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The Duties of the Families Descended from Levi’s Sons

Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Take a census of the Levites who are descended from Kohath. List them by families and households. Register all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who are qualified to work at the tent of meeting.

“This is the work the Kohathites will do in the tent of meeting: They will take care of the most holy things. When the camp is supposed to move, Aaron and his sons will go in and take down the canopy that hangs over the ark containing the words of God’s promise. First they will cover the ark with the canopy. Over this they will put a covering of fine leather.[a] On top of that they will spread a cloth made entirely of violet material. Then they will put the poles in place.

“They will spread a violet cloth over the table of the presence and put on it the plates, dishes, bowls, and pitchers for the wine offerings. The bread that is always in the Lord’s presence will also be on it. They will spread a bright red cloth over everything on the table. They will cover all this with fine leather. Then they will put the poles in place.

“They will take a violet cloth and cover the lamp stand, as well as the lamps, tongs, trays, and all the containers for the olive oil used in the lamps. 10 Then they will put the lamp stand and all its utensils under a covering of fine leather and put them on a frame to carry them.

11 “They will spread a violet cloth over the gold altar and cover the cloth with fine leather. Then they will put the poles in place.

12 “They will take all the articles that are used in the holy place, put them in a violet cloth, cover that with fine leather, and put them on a frame to carry them.

13 “After they take the ashes away, they will spread a purple cloth over the altar. 14 Next, they will put all the accessories used at the altar on it. These are the trays, forks, shovels, and bowls—all the altar’s accessories. They will spread a covering of fine leather over all this. Then they will put the poles in place.

15 “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy things and the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites will come to carry all the holy articles. They must never touch the holy things, or they will die. The Kohathites will carry all the things from the tent of meeting.

16 “Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron, will be in charge of the oil for the lamps, the sweet-smelling incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He is in charge of the whole tent and everything in it, the holy place and its contents.”

17 Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, 18 “Don’t let the Kohathite families from Levi’s tribe be destroyed. 19 This is what you must do so that they won’t die when they come near the most holy things: Aaron and his sons will go into the holy place and tell each man what he will do and what he will carry. 20 But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”

21 Yahweh said to Moses, 22 “Also take a census of the Gershonites. List them by households and families. 23 Register all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who are qualified to serve at the tent of meeting.

24 “This is what the Gershonite families will do and what they will carry: 25 They will carry the sheets that are part of the inner tent and the tent of meeting. They will also carry the inner cover for the tent of meeting, the outer cover of fine leather that goes over it, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting, 26 the curtains for the courtyard around the tent and the altar, the screen for the entrance to the courtyard, the ropes, and all the equipment used to set up the curtains. The Gershonites will do everything that needs to be done with these things. 27 All their work, whatever they carry and all their duties, will be done under the direction of Aaron and his sons. You are in charge of telling them everything they’re supposed to carry. 28 This is the work of the Gershonite families in the tent of meeting. Ithamar, son of the priest Aaron, will be in charge of them.

29 “Register the Merarites by families and households. 30 Register all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who are qualified to serve at the tent of meeting. 31 These are their duties as they work at the tent of meeting: They will carry the framework for the inner tent, the crossbars, posts, and sockets, 32 the posts for the surrounding courtyard, the bases, pegs, and ropes. They must take care of all this equipment. Tell each man by name the things he will carry. 33 This is what the Merarite families will do as they work at the tent of meeting. Ithamar, son of the priest Aaron, will be in charge of them.”

34 Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the community registered the Kohathites by their families and households. 35 They registered all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who were qualified to work at the tent of meeting. 36 The total of those who were registered was 2,750. They were listed by families. 37 This was the total of all those in the Kohathite families who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron did as Yahweh had commanded Moses and registered the Kohathites.

38 The Gershonites were registered by families and households. 39 All the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who were qualified to serve at the tent of meeting were registered. 40 The total of those who were registered was 2,630. They were listed by families and households. 41 This was the total of all those in the Gershonite families who worked at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron did as Yahweh had commanded Moses and registered the Gershonites.

42 The Merarites were registered by families and households. 43 All the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who were qualified to serve at the tent of meeting were registered. 44 The total of all those who were registered was 3,200. They were listed by families. 45 This was the total of those registered in the Merarite families. Moses and Aaron did as Yahweh had commanded Moses and registered the Merarites.

46 The grand total of all the Levites whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel registered was 8,580. They were listed by families and households. 47 These were the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who were qualified to do the work of serving and who carried the tent of meeting.[b] 49 At Yahweh’s command through Moses each man was registered and told what to do and what to carry.

So they were registered as Yahweh commanded Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 4:6 Hebrew meaning uncertain.
  2. Numbers 4:47 Verse 48 (in Hebrew) has been placed in verse 46 to express the complex Hebrew sentence structure more clearly in English.

Duties of the Kohathites

And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, from thirty years old and older, even to fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tent of meeting.

This will be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the holiest things. And when the camp sets out, Aaron will come, and his sons, and they will take down the covering curtain, and cover the ark of the testimony with it, and will put on it the covering of porpoise skins, and will spread over it a cloth completely of blue, and will put in its poles.

Upon the table of showbread they will spread a cloth of blue, and put the dishes on it, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover it, and the showbread will be on it. And they will spread on them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of porpoise skins, and will put in its poles.

They will take a cloth of blue, and cover the lampstand of the light, and its lamps, and its tongs, and its snuff dishes, and all its oil vessels, with which they minister to it. 10 And they will put it and all its vessels within a covering of porpoise skins and will put it on a carrying pole.

11 Upon the golden altar they will spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of porpoise skins, and will put in its poles.

12 And they will take all the instruments of ministry, with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of porpoise skins, and will put them on a carrying pole.

13 And they will take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth on it. 14 They shall put on it all the instruments with which they minister there, the censers, the flesh hooks, the shovels, the basins, all the utensils of the altar. And they will spread on it a covering of porpoise skins and insert its poles.

15 When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the instruments of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set out, after that, the sons of Kohath will come to carry it. But they will not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting.

16 To the office of Eleazar, Aaron the priest’s son, pertains the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, in the sanctuary, and in the instruments thereof.

17 The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: 18 Do not cut the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites. 19 But do this to them, that they may live and not die, when they approach the most holy things. Aaron and his sons will go in, and appoint each one to his service and to his burden. 20 But they will not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

Duties of the Gershonites

21 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 22 Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families. 23 From thirty years old and older to fifty years old you will number them, all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting.

24 This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and to work. 25 And they will carry the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tent of meeting, its covering, and the covering of the porpoise skins that is on it, and the hanging for the door of the tent of meeting, 26 and the hangings of the courtyard, and the hanging for the opening of the gate of the courtyard, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar all around, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them. So they will serve. 27 At the appointment of Aaron and his sons will be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service. And you shall assign to them all their tasks as their duty. 28 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting. And their charge will be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

Duties of the Merarites

29 As for the sons of Merari, you will number them by their families, by the house of their fathers. 30 From thirty years old and older, even to fifty years old, you will number them, everyone who enters into the service, to do the work of the tent of meeting. 31 This is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tent of meeting. The boards of the tabernacle, and its bars thereof, and its pillars, and its sockets, 32 and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service, and by name you will list the instruments of the charge of their burden. 33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tent of meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

Census of the Levites

34 Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families, and by the house of their fathers, 35 from thirty years old and older to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for the work in the tent of meeting. 36 And those who were numbered by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37 These were the ones listed of the families of the Kohathites, all who might do service in the tent of meeting, which Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

38 Those who were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers, 39 from thirty years old and older to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for the work in the tent of meeting, 40 even those who were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand six hundred and thirty. 41 These were the ones listed by the families of the sons of Gershon, of all who might do service in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord.

42 Those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, 43 from thirty years old and older to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for the work in the tent of meeting, 44 even those who were numbered by their families, were three thousand two hundred. 45 These were the ones listed of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

46 All those who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families, and by the house of their fathers, 47 from thirty years old and older to fifty years old, everyone who came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the work in the tent of meeting, 48 even those who were numbered were eight thousand five hundred and eighty. 49 According to the commandment of the Lord they were numbered by the hand of Moses, each according to his service, and according to his burden.

Thus they were numbered by him, as the Lord commanded Moses.