Numbers 3
New Life Version
The Sons of Aaron
3 These are the people of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 The names of the sons of Aaron are Nadab the first-born, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the chosen religious leaders. Aaron set them apart to work as religious leaders. 4 But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they made a fire that was not holy to the Lord in the Desert of Sinai. And they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar worked as religious leaders during the life-time of their father Aaron.
The Levites Serve in the Meeting Tent
5 Then the Lord said to Moses, 6 “Bring the family of Levi near. Set them in front of Aaron the religious leader so they may serve him. 7 They will do the duties for him and for all the people in front of the meeting tent. They will do the work around the meeting tent, 8 and will keep all the things that belong to the meeting tent. They will take care of the duties for the people of Israel as they work around the meeting tent. 9 You will give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are all given to him from among the people of Israel. 10 Set apart Aaron and his sons to do the work of religious leaders. But if anyone comes near who is not a religious leader, he must be put to death.”
11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “See, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every first-born among the people of Israel. The Levites will be Mine. 13 For all the first-born are Mine. On the day that I killed all the first-born in the land of Egypt, I set apart for My own all the first-born in Israel, both man and animal. They will be Mine. I am the Lord.”
The Levites Are Numbered
14 Then the Lord said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai, 15 “Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses and by their families. Number every male a month old and older.” 16 So Moses numbered them just as he had been told by the word of the Lord. 17 The names of the sons of Levi are Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 18 The names of the sons of Gershon by their families are Libni and Shimei. 19 The sons of Kohath by their families are Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 20 The sons of Merari by their families are Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses.
21 Of Gershon were the families of the Libnites and the Shimeites. These were the families of the Gershonites. 22 The number of their men, every male a month old and older, was 7,500. 23 The families of the Gershonites were to set up their tents behind the meeting tent on the west side. 24 The leader of the fathers’ houses of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25 The sons of Gershon were to take care of the meeting tent, its covering, and the curtain for the door of the meeting tent. 26 And they were to take care of the curtains for the door of the open space, and all curtains around the meeting tent and the altar and their ropes. They did all the work having to do with them.
27 Of Kohath were the families of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites. These were the families of the Kohathites. 28 The number of every male a month old and older was 8,600. They did the duties of the holy place. 29 The families of the sons of Kohath were to set up their tents on the south side of the meeting tent. 30 The leader of the fathers’ houses of the Kohathite families was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31 They took care of the special box with the Law, and the table, the lamp-stand, the altars, the things used in the holy place, and the curtain. They did all the work having to do with them. 32 Eleazar, the son of Aaron the religious leader, was the head of the leaders of Levi. He watched over those who did the duties of the holy place.
33 Of Merari were the families of the Mahlites and the Mushites. These were the families of Merari. 34 The number of their men, every male a month old and older, was 6,200. 35 The leader of the fathers’ houses of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to set up their tents on the north side of the meeting tent. 36 The duties given to the sons of Merari were to take care of the parts made of wood of the meeting tent, its cross pieces, its pillars, its bases, and all the pieces that had to do with them. They took care of all these things, 37 and of the pillars around the open space and their bases and their nails and their ropes.
38 Moses and Aaron and his sons were to set up their tents on the east side in front of the meeting tent, toward the sunrise. They did the duties of the meeting tent, whatever had to be done for the people of Israel. But the one who came near who was not a religious leader was to be put to death. 39 The number of all the Levite men a month old and older, whom Moses and Aaron numbered by their families as the Lord told them, was 22,000.
Levites Take the Place of First-Born Sons
40 The Lord said to Moses, “Number every first-born male of the sons of Israel a month old and older. Write down their names. 41 Take the Levites for Me, instead of all the first-born among the sons of Israel. I am the Lord. And take the cattle of the Levites instead of all the first-born among the cattle of the people of Israel.” 42 So Moses numbered all the first-born among the sons of Israel, just as the Lord had told him. 43 The number of names of all the first-born males a month old and older was 22,273.
44 Then the Lord said to Moses, 45 “Take the Levites instead of all the first-born sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites. The number of the Levites will be Mine. I am the Lord. 46 There are 273 first-born of the sons of Israel, who are more in number than the Levites. You must pay the price for each of them. 47 Take five pieces of silver for each, by the weight of silver agreed upon for the meeting tent. 48 Give the money, the price of those who are more in number than the Levites, to Aaron and his sons.” 49 So Moses took the money to pay for those who were more in number than the Levites. 50 He took the money from the first-born sons of Israel, by the weight agreed upon for the meeting tent. He took 1,365 pieces of silver. 51 Then Moses gave the money to Aaron and his sons, just as the Lord had told Moses by His Word.
Numbers 3
King James Version
3 These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord spake with Moses in mount Sinai.
2 And 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 which were anointed, 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 they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father.
5 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.
7 And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.
8 And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
9 And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.
10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
11 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;
13 Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the Lord.
14 And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
16 And 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 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei.
19 And 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 are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.
21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites.
22 Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.
23 The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.
24 And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.
25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
26 And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.
27 And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.
28 In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward.
30 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31 And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.
32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge 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 And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.
35 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward.
36 And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,
37 And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.
38 But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
39 All that 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 upward, were twenty and two thousand.
40 And the Lord said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
41 And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the Lord) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.
42 And Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
43 And all the firstborn males by the number of names, 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 the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among 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 those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites;
47 Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:)
48 And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons.
49 And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites:
50 Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
51 And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
4 Mose 3
Hoffnung für Alle
Gott bestimmt die Leviten zum Dienst am Heiligtum
3 Zu der Zeit, als der Herr am Berg Sinai mit Mose sprach, hatte Aaron[a] 2 vier Söhne. Der Älteste war Nadab, die anderen hießen Abihu, Eleasar und Itamar. 3 Sie waren zu Priestern gesalbt und in ihr Amt eingesetzt worden. 4 Doch Nadab und Abihu waren im Heiligtum in der Wüste Sinai gestorben, weil sie dem Herrn eigenmächtig ein Räucheropfer dargebracht hatten. Sie hatten keine Söhne. So blieben nur noch Eleasar und Itamar, die zusammen mit Aaron den Priesterdienst versahen.
5 Der Herr sprach zu Mose: 6 »Ruf die Männer vom Stamm Levi zusammen und lass sie zu Aaron kommen. Ich möchte, dass sie ihm helfen. 7 Sie sollen für ihn und die ganze Gemeinschaft der Israeliten die Arbeiten erledigen, die beim heiligen Zelt anfallen: 8 Sie haben die Aufgabe, die Werkzeuge und Gefäße in Ordnung zu halten und die Dienste zu verrichten, die ich den Israeliten aufgetragen habe. 9 Als einziger von allen Stämmen Israels sollen die Leviten Aaron und seinen Nachkommen zur Verfügung stehen. 10 Aber das Priesteramt selbst dürfen nur Aaron und seine Nachkommen ausüben. Jeder andere, der es eigenmächtig übernehmen will, muss getötet werden!«
11 Weiter sagte der Herr zu Mose: 12 »Du siehst, ich habe von allen Stämmen die Leviten ausgesucht. Ich nehme sie anstelle eurer ältesten Söhne, damit sie ganz für mich da sind. 13 Denn eigentlich gehören mir alle erstgeborenen Söhne und alle männlichen Tiere in Israel, die als erste zur Welt kommen. Ich habe sie zu meinem Eigentum erklärt, als ich den ältesten Söhnen der Ägypter das Leben nahm. Eure Erstgeborenen gehören mir, dem Herrn!«
Die Leviten werden gezählt
14 Dann sprach der Herr zu Mose in der Wüste Sinai: 15 »Zähle alle männlichen Leviten, die älter als einen Monat sind, und schreibe sie nach Sippen und Familien geordnet auf!«
16 Mose tat, was der Herr ihm befohlen hatte.
17 Der Stammvater Levi hatte drei Söhne gehabt: Gerschon, Kehat und Merari. 18 Gerschons Söhne waren Libni und Schimi, 19 Kehats Söhne hießen Amram, Jizhar, Hebron und Usiël, 20 und Meraris Söhne waren Machli und Muschi. Von ihnen allen stammen die Sippen der Leviten ab.
21 Die Libniter und Schimiter, die Nachkommen von Gerschon, 22 zählten 7500 Männer und Jungen, die älter als einen Monat waren. 23 Sie sollten im Westen hinter dem heiligen Zelt lagern. 24 Ihr Oberhaupt war Eljasaf, der Sohn von Laël. 25 Die Gerschoniter bekamen die Verantwortung für das heilige Zelt, für die Zeltdecke, den Vorhang am Zelteingang, 26 für die Vorhänge zur Abgrenzung des Vorhofs rings um Zelt und Altar, den Vorhang am Eingang des Vorhofs und die Seile. Ihnen wurden alle Arbeiten übertragen, die damit zusammenhingen.
27 Von Levis Sohn Kehat stammen die Sippen Amram, Jizhar, Hebron und Usiël ab. 28 Die Zahl ihrer Männer und Jungen, die älter als einen Monat waren und im Heiligtum dienen sollten, betrug 8600[b]. 29 Sie lagerten an der Südseite des heiligen Zeltes. 30 Ihr Oberhaupt war Elizafan, der Sohn von Usiël. 31 Den Kehatitern wurde die Verantwortung für die Bundeslade, den Tisch, den Leuchter und die Altäre übertragen, ebenso für den Vorhang zum Allerheiligsten und für die Gefäße und Werkzeuge, die im Heiligtum gebraucht wurden. Sie sollten alle Arbeiten erledigen, die damit zusammenhingen. 32 Das höchste Oberhaupt der Leviten war Eleasar, der Sohn des Priesters Aaron. Er hatte die Aufsicht über alle, die im Heiligtum dienten.
33 Von Levis Sohn Merari stammen die Sippen Machli und Muschi ab. 34 Sie zählten 6200 Männer und Jungen. 35 Ihr Oberhaupt war Zuriël, der Sohn von Abihajil. Sie sollten an der Nordseite des Heiligtums lagern. 36-37 Den Nachkommen von Merari übertrug man die Verantwortung für die Holzplatten der Zeltwände, die Querbalken, die Pfosten, Sockel und alle dazugehörigen Werkzeuge, außerdem für die Pfosten der Abgrenzung des Vorhofs, ihre Sockel, Pflöcke und Seile und für alle Arbeiten, die damit zusammenhingen.
38 Im Osten vor dem Eingang des heiligen Zeltes, in Richtung Sonnenaufgang, lagerten Mose und Aaron mit seinen Söhnen. Sie sollten den Dienst im Heiligtum ausüben, wie der Herr es den Israeliten befohlen hatte. Wer sich aber dem heiligen Zelt unerlaubt näherte, musste sterben.
39 Nach der Zählung, die Mose und Aaron im Auftrag des Herrn durchführten, gab es insgesamt 22.000 männliche Leviten, die einen Monat und älter waren.
Die Leviten ersetzen die Erstgeborenen
40 Dann sprach der Herr zu Mose: »Zähle alle erstgeborenen Söhne in Israel, die älter als einen Monat sind, und schreib ihre Namen auf. 41 Du sollst an ihrer Stelle die Leviten zu meinem Eigentum erklären, und anstelle der erstgeborenen männlichen Tiere der Israeliten sollst du mir das Vieh der Leviten geben.« 42 Mose tat, was der Herr ihm befohlen hatte, und ließ alle erstgeborenen Israeliten zählen, 43 die einen Monat und älter waren. Ihre Zahl betrug 22.273.
44 Der Herr sprach zu Mose: 45 »Die Leviten und ihr Vieh gehören nun mir, dem Herrn – anstelle der ältesten Söhne der anderen Israeliten und ihrer erstgeborenen männlichen Tiere. 46 Da es nun mehr Erstgeborene als Leviten gibt, sollen die 273 überzähligen Erstgeborenen freigekauft werden. 47 Nimm für jeden von ihnen 5 Silberstücke zu je 12 Gramm, nach dem Gewicht, das im Heiligtum gilt! 48 Dieses Geld, das aus dem Loskauf der überzähligen Erstgeborenen zusammenkommt, sollen Aaron und seine Söhne erhalten.«
49-50 Mose ließ sich das Silber von den erstgeborenen Israeliten geben. Es waren 1365 Silberstücke, die zusammen etwa 16 Kilogramm wogen. 51 Er gab das Silber Aaron und seinen Söhnen, wie der Herr es ihm aufgetragen hatte.
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Hoffnung für Alle® (Hope for All) Copyright © 1983, 1996, 2002 by Biblica, Inc.®