Numbers 1

1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

The Lord spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting while they were in the Sinai desert. This was on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites had left Egypt. He told him,

2 Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, every male, by their polls;

“Census all the Israelites according to their tribe and family. Count every man and keep a record of each individual's name.

3 from twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel, thou and Aaron shall number them by their hosts.

Those aged twenty or older who can do military service are to be registered by you and Aaron in their Israelite army divisions.

4 And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of his fathers’ house.

A representative from each tribe, the head of a family, must be there with you.

5 And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you. Of Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur.

These are the names of the men who will work with you: From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur, son of Shedeur;

6 Of Simeon: Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

from the tribe of Simeon, Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai;

7 Of Judah: Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

from the tribe of Judah, Nahshon, son of Amminadab;

8 Of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar.

from the tribe of Issachar, Nethanel, son of Zuar;

9 Of Zebulun: Eliab the son of Helon.

from the tribe of Zebulun, Eliab, son of Helon;

10 Of the children of Joseph: Of Ephraim: Elishama the son of Ammihud. Of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

from the sons of Joseph: from the tribe of Ephraim, Elishama, son of Ammihud, and from the tribe of Manasseh, Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur;

11 Of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni.

from the tribe of Benjamin, Abidan, son of Gideoni;

12 Of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

from the tribe of Dan, Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai;

13 Of Asher: Pagiel the son of Ochran.

from the tribe of Asher, Pagiel, son of Ocran;

14 Of Gad: Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

from the tribe of Gad, Eliasaph, son of Deuel;

15 Of Naphtali: Ahira the son of Enan.

and from the tribe of Naphtali, Ahira, son of Enan.”

16 These are they that were called of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.

These were the men chosen from the Israelite community. They were the leaders of their fathers' tribes; the heads of the families of Israel.

17 And Moses and Aaron took these men that are mentioned by name:

Moses and Aaron summoned these men who had been selected by name.

18 and they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.

They had all the Israelites gather together on the first day of the second month, and recorded the people's genealogy according to their tribe and family, and counted up the names of all those aged twenty or older,

19 As Jehovah commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

as the Lord had told Moses to do. Moses conducted this census in the Sinai desert.

20 And the children of Reuben, Israel’s first-born, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

The descendants of Reuben, (he was Israel's firstborn son), men aged twenty or over, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

21 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.

from the tribe of Reuben totaled 46,500.

22 Of the children of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, those that were numbered thereof, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

The descendants of Simeon, men aged twenty or over, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

23 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.

from the tribe of Simeon totaled 59,300.

24 Of the children of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

The descendants of Gad, men aged twenty or over, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

25 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty.

from the tribe of Gad totaled 45,650.

26 Of the children of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

The descendants of Judah, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

27 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.

from the tribe of Judah, totaled 74,600.

28 Of the children of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

The descendants of Issachar, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

29 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

from the tribe of Issachar, totaled 54,400.

30 Of the children of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

The descendants of Zebulun, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

31 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.

from the tribe of Zebulun, totaled 57,400.

32 Of the children of Joseph, [namely], of the children of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

The descendants of Joseph: the descendants of Ephraim, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

33 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred.

from the tribe of Ephraim, totaled 40,500.

34 Of the children of Manasseh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

And the descendants of Manasseh, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

35 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.

from the tribe of Manasseh, totaled 32,200.

36 Of the children of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

The descendants of Benjamin, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

37 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.

from the tribe of Benjamin, totaled 35,400.

38 Of the children of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

The descendants of Dan, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

39 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.

from the tribe of Dan, totaled 62,700.

40 Of the children of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

The descendants of Asher, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

41 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred.

from the tribe of Asher, totaled 41,500.

42 Of the children of Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

The descendants of Naphtali, men aged twenty or older, were recorded by name according to the genealogical records of their tribe and families. All those registered who could serve in the army

43 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.

from the tribe of Naphtali, totaled 53,400.

44 These are they that were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: they were each one for his fathers’ house.

These were the totals of the men counted and registered by Moses and Aaron, with the help of the twelve leaders of Israel, who each represented their family.

45 So all they that were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel;

In this way all the Israelite men aged twenty or older who were able to serve in Israel's army were registered according to their families.

46 even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

The sum total of those registered was 603,550.

47 But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.

However, the Levites were not registered with the others according to their tribe and families.

48 For Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

This was because the Lord had told Moses,

49 Only the tribe of Levi thou shalt not number, neither shalt thou take the sum of them among the children of Israel;

“Don't register the tribe of Levi; don't count them in the census with the other Israelites.

50 but appoint thou the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all the furniture thereof, and over all that belongeth to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the furniture thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.

Put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle and of the Testimony, as well as all its furniture and everything it contains. They are the ones responsible for carrying the Tabernacle and all its items. They are to care for it, and to make their camp around it.

51 And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

When it's time to move the Tabernacle, the Levites shall take it down, and when it's time to make camp, the Levites shall put it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death.

52 And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their hosts.

The Israelites are to make camp according to their tribal divisions, each person in their own camp under their own flag.

53 But the Levites shall encamp round about the tabernacle of the testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.

But the Levites are to set up their camp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony to stop anyone making me angry with the Israelites. The Levites are responsible for looking after the Tabernacle of the Testimony.”

54 Thus did the children of Israel; according to all that Jehovah commanded Moses, so did they.

The Israelites did everything that the Lord ordered Moses that they should do.