Numbers 4:17-5:10

New International Version

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ¹⁸ “See that the Kohathite tribal clans are not destroyed from among the Levites. ¹⁹ So that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things,^(A) do this for them: Aaron and his sons^(B) are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he is to carry.^{(C) 20} But the Kohathites must not go in to look^(D) at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”

The Gershonites

²¹ The Lord said to Moses, ²² “Take a census also of the Gershonites by their families and clans. ²³ Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age^(E) who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.

²⁴ “This is the service of the Gershonite clans in their carrying and their other work: ²⁵ They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle,^(F) that is, the tent of meeting,^(G) its covering^(H) and its outer covering of durable leather, the curtains for the entrance to the tent of meeting, ²⁶ the curtains of the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar,^(I) the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard,^(J) the ropes and all the equipment^(K) used in the service of the tent. The Gershonites are to do all that needs to be done with these things. ²⁷ All their service, whether carrying or doing other work, is to be done under the direction of Aaron and his sons.^(L) You shall assign to them as their responsibility^(M) all they are to carry. ²⁸ This is the service of the Gershonite clans^(N) at the tent of meeting. Their duties are to be under the direction of Ithamar^(O) son of Aaron, the priest.

The Merarites

²⁹ “Count^(P) the Merarites by their clans and families.^{(Q) 30} Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting. ³¹ As part of all their service at the tent, they are to carry the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts and bases,^{(R) 32} as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, ropes,^(S) all their equipment and everything related to their use. Assign to each man the specific things he is to carry. ³³ This is the service of the Merarite clans as they work at the tent of meeting under the direction of Ithamar^(T) son of Aaron, the priest.”

The Numbering of the Levite Clans

³⁴ Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the community counted the Kohathites^(U) by their clans and families. ³⁵ All the men from thirty to fifty years of age^(V) who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, ³⁶ counted by clans, were 2,750. ³⁷ This was the total of all those in the Kohathite clans^(W) who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.

³⁸ The Gershonites^(X) were counted by their clans and families. ³⁹ All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, ⁴⁰ counted by their clans and families, were 2,630. ⁴¹ This was the total of those in the Gershonite clans who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command.

⁴² The Merarites were counted by their clans and families. ⁴³ All the men from thirty to fifty years of age^(Y) who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, ⁴⁴ counted by their clans, were 3,200. ⁴⁵ This was the total of those in the Merarite clans.^(Z) Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.

⁴⁶ So Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted^(AA) all the Levites by their clans and families. ⁴⁷ All the men from thirty to fifty years of age^(AB) who came to do the work of serving and carrying the tent of meeting ⁴⁸ numbered 8,580.^{(AC) 49} At the Lord’s command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry.

Thus they were counted,^(AD) as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Purity of the Camp

5 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has a defiling skin disease^[a](AE) or a discharge^(AF) of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean^(AG) because of a dead body.^{(AH) 3} Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.^(AI)” ⁴ The Israelites did so; they sent them outside the camp. They did just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

Restitution for Wrongs

⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ⁶ “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way^[b] and so is unfaithful^(AJ) to the Lord is guilty^{(AK) 7} and must confess^(AL) the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution^(AM) for the wrong they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged. ⁸ But if that person has no close relative to whom restitution can be made for the wrong, the restitution belongs to the Lord and must be given to the priest, along with the ram^(AN) with which atonement is made for the wrongdoer.^{(AO) 9} All the sacred contributions the Israelites bring to a priest will belong to him.^{(AP) 10} Sacred things belong to their owners, but what they give to the priest will belong to the priest.^(AQ)’”