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47 The Levites from their ancestors’[a] tribe were not mustered[b] in their midst.

48 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 49 “You will not muster[c] the tribe of Levi, and you will not take a census of[d] them in the midst of the Israelites.[e] 50 You will appoint[f] them over the tabernacle of the testimony,[g] over all its vessels, and over all that belongs to it. They will carry the tabernacle and all its vessels, and they will care for it; and they will camp around the tabernacle. 51 And when the tabernacle is set out, the Levites will take it down,[h] and when encamping the tabernacle the Levites will set it up; the stranger[i] that approaches it will be put to death. 52 The Israelites[j] will encamp, each in their own camp, and each by their[k] own banner according to their divisions. 53 But the Levites will encamp around the tabernacle of the testimony,[l] and there will not be wrath on the community of the Israelites;[m] and the Levites will keep the requirements of the tabernacle of the testimony.”[n] 54 And the Israelites[o] did thus; they did everything that Yahweh commanded Moses.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 1:47 Or “fathers’”
  2. Numbers 1:47 Or “counted,” or “summoned,” or “enrolled”
  3. Numbers 1:49 Or “count,” or “summon,” or “enroll”
  4. Numbers 1:49 Literally “Lift up the head of”
  5. Numbers 1:49 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  6. Numbers 1:50 Or “count,” or “summon,” or “enroll”
  7. Numbers 1:50 Other modern translations read “tabernacle of the covenant”
  8. Numbers 1:51 Literally “lower it”
  9. Numbers 1:51 Or “outsider”
  10. Numbers 1:52 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  11. Numbers 1:52 Hebrew “his” or “its”
  12. Numbers 1:53 Other modern translations read “tabernacle of the covenant”
  13. Numbers 1:53 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  14. Numbers 1:53 Other modern translations read “tabernacle of the covenant”
  15. Numbers 1:54 Literally “sons/children of Israel”

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.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 1:49 Lit sum
  2. Numbers 1:50 Lit dwelling place, and so throughout the ch
  3. Numbers 1:50 Lit dwelling place, and so throughout the ch
  4. Numbers 1:51 Lit stranger
  5. Numbers 1:52 Or division