The First Census of Israel

Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying:

As the Lord commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai.

The Sons of Aaron

Now these are the records of Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

Nadab and Abihu had died before the Lord when they offered profane fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.

Census of the Levites Commanded

Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying:

“Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against the Lord, and that person is guilty,

then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. He shall make restitution for his trespass in full, plus one-fifth of it, and give it to the one he has wronged.

and the priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned in regard to the corpse; and he shall sanctify his head that same day.

And he shall present his offering to the Lord: one male lamb in its first year without blemish as a burnt offering, one ewe lamb in its first year without blemish as a sin offering, one ram without blemish as a peace offering,

‘Then the priest shall bring them before the Lord and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering;

one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve young bulls, the rams twelve, the male lambs in their first year twelve, with their grain offering, and the kids of the goats as a sin offering twelve.

Then let them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another young bull as a sin offering.

Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls, and you shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites.