Numbers 3
Common English Bible
Aaron’s sons
3 These are the descendants of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 These are the names of Aaron’s sons: Nadab the oldest, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of Aaron’s sons, who are the anointed priests and ordained to the priesthood. 4 Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they made an unauthorized offering to the Lord in the Sinai desert. They didn’t have any sons. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
The Levites’ first census
5 The Lord spoke to Moses: 6 Bring near the tribe of Levi and place them before Aaron the priest. They will assist him. 7 They will perform duties for him and for the entire community before the meeting tent, doing the work of the dwelling. 8 They will be responsible for all the equipment of the meeting tent and the duties on behalf of the Israelites when they do the work of the dwelling. 9 You will give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been assigned as a gift to him from the Israelites. 10 You will appoint Aaron and his sons to be responsible for the priesthood. Any other person who approaches will be put to death.
11 The Lord spoke to Moses: 12 I claim the Levites from the Israelites in place of all the oldest males who open an Israelite womb. The Levites are mine 13 because all the oldest males are mine. When I killed all the oldest males in the land of Egypt, I reserved for myself all the oldest males in Israel, both humans and animals. They are mine; I am the Lord.
14 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert: 15 Enroll the Levites by their households and their clans. You will enroll all the males over one month old. 16 Moses enrolled them according to the Lord’s word as he was 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: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 Merari’s sons by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi by their households.
21 To Gershon belonged the clans of Libni and Shimei. These were the clans of the Gershonites. 22 Their enrollment, according to the number of males over one month old, was 7,500. 23 The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the dwelling on the west side. 24 The chief of the household of the Gershonites was Eliasaph, Lael’s son. 25 In the dwelling, the Gershonites were responsible for the meeting tent, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the meeting tent, 26 the curtains of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance of the courtyard surrounding the meeting tent and the altar, and its cords—all these structures.
27 To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites. These were the clans of the Kohathites. 28 The number of males over one month old, who would perform duties for the sanctuary, was 8,600. 29 The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the dwelling. 30 The chief of the household representing the clans of the Kohathites was Elizaphan, Uzziel’s son. 31 They were responsible for the chest, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the equipment of the sanctuary with which they would minister, and the screen—all these furnishings. 32 The head chief over the chiefs of the Levites was Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest. He was supervisor over those performing the duties of the sanctuary.
33 To Merari belonged the clans of Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Merarites. 34 Their enrollment, according to the number of males over one month old, was 6,200. 35 The chief of the household representing the clans of the Merarites was Zuriel, Abihail’s son. They were to camp on the north side of the dwelling. 36 The Merarites were assigned responsibility for the frames of the dwelling, its bars, pillars, bases, and all its equipment—all these items— 37 and the pillars of the courtyard all around, their bases, pegs, and cords.
38 Those camping in front of the dwelling eastward (that is, before the meeting tent on the east side) were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, who performed the duties of the sanctuary as service for the Israelites. Anyone else who approached would be put to death. 39 The total enrollment of the Levites, all the males over one month old whom Moses and Aaron enrolled by orders from the Lord, according to their clans, was 22,000.
Levites rescue the oldest male Israelites
40 The Lord said to Moses: Enroll all the oldest males of the Israelites over one month of age and record their names. 41 Take the Levites for me, in place of all the oldest sons of the Israelites, for I am the Lord, and the cattle of the Levites in place of all the oldest cattle of the Israelites. 42 Moses enrolled all the oldest males of the Israelites as the Lord commanded. 43 All the oldest males over one month old, recorded by name according to their enrollment, were 22,273.
44 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 45 Take the Levites in place of all the oldest Israelites and the cattle of the Levites in place of their cattle. The Levites are mine; I am the Lord. 46 To rescue the 273 remaining oldest Israelites over and above the number of Levites, 47 you will receive five shekels each. You will receive them according to the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs to the shekel. 48 You will give the money for their rescue to Aaron and his sons.
49 So Moses took the money from those rescued over and above the ones rescued by the Levites. 50 He took the money from the oldest of the Israelites, 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 51 Moses gave the money for those rescued to Aaron and his sons according to the Lord’s word, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Bamidbar 3
Orthodox Jewish Bible
3 These also are the toldot of Aharon and Moshe in the yom that Hashem spoke with Moshe in Mt. Sinai.
2 And these are the shmot of the Bnei Aharon: Nadav the bechor, and Avihu, Eleazar, and Itamar [Vayikra 10].
3 These are the shmot of the Bnei Aharon, the kohanim hameshuchim whose hand he filled [i.e., ordained] to be kohen [Shemot 29; Vayikra 8].
4 And Nadav and Avihu died before Hashem, when they offered eish zarah (unauthorized fire) before Hashem, in the midbar of Sinai, and they had no children; and Eleazar and Itamar ministered in the kohen’s office in the sight of Aharon their av [Vayikra 10].
5 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
6 Bring the tribe of Levi near [i.e., present them as offerings are presented], and present them before Aharon HaKohen, that they may minister unto him [i.e., help, be of service to him].
7 And they [the Levi’im] shall be shomer mishmeret (watch the watch, keep the guard duty) for him and for the mishmeret kol HaEdah (duty of the whole Congregation) before the Ohel Mo’ed, to do avodat HaMishkan (the work, service of the Mishkan).
8 And they shall be shomer mishmeret over kol klei Ohel Mo’ed (all the vessels, furnishings of the Ohel Mo’ed) for the Bnei Yisroel, doing the avodat HaMishkan (work of the Mishkan).
9 And thou shalt give the Levi’im unto Aharon and to his banim; they are wholly given unto him from among the Bnei Yisroel.
10 And thou shalt appoint Aharon and his banim; they shall be shomer to watch over their kehunah; the zar that encroach shall be put to death.
11 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
12 And I, hinei, I have taken the Levi’im from among the Bnei Yisroel instead of all the bechor that openeth the womb among the Bnei Yisroel; therefore the Levi’im shall be Mine;
13 Because all the bechor are Mine; for on the yom that I struck down all the bechor in Eretz Mitzrayim I set apart as kodesh unto Me all the bechor in Yisroel, both man and beast: Mine shall they be: I am Hashem.
14 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe in the midbar of Sinai, saying,
15 Count the Bnei Levi by the bais of their avot, by their mishpekhot; every zachar from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
16 And Moshe numbered them according to the command of Hashem, as he had been commanded.
17 And these were the Bnei Levi by their shmot: Gershon, Kehat, and Merari.
18 And these are the shmot of the Bnei Gershon by their mishpekhot: Livni, and Shimei.
19 And the Bnei Kehat by their mishpekhot: Amram, Yitzhar, Chevron, and Uzziel.
20 And the Bnei Merari by their mishpekhot: Machli and Mushi. These are the mishpekhot of the Levi’im according to the bais of their avot.
21 To Gershon belonged the mishpakhat of the Livni and the mishpakhat of the Shimi: these are the mishpekhot of the Gershoni.
22 Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of kol zachar (all the males), from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.
23 The mishpekhot of the Gershoni shall encamp behind the Mishkan westward.
24 And the Nasi of the bais av of the Gershoni shall be Elyasaph ben Lael.
25 And the mishmeret of the Bnei Gershon in the Ohel Mo’ed is as follows: the Mishkan, and the Ohel, the covering thereof, and the curtain at the entrance of the Ohel Mo’ed,
26 And the curtains of the khatzer, and the curtain for the entrance of the khatzer, which is around the Mishkan, and around the mizbe’ach; and the cords of it for kol avodah thereof.
27 And to Kehat belonged the mishpakhat of the Amrami, and the mishpakhat of the Yitzhari, and the mishpakhat of the Chevroni, and the mishpakhat of the Uzzieli: these are the mishpekhot of the Kehati.
28 In the number of all the zachar, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, shomrei mishmeret haKodesh.
29 The mishpekhot of the Bnei Kehat shall encamp on the southward side of the Mishkan.
30 And the Nasi bais av of the mishpekhot of the Kehati shall be Elitzaphan ben Uzziel.
31 And their guard duty shall be: the Aron and the Shulchan, and the Menorah, and the Mizbechot, and the vessels of HaKodesh (the Holy Place) wherewith they minister, and the curtain, and all the avodah thereof.
32 And Eleazar ben Aharon HaKohen shall be Nasi over the Nasi’ei HaLevi’im, and have the oversight of them that do guard duty over HaKodesh (the Holy Place).
33 To Merari belonged the mishpakhat of the Mahli, and the mishpakhat of the Mushi: these are the mishpekhot of Merari.
34 And those that were counted of them, according to the number of all the zachar, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.
35 And the Nasi bais av of the mishpekhot of Merari was Tzuriel ben Avichayil; these shall encamp on the side of the Mishkan northward.
36 And under the guard duty charge of the Bnei Merari shall be: the frames of the Mishkan, and the crossbars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the bases thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,
37 And the pillars of the khatzer round about, and their bases, and their pegs, and their cords.
38 And those that encamp in front of the Mishkan toward the east, even in front of the Ohel Mo’ed eastward, shall be Moshe, and Aharon and his banim, shomrim mishmeret HaMikdash (standing guard duty over the holy area) on behalf of the Bnei Yisroel; and the zar that shall encroach shall be put to death.
39 All that were counted of the Levi’im, which Moshe and Aharon numbered at the command of Hashem, by their mishpekhot, all the zakhar from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.
40 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Count all the bechor of the zakhar of the Bnei Yisroel from a month old and upward, and calculate the total by their shmot.
41 And thou shalt take the Levi’im for Me—I am Hashem—instead of all the bechor among the Bnei Yisroel; and the cattle of the Levi’im instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the Bnei Yisroel.
42 And Moshe counted, as Hashem commanded him, all the bechor among the Bnei Yisroel.
43 And it came about that all the bechor zakhar by the number of shmot, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.
44 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
45 Take the Levi’im instead of all the bechor among the Bnei Yisroel, and the cattle of the Levi’im instead of their cattle; and the Levi’im shall be Mine: I am Hashem.
46 And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the bechor of the Bnei Yisroel, which are more than the Levi’im;
47 Thou shalt even take five shekels for each one individually, after the shekel of HaKodesh shalt thou take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs) [Vayikra 27:6];
48 And thou shalt give the kesef, wherewith those over and above them [the Levi’im] is to be redeemed, unto Aharon and to his banim.
49 And Moshe took the kesef hapidyom of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levi’im;
50 Of the bechor of the Bnei Yisroel collected he the kesef; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of HaKodesh;
51 And Moshe gave the kesef hapidyom unto Aharon and to his banim, according to the command of Hashem, as Hashem commanded Moshe.
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