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 (A)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 (B)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 (C)the [a]layman coming near was to be put to death. 39 All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the [b]command of the Lord by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were (D)twenty-two thousand.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 3:38 Lit stranger
  2. Numbers 3:39 Lit mouth

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 family of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they camped on the north side of the tabernacle.(A) 36 The assigned duties of Merari’s descendants involved the tabernacle’s supports, crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and all the work related to these,(B) 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[a] the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites, camped in front of the tabernacle on the east,(C) in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise. Any unauthorized person who came near it was to be put to death.(D)

39 The total number of all the Levite males one month old or more that Moses and Aaron[b] registered by their clans at the Lord’s command was 22,000.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 3:38 Or who guarded
  2. Numbers 3:39 Some Hb mss, Sam, Syr omit and Aaron