Beginning
The Census and the Preparation to Depart from Sinai[a]
Chapter 1
The Census. 1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert in the tent of meeting on the first day of the second month of the second year after they left the land of Egypt, saying,[b] 2 “Take a census of the community of the people of Israel, arranging them by their families, by their clans, listing every single man by name. 3 You and Aaron will count them, company by company, each one who is twenty years and older and is able to go to war in Israel. 4 A man from every tribe,[c] the head of his clan, will accompany you.
Assistants to Moses Named. 5 “These are the names of the men who will accompany you: from the tribe of Reuben, Elizur, the son of Shedeur; 6 from the tribe of Simeon, Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai; 7 from the tribe of Judah, Nahshon, the son of Amminadab; 8 from the tribe of Issachar, Nathanel, the son of Zuar; 9 from the tribe of Zebulun, Eliab, the son of Helon; 10 from the son of Joseph, from the tribe of Ephraim, Elishama, the son of Ammihud, and from the tribe of Manasseh, Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur; 11 from the tribe of Benjamin, Abidan, the son of Gideoni; 12 from Dan, Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai; 13 from Asher, Pagiel, the son of Ochran; 14 from Gad, Eliasaph, the son of Reuel; 15 from Naphtali, Ahira, the son of Enan.” 16 These were the ones summoned from the assembly, the leaders of their tribes. They were the heads of the clans of Israel.
17 Moses and Aaron took the men who had been named 18 and on the first day of the second month they gathered together the entire community who registered themselves by families, by the name of their fathers’ households. The men twenty years and older were listed according to their names, one by one, 19 as the Lord had commanded Moses. And so he counted them in the Sinai Desert.
20 The Count of the Twelve Tribes. Thus the members of the tribe of Reuben, the oldest son of Israel, who were twenty years or older and who were fit to bear arms were listed by name according to their clans and families, one by one. 21 The number of men in the tribe of Reuben was forty-six thousand, five hundred.
22 The members of the tribe of Simeon who were twenty years or older and who were fit to bear arms were listed by name according to their clans and families, one by one. 23 The number of men in the tribe of Simeon was fifty-nine thousand, three hundred.
24 The members of the tribe of Gad who were twenty years or older and who were fit to bear arms were listed by name according to their clans and families. 25 The number of men in the tribe of Gad was forty-five thousand, six hundred fifty.
26 The members of the tribe of Judah who were twenty years or older and who were fit to bear arms were listed by name according to their clans and families. 27 The number of men in the tribe of Judah was seventy-four thousand, six hundred.
28 The members of the tribe of Issachar who were twenty years or older and who were fit to bear arms were listed by name according to their clans and families. 29 The number of men in the tribe of Issachar was fifty-four thousand, four hundred.
30 The members of the tribe of Zebulun who were twenty years or older and who were fit to bear arms were listed by name according to their clans and families. 31 The number of men in the tribe of Zebulun was fifty-seven thousand, four hundred.
32 The sons of Joseph include the members of the tribe of Ephraim who were twenty years or older and who were fit to bear arms. They were listed by name according to their clans and families. 33 The number of men in the tribe of Ephraim was forty thousand, five hundred.
34 There are also the members of the tribe of Manasseh who were twenty years or older and who were fit to bear arms. They were listed by name according to their clans and families. 35 The number of men in the tribe of Manasseh was thirty-two thousand, two hundred.
36 The members of the tribe of Benjamin who were twenty years or older and who were fit to bear arms were listed by name according to their clans and families. 37 The number of men in the tribe of Benjamin was thirty-five thousand, four hundred.
38 The members of the tribe of Dan who were twenty years or older and who were fit to bear arms were listed by name according to their clans and families. 39 The number of men in the tribe of Dan was sixty-two thousand, seven hundred.
40 The members of the tribe of Asher who were twenty years or older and who were fit to bear arms were listed by name according to their clans and families, one by one. 41 The number of men in the tribe of Asher was forty-one thousand, five hundred.
42 The members of the tribe of Naphtali who were twenty years or older and who were fit to bear arms were listed by name according to their clans and families, one by one. 43 The number of men in the tribe of Naphtali was fifty-three thousand, four hundred.
44 This was the number of men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders, each representing his ancestral clan. 45 The total number of the people of Israel who were listed according to their clan who were twenty years or older and fit to bear arms in Israel 46 was six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty.
47 Responsibility of the Levites. The families of the tribe of Levi, however, were not counted with the rest of them[d] 48 for the Lord had said to Moses, 49 “You are not to take a census of the tribe of Levi, nor are you to include them in the census of the people of Israel. 50 You will assign the Levites responsibility over the tent of the tabernacle and over all of its vessels and over all of the things that belong to it. They will carry the tabernacle and all of its vessels. They will care for it and they will camp around the tabernacle. 51 When the tabernacle is to be moved, the Levites will take it down. When it is to be erected, the Levites will set it up. Anyone else who approaches it must be put to death.
52 “Each of the Israelites will pitch his tent within his own camp, alongside his own standard, each in his own company, 53 but the Levites will camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony so that no wrath come upon the community of the people of Israel. The Levites will keep guard over the tabernacle of the Testimony.” 54 This is what the people of Israel did. They did everything that the Lord had commanded Moses.
Chapter 2[e]
Placement of the Tribal Camps. 1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “Every Israelite will camp by their own standard, alongside the emblems of their father’s household. They will camp some distance from the tent of meeting.
3 “On the east side, toward the rising of the sun, will be the standard of the camp of Judah arranged by their companies. The leader of the tribe of Judah is Nahshon, the son of Amminadab. 4 His forces numbered seventy-four thousand, six hundred. 5 The tribe of Issachar will camp next to him. The leader of the tribe of Issachar is Nethanel, the son of Zuar. 6 His forces numbered fifty-four thousand, four hundred. 7 Then there is the tribe of Zebulun. The leader of the tribe of Zebulun is Eliab, the son of Helon. 8 His forces numbered fifty-seven thousand, four hundred. 9 The whole camp of Judah, by their companies, numbered one hundred eighty-six thousand, four hundred. They are to set out first on the march.
10 “On the south side of the camp is the standard of the camp of Reuben, arranged by their companies. The leader of the tribe of Reuben is Elizur, the son of Shedeur. 11 His forces numbered forty-six thousand, five hundred. 12 The tribe of Simeon will camp next to him. The leader of the tribe of Simeon is Shelumiel, the son of Zurushaddai. 13 His forces numbered fifty-nine thousand, three hundred. 14 Then there is the tribe of Gad. The leader of the tribe of Gad is Eliasaph, the son of Reuel. 15 His forces numbered forty-five thousand, six hundred fifty. 16 The whole camp of Reuben, by their companies, numbered one hundred fifty-one thousand, four hundred fifty. They are to be the second to set out on the march.
17 “Then the tent of meeting will set out, with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the other camps whenever they set up camp. This is how they are to set out, each man located under his own standards.
18 “On the west side of the camp is the standard of the camp of Ephraim, arranged by their companies. The leader of the tribe of Ephraim is Elishama, the son of Ammihud. 19 His forces numbered forty thousand, five hundred. 20 The tribe of Manasseh will camp next to him. The leader of the tribe of Manasseh is Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur. 21 His forces numbered thirty-two thousand, two hundred. 22 Then comes the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of the tribe of Benjamin is Abidan, the son of Gideoni. 23 His forces numbered thirty-five thousand, five hundred. 24 The whole camp of Ephraim, by their companies, numbered one hundred eight thousand, one hundred. They are to be the third to set out on the march.
25 “On the north side of the camp is the standard of the camp of Dan, arranged by their companies. The leader of the tribe of Dan is Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai. 26 His forces numbered sixty-two thousand, seven hundred. 27 The tribe of Asher will camp next to him. The leader of the tribe of Asher is Pagiel, the son of Ochran. 28 His forces numbered forty-one thousand, five hundred. 29 Then comes the tribe of Naphtali. The leader of the tribe of Naphtali is Ahira, the son of Enan. 30 His forces numbered fifty-three thousand, four hundred. 31 The whole camp of Dan, by their companies, numbered one hundred fifty-seven thousand, six hundred. They are to march last with their standards.”
32 These were the people of Israel who were counted. There were six hundred three thousand, five hundred and fifty counted in their camps, in their companies, 33 but the Levites were not counted along with the people of Israel, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 34 The people of Israel did everything as the Lord had commanded Moses[f] by encamping under their standards and by the way they set out, each going with his clan and his family.
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