Beginning
Israel Is Numbered by Families
1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert, in the meeting tent on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt. The Lord said, 2 “Number all the people of Israel, by their families, by those of their fathers’ houses. Write down the names of every male, head by head, 3 twenty years old and older. You and Aaron number by their armies whoever in Israel is able to go out to war. 4 A man from each family should be with you to help you. Each one should be the head of his father’s house. 5 These are the names of the men who will help you: Shedeur’s son Elizur from Reuben, 6 Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel from Simeon, 7 Amminadab’s son Nahshon from Judah, 8 Zuar’s son Nethanel from Issachar, 9 and Helon’s son Eliab from Zebulun. 10 From the sons of Joseph there will be Ammihud’s son Elishama from Ephraim, and Pedahzur’s son Gamaliel from Manasseh. 11 There will be Gideoni’s son Abidan from Benjamin, 12 Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer from Dan, 13 Ochran’s son Pagiel from Asher, 14 Deuel’s son Eliasaph from Gad, 15 and Enan’s son Ahira from Naphtali.” 16 These were the ones chosen from the people. They were the leaders of their fathers’ families, the heads of thousands in Israel.
17 Moses and Aaron took these men who had been chosen by name. 18 And they gathered all the people together on the first day of the second month. The people gave their names by families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names from twenty years old and older, head by head. 19 They did just as the Lord had told Moses. So he numbered them in the desert of Sinai.
20 The sons of Reuben, Israel’s first-born, were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 21 The number of the family of Reuben was 46,500.
22 The sons of Simeon were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 23 The number of the family of Simeon was 59,300.
24 The sons of Gad were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 25 The number of the family of Gad was 45,650.
26 The sons of Judah were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 27 The number of the family of Judah was 74,600.
28 The sons of Issachar were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 29 The number of the family of Issachar was 54,400.
30 The sons of Zebulun were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 31 The number of the family of Zebulun was 57,400.
32 The sons of Joseph, the sons of Ephraim, were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 33 The number of the family of Ephraim was 40,500.
34 The sons of Manasseh were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 35 The number of the family of Manasseh was 32,200.
36 The sons of Benjamin were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 37 The number of the family of Benjamin was 35,400.
38 The sons of Dan were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 39 The number of the family of Dan was 62,700.
40 The sons of Asher were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 41 The number of the family of Asher was 41,500.
42 The sons of Naphtali were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 43 The number of the family of Naphtali was 53,400.
44 These were numbered by Moses and Aaron, and the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each chosen from his father’s house. 45 All the men of Israel were numbered by their fathers’ houses, twenty years old and older, whoever in Israel was able to go out to war. 46 The number of all the men was 603,550. 47 But the Levites by their fathers’ family were not numbered with them. 48 For the Lord had told Moses, 49 “Only the family of Levi should not be numbered. Do not add their number among the sons of Israel. 50 But have the Levites take care of the meeting tent of the Law, and all that is in it, and all that belongs to it. They will carry the meeting tent and all that goes in it. They will take care of it, and set up their tents around it. 51 When the meeting tent is to be moved, the Levites will take it down. When the meeting tent is brought to a place to stay, the Levites will set it up. If anyone else comes near, he must be put to death. 52 The people of Israel will set up their tents by their own groups and armies, each man by his own flag. 53 But the Levites will set up their tents around the meeting tent of the Law. Then no anger will come upon the people of Israel. The Levites must take care of the meeting tent of the Law.” 54 So the people of Israel did this. They did everything the Lord had told Moses.
The Family Groups in Camp
2 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “The people of Israel will set up their tents, each by his own flag and beside that of their fathers’. They will set up their tents to face the meeting tent on every side. 3 Those who stay in their tents on the east side toward the sunrise will have the flag of Judah by their armies. The leader of the people of Judah is Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 4 The number of all his army is 74,600. 5 The family of Issachar will set up their tents next to Judah. The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel the son of Zuar. 6 The number of his army is 54,400. 7 The family of Zebulun will be next. The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab the son of Helon. 8 The number of his army is 57,400. 9 The whole number among the tents of Judah is 186,400, by their armies. They will be first to move on.
10 “On the south side will be the tents of Reuben by their armies with their flags. The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur the son of Shedeur. 11 The number of his army is 46,500. 12 The family of Simeon will set up their tents next to him. The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 13 The number of his army is 59,300. 14 The family of Gad will be next. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph the son of Deuel. 15 The number of his army is 45,650. 16 The whole number among the tents of Reuben is 151,450 by their armies. They will be second to move on.
17 “Then the meeting tent will go out with the Levites among the people. In the same way that they set up their tents, so they will leave to move on, every man in his place, by his flags.
18 “On the west side will be the flag of the tents of Ephraim by their armies. The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama the son of Ammihud. 19 The number of his army is 40,500. 20 The family of Manasseh will be next to him. The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 21 The number of his army is 32,200. 22 The family of Benjamin will be next. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan the son of Gideoni. 23 The number of his army is 35,400. 24 The whole number among the tents of Ephraim is 108,100, by their armies. They will be third to move on.
25 “On the north side will be the flag of the tents of Dan by their armies. The leader of the people of Dan is Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26 The number of his army is 62,700. 27 The family of Asher will set up their tents next to him. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel the son of Ochran. 28 The number of his army is 41,500. 29 The family of Naphtali will be next. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira the son of Enan. 30 The number of his army is 53,400. 31 The whole number among the tents of Dan is 157,600. They will be last to move on with their flags.”
32 These are the numbers of the men of Israel by their fathers’ houses. The whole number among all the tents, by their armies, was 603,550. 33 But the Levites were not numbered with the people of Israel, just as the Lord had told Moses. 34 So the people of Israel did all that the Lord had told Moses. They set up their tents by their flags. And they left to move on in the same way, every one by his family and by his father’s house.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.