and they called the whole community together on the first day of the second month. The people registered their ancestry by their clans and families, and the men twenty years old or more were listed by name, one by one,

The Levites, however, are to set up their tents around the tabernacle of the covenant law so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the covenant law.”

On the east, toward the sunrise, the divisions of the camp of Judah are to encamp under their standard. The leader of the people of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab.

The tribe of Issachar will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar.

The tribe of Zebulun will be next. The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon.

All the men assigned to the camp of Judah, according to their divisions, number 186,400. They will set out first.

On the south will be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard. The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur.

The tribe of Simeon will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

The tribe of Gad will be next. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel.

All the men assigned to the camp of Reuben, according to their divisions, number 151,450. They will set out second.

Then the tent of meeting and the camp of the Levites will set out in the middle of the camps. They will set out in the same order as they encamp, each in their own place under their standard.

On the west will be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud.

The tribe of Manasseh will be next to them. The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

The tribe of Benjamin will be next. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni.

All the men assigned to the camp of Ephraim, according to their divisions, number 108,100. They will set out third.

On the north will be the divisions of the camp of Dan under their standard. The leader of the people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

The tribe of Asher will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Okran.

The tribe of Naphtali will be next. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan.

All the men assigned to the camp of Dan number 157,600. They will set out last, under their standards.

“After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, only then are the Kohathites to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the tent of meeting.

But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”

Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.”

All the sacred contributions the Israelites bring to a priest will belong to him.

Sacred things belong to their owners, but what they give to the priest will belong to the priest.’”

here the priest is to put the woman under this curse—“may the Lord cause you to become a curse among your people when he makes your womb miscarry and your abdomen swell.