Numbers 1:47-54

New American Standard Bible

Levites Exempted

^47 (A)The Levites, however, were not counted among them by their fathers’ tribe. ⁴⁸ For the Lord had spoken to Moses, saying, ⁴⁹ “Only the tribe of Levi ^(B)you shall not count, nor shall you take their ^[a]census among the sons of Israel. ⁵⁰ And you shall ^(C)appoint the Levites over the ^[b]tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings and over everything that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it; they shall also camp around the ^[c]tabernacle. ^51 (D)So when the tabernacle is to move on, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encamps, the Levites shall set it up. But ^(E)the ^[d]layman who comes near it shall be put to death. ^52 (F)So the sons of Israel shall camp, each man by his own camp, and each man by his own ^[e]flag, according to their armies. ^53 (G)But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there will be ^(H)no divine wrath against the congregation of the sons of Israel. ^(I)So the Levites shall be responsible for service to the tabernacle of the testimony.” ⁵⁴ And the sons of Israel did so; in accordance with all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so they did.