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The Census
The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. He said:
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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,
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From the descendants of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families.
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All the men assigned to the camp of Judah, according to their divisions, number 186,400. They will set out first.
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The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
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“I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine,
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for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.”
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The Lord said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more and make a list of their names.
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Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the Lord.”
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So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the Lord commanded him.
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The total number of firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.
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“Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the Lord.
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To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites,
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From the firstborn of the Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.
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“‘If someone dies suddenly in the Nazirite’s presence, thus defiling the hair that symbolizes their dedication, they must shave their head on the seventh day—the day of their cleansing.
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Then on the eighth day they must bring two doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
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The priest is to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to make atonement for the Nazirite because they sinned by being in the presence of the dead body. That same day they are to consecrate their head again.
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They must rededicate themselves to the Lord for the same period of dedication and must bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. The previous days do not count, because they became defiled during their period of dedication.
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For the Lord had said to Moses, “Each day one leader is to bring his offering for the dedication of the altar.”
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The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah.
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On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, brought his offering.
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On the third day, Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the people of Zebulun, brought his offering.
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On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the people of Reuben, brought his offering.
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On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the people of Simeon, brought his offering.
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On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the people of Gad, brought his offering.
