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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”

47 The ancestral tribe of the Levites,(A) however, was not counted(B) along with the others. 48 The Lord had said to Moses: 49 “You must not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other Israelites. 50 Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle(C) of the covenant law(D)—over all its furnishings(E) and everything belonging to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they are to take care of it and encamp around it. 51 Whenever the tabernacle(F) is to move,(G) the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it.(H) Anyone else who approaches it is to be put to death.(I) 52 The Israelites are to set up their tents by divisions, each of them in their own camp under their standard.(J) 53 The Levites, however, are to set up their tents around the tabernacle(K) of the covenant law so that my wrath will not fall(L) on the Israelite community. The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the covenant law.(M)

54 The Israelites did all this just as the Lord commanded Moses.

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