Numbers 3
New American Standard Bible
Levite Priesthood Established
3 (A)Now these are the records of the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 (B)These then 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 (C)anointed priests, whom he [a]ordained to serve as priests. 4 (D)But Nadab and Abihu died in the presence of the Lord when they offered [b]strange fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests [c]in the lifetime of their father Aaron.
5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “(E)Bring the tribe of Levi forward and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. 7 They shall perform the duties for [d]him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, to do the (F)service of the tabernacle. 8 They shall also take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9 So you shall (G)assign the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are exclusively assigned to him from the sons of Israel. 10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that (H)they may [e]keep their priesthood, but (I)the [f]layman who comes near shall be put to death.”
11 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Now, behold, I (J)have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every (K)firstborn, the firstborn of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. 13 For (L)all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I fatally struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from the human firstborn to animals. They shall be Mine; I am the Lord.”
14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses (M)in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15 “[g](N)Count the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall count.” 16 So Moses counted them according to the [h]word of the Lord, just as he had been commanded. 17 (O)These, then, are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18 And these are the names of the (P)sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei; 19 and the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel; 20 and the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.
21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites. 22 Their numbered men, in the counting of every male from a month old and upward, their numbered men were 7,500. 23 The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the [i]tabernacle westward, 24 and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites: Eliasaph the son of Lael.
Duties of the Levites
25 Now (Q)the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle and (R)the tent, its covering, and (S)the curtain for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 and (T)the curtains of the courtyard, (U)the curtain for the entrance of the courtyard which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its ropes, according to all the service [j]concerning them.
27 Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites. 28 In the counting of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, performing the duties of the sanctuary. 29 The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle, 30 and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families: [k]Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31 Now (V)their duties included (W)the ark, (X)the table, (Y)the lampstand, (Z)the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, the [l]curtain, and all the service [m]concerning them; 32 and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the head of the leaders of Levi, and he had the supervision of those who performed the duties of the sanctuary.
33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari. 34 Their numbered men in the counting of every male from a month old and upward: 6,200. 35 And the leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to (AA)camp on the northward side of the tabernacle. 36 Now the appointment of duties of the sons of Merari included the framework of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its bases, all its equipment, and all the service concerning them, 37 and the pillars around the courtyard with their bases, their pegs, and their ropes.
38 Now those who were to (AB)camp in front of the tabernacle eastward, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for the obligation of the sons of Israel; but (AC)the [n]layman coming near was to be put to death. 39 All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the [o]command of the Lord by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were (AD)twenty-two thousand.
Firstborn Redeemed
40 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(AE)Count every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and [p]make a list of their names. 41 And you (AF)shall take the Levites for Me—I am the Lord—instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.” 42 So Moses counted all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the Lord had commanded him; 43 and all the firstborn males, by the number of names from a month old and upward for their numbered men, were (AG)22,273.
44 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “(AH)Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites in place of their cattle. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am the Lord. 46 (AI)And as [q]a redemption price for the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess of the number of the Levites, 47 you shall take (AJ)five shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in (AK)terms of the shekel of the sanctuary ((AL)the shekel is twenty [r]gerahs), 48 and you shall give the money, the redemption price of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons.” 49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were in excess of the number of those redeemed by the Levites; 50 from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365. 51 Then Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, at the [s]command of the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Footnotes
- Numbers 3:3 Lit filled their hand
- Numbers 3:4 I.e., prohibited
- Numbers 3:4 Lit before the face
- Numbers 3:7 Lit him and the duties of the whole congregation
- Numbers 3:10 Or perform
- Numbers 3:10 Lit stranger
- Numbers 3:15 Lit muster, and so throughout the ch
- Numbers 3:16 Lit mouth
- Numbers 3:23 Lit dwelling place, and so throughout the ch
- Numbers 3:26 Lit of it
- Numbers 3:30 In Ex 6:22, Elzaphan
- Numbers 3:31 I.e., the veil between the Holy Place and Most Holy Place
- Numbers 3:31 Lit of it
- Numbers 3:38 Lit stranger
- Numbers 3:39 Lit mouth
- Numbers 3:40 Lit take up the number
- Numbers 3:46 Or ransom
- Numbers 3:47 A gerah is about 0.025 oz. or 0.7 gm
- Numbers 3:51 Lit mouth
Numbers 3
Revised Geneva Translation
3 Also, these were the generations of Aaron and Moses, in the days that the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
2 So 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 anointed Priests, whom he consecrated to minister in the Priest’s office.
4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai and had no children. But Eleazar and Ithamar served in the Priest’s office in the sight of Aaron, their father.
5 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
6 “Bring the tribe of Levi and set them before Aaron the Priest, so that they may serve him
7 “and tend to him, even tend to the whole Congregation, before the Tabernacle of the Congregation, to do the service of the Tabernacle.
8 “They shall also maintain all the instruments of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and tend to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the service of the Tabernacle.
9 “And you shall give the Levites to Aaron, and to his sons. They are given to him freely from among the children of Israel.
10 “And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to execute their Priest’s office. And the stranger who comes near shall be killed.”
11 Also, the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
12 “Behold, I have even taken the Levites from among the children of Israel, for all the firstborn that open the womb among the children of Israel. And the Levites shall be Mine,
13 “because all the firstborn are Mine. For the same day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. Mine they shall be. I am the LORD.”
14 Moreover, the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15 “Number the children of Levi, after the Houses of their fathers, in their families. Every male from a month old and above shall you number.”
16 Then Moses numbered them according to the Word of the LORD, as he was Commanded.
17 And these were the sons of Levi, by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.
18 Also these were the names of the sons of Gershon, by their families: Libni and Shimei.
19 Also the sons of Kohath, by their families: Amram and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20 And the sons of Merari, by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These were the families of Levi, according to the Houses of their fathers.
21 From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites. These were the families of the Gershonites,
22 the sum of which (after the number of all the males from a month old and above) was counted seven thousand five hundred.
23 The families of the Gershonites were to pitch behind the Tabernacle, westward.
24 The captain and ancient of the House of the Gershonites was Eliasaph, the son of Lael.
25 And the sons of Gershon in the Tabernacle of the Congregation were to be in charge of the Tabernacle and the Pavilion, its covering, and the Veil of the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation,
26 and the hanging of the court and the Veil of the door of the court which is near the Tabernacle, and near the Altar, all around, and the cords of it, for all its services.
27 And from Kohath came the family of the Amramites and the family of the Izharites and the family of the Hebronites and the family of the Uzzielites. These were the families of the Kohathites.
28 The number of all the males from a month old and above was eight thousand six hundred, keeping charge of the Sanctuary.
29 The families of the sons of Kohath were to pitch on the south side of the Tabernacle.
30 The captain and ancient of the House and families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan, the son of Uzziel.
31 And their charge was to be the Ark, the Table, the Candlestick, the Altars, the instruments of the Sanctuary with which they minister, the Veil, and all that serves them.
32 And Eleazar, the son of Aaron the Priest, was to be chief captain of the Levites, having oversight of those in charge of the Sanctuary.
33 From Merari came the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites. These were the families of Merari.
34 And the sum of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above, was six thousand two hundred.
35 The captain and the ancient of the House of the families of Merari was Zuriel, the son of Abihail. They were to pitch on the Northside of the Tabernacle.
36 And the sons of Merari were in charge and custody of the boards of the Tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, and all its instruments, and all that serves them,
37 with the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, and their pins and their cords.
38 Also, on the forefront of the Tabernacle, toward the east, before the Tabernacle of the Congregation, eastward, Moses and Aaron and his sons were to pitch, having charge of the Sanctuary and charge of the children of Israel. But the stranger who came near would be killed.
39 The whole sum 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 above, was twenty-two thousand.
40 And the LORD said to Moses, “Number all the firstborn who are males among the children of Israel from a month old and above and take the number of their names.
41 “And you shall take the Levites for Me instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel—I am the LORD—and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the cattle of the children of Israel.”
42 And Moses numbered all the firstborn of the children of Israel, as the LORD Commanded him.
43 All the firstborn males by name (from a month old and above), according to their number, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy three.
44 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. And the Levites shall be Mine. I am the LORD.
46 “And for the redeeming of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel (which is more than the Levites),
47 “you shall also take five shekels for every person. You shall take it after the weight of the Sanctuary. The shekel contains twenty gerahs.
48 “And you shall give the money with which the excess number of them is redeemed to Aaron and to his sons.”
49 Thus Moses took the redemption of those who were redeemed in addition to the Levites.
50 He took the money from the firstborn of the children of Israel: one thousand three hundred sixty-five, after the shekel of the Sanctuary.
51 And Moses gave the money from those who were redeemed to Aaron and to his sons, according to the Word of the LORD, as the LORD had Commanded Moses.
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