assigned exclusively to him[b] from the Israelites.(E) 10 You are to appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out their priestly responsibilities, but any unauthorised person who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.’(F)
11 The Lord spoke to Moses: 12 ‘See, I have taken the Levites from the Israelites in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb.(G) The Levites belong to me, 13 because every firstborn belongs to me. At the time I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt,(H) I consecrated every firstborn in Israel to myself, both man and animal. They are mine; I am the Lord.’(I)
The Levitical Census
14 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai: 15 ‘Register the Levites by their ancestral families[c] and their clans. You are to register every male one month old or more.’ 16 So Moses registered them in obedience to the Lord as he had been commanded:
17 These were Levi’s sons by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18 These were the names of Gershon’s sons by their clans: Libni and Shimei. 19 Kohath’s sons by their clans were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 Merari’s sons by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans by their ancestral families.(J)
21 The Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan came from Gershon; these were the Gershonite clans. 22 Those registered, counting every male one month old or more, numbered 7,500. 23 The Gershonite clans camped behind the tabernacle on the west side,(K) 24 and the leader of the Gershonite families[d] was Eliasaph son of Lael. 25 The Gershonites’ duties(L) at the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting,(M) 26 the hangings of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance(N) to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and the tent ropes – all the work relating to these.
27 The Amramite clan, the Izharite clan, the Hebronite clan, and the Uzzielite clan came from Kohath; these were the Kohathites. 28 Counting every male one month old or more, there were 8,600[e] responsible for the duties of[f] the sanctuary. 29 The clans of the Kohathites camped on the south side of the tabernacle,(O) 30 and the leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31 Their duties involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the sanctuary utensils that were used with these, and the screen[g](P) – and all the work relating to them.(Q) 32 The chief of the Levite leaders was Eleazar(R) son of Aaron the priest; he had oversight of those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.
33 The Mahlite clan and the Mushite clan came from Merari; these were the Merarite clans. 34 Those registered, counting every male one month old or more, numbered 6,200. 35 The leader of the families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they camped on the north side of the tabernacle.(S) 36 The assigned duties of Merari’s descendants involved the tabernacle’s supports, crossbars, pillars, bases, all its equipment, and all the work related to these,(T) 37 in addition to the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes.
38 Moses, Aaron, and his sons, who performed the duties of[h] the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites, camped in front of the tabernacle on the east,(U) in front of the tent of meeting towards the sunrise. Any unauthorised person who came near it was to be put to death.(V)
39 The total number of all the Levite males one month old or more that Moses and Aaron[i] registered by their clans at the Lord’s command was 22,000.
Redemption of the Firstborn
40 The Lord told Moses, ‘Register every firstborn male of the Israelites(W) one month old or more, and list their names. 41 You are to take the Levites for me – I am the Lord – in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of every firstborn among the Israelites’ cattle.’ 42 So Moses registered every firstborn among the Israelites, as the Lord commanded him. 43 The total number of the firstborn males one month old or more listed by name was 22,273.
44 The Lord spoke to Moses again: 45 ‘Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of their cattle. The Levites belong to me; I am the Lord.(X) 46 As the redemption price for the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites, 47 collect five shekels for each person, according to the standard sanctuary shekel – twenty gerahs to the shekel.[j](Y) 48 Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are in excess among the Israelites.’
49 So Moses collected the redemption amount from those in excess of the ones redeemed by the Levites. 50 He collected the silver from the firstborn Israelites: 1,365 shekels[k] measured by the standard sanctuary shekel. 51 He gave the redemption silver to Aaron and his sons in obedience to the Lord, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
Footnotes
- 3:7 Or to guard, also in v. 8
- 3:9 Some Hb mss, LXX, Sam read me; Nm 8:16
- 3:15 Lit the house of their fathers, also in v. 20
- 3:24 Lit a father’s house, also in vv. 30,35
- 3:28 LXX reads 8,300
- 3:28 Or for guarding, also in v. 32
- 3:31 The screen between the most holy place and the holy place; Ex 35:12
- 3:38 Or who guarded
- 3:39 Some Hb mss, Sam, Syr omit and Aaron
- 3:47 A shekel is about two-fifths of an ounce of silver
- 3:50 Over 34 pounds of silver
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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