Numbers 4:1-20
1599 Geneva Bible
4 5 The offices of the Levites, when the host removed. 6 The number of the three families of Kohath, Gershon, and Merari.
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, and to Aaron, saying,
2 Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, and houses of their fathers,
3 From [a]thirty years old and above, even until fifty years old all that enter into the assembly to do the work in the Tabernacle of the Congregation.
4 This shall be the office of the sons of Kohath in the Tabernacle of the Congregation about the holiest of all.
5 ¶ When the host removeth, then Aaron and his sons shall come and take down[b] the covering veil, and shall cover the Ark of the Testimony therewith.
6 And they shall put thereon a covering of badger’s skins, and shall spread upon it a cloth altogether of blue silk, and put to [c]the bars thereof:
7 And upon the (A)table of show bread, they shall spread a cloth of blue silk, and put thereon the dishes, and the incense cups and goblets, and coverings to cover it [d]with, and the bread shall be thereon continually.
8 And they shall spread upon them a covering of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badger’s skins, and put to the bars thereof.
9 Then they shall take a cloth of blue silk, and cover the (B)candlestick of light with his lamps, and his snuffers, (C)and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, which they occupy about it.
10 So they shall put it, and all the instruments thereof in a covering of badger’s skins, and put it upon the [e]bars.
11 Also upon the golden [f]altar they shall spread a cloth of blue silk, and cover it with a covering of badger’s skins, and put to the bars thereof.
12 And they shall take all the instruments of the ministry, wherewith they minister in the Sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue silk, and cover them with a covering of badger’s skins, and put them on the bars.
13 Also they shall take away the ashes from the [g]altar, and spread a purple cloth upon it,
14 And shall put upon it all the instruments thereof, which they occupy about it, the censers, the fleshhooks, and the besoms, and the basins, even all the instruments of the altar: and they shall spread upon it a covering of badger’s skins, and put to the bars of it.
15 And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the [h]Sanctuary, and all the instruments of the Sanctuary, at the removing of the host, afterward the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it, but they shall not [i]touch any holy thing lest they die. This is the charge of the sons of Kohath in the Tabernacle of the Congregation.
16 ¶ And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the Priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the (D)sweet incense, and the [j]daily meat offering, and the (E)anointing oil with the oversight of all the Tabernacle, and of all that therein is, both in the Sanctuary, and in all the instruments thereof.
17 ¶ And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying,
18 Ye shall not [k]cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:
19 But thus do unto them that they may live and not die, when they come near to the most holy things: let Aaron and his sons come and appoint [l]them, every one to his office, and to his charge.
20 But let them not go in, to see when the Sanctuary is folden up, lest they die.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Numbers 4:3 The Levites were numbered after three sorts, first at a month old when they were consecrated to the Lord, next at 25 years old when they were appointed to serve in the Tabernacle, and 30 years old to bear the burdens of the Tabernacle.
- Numbers 4:5 Which divided the Sanctuary from the holiest of all.
- Numbers 4:6 That is, put them upon their shoulders to carry it: for the bars of the Ark could never be removed.
- Numbers 4:7 Meaning, to cover the bread.
- Numbers 4:10 The Hebrew word signifieth an instrument made of two staves or bars.
- Numbers 4:11 Which was to burn incense, read Exod. 30:1.
- Numbers 4:13 Of the burnt offering.
- Numbers 4:15 That is, in folding up the things of the Sanctuary, as the Ark, etc.
- Numbers 4:15 Before it be covered.
- Numbers 4:16 Which was offered at morning and evening.
- Numbers 4:18 Committing by your negligence that the holy things be not well wrapped, and so they by touching thereof perish.
- Numbers 4:19 Showing what part every man shall bear.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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