Numbers 3

1 These are the generations of Aaron and Moses, in the day when the Lord spoke to Moses on mount Sinai.

Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that Jehovah spoke with Moses in mount Sinai:

2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: his firstborn Nadab, then Abihu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar.

And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed and whose hands were filled and consecrated in order to exercise the priesthood.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.

4 For Nadab and Abihu died without children, when they offered, in the sight of the Lord, a strange fire, in the desert of Sinai. And so, Eleazar and Ithamar exercised the priesthood in the sight of Aaron, their father.

And Nadab and Abihu died before Jehovah when they offered strange fire before Jehovah in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons. And Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the presence of Aaron their father.

5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

6 “Bring forward the tribe of Levi, and cause them to stand in the sight of Aaron the priest, in order to minister to him. And let them keep watch outside,

Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.

7 and let them observe whatever pertains to the ritual for the multitude, in front of the tabernacle of the testimony,

And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.

8 and let them take care of the vessels of the tabernacle, serving in its ministry.

And they shall keep all the furniture of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

9 And you shall give the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons; for they have been delivered to them by the sons of Israel.

And thou shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the behalf of the sons of Israel.

10 But you shall appoint Aaron and his sons over the service of the priesthood. The outsider who approaches to minister shall be put to death.”

And thou shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood. And the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.

11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

12 “I have taken the Levites from the sons of Israel. For the Levites, and all the firstborn who open the womb among the sons of Israel, shall be mine.

And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the firstborn who opens the womb among the sons of Israel. And the Levites shall be mine,

13 For every firstborn is mine. From the time that I struck the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I have sanctified for myself whatever is born first in Israel. From man, even to beast, they are mine. I am the Lord.”

for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be mine. I am Jehovah.

14 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying:

And Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

15 “Number the sons of Levi by the houses of their fathers and their families, every male from one month and above.”

Number the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families. Thou shall number them, every male from a month old and upward.

16 Moses numbered them, just as the Lord had instructed,

And Moses numbered them according to the word of Jehovah, as he was commanded.

17 and there were found the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.

And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

18 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei.

And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

19 The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, and Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.

And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' houses.

21 From Gershon were two families: the Libnites, and the Shimeites.

Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites. These are the families of the Gershonites.

22 The people of these were numbered, of the male sex, from one month and above: seven thousand five hundred.

Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those who were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.

23 These shall encamp behind the tabernacle, toward the west,

The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.

24 under the leader Eliasaph the son of Lael.

And the ruler of the fathers' house of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25 And they shall keep watch over the tabernacle of the covenant:

And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering of it, and the screen for the door of the tent of meeting,

26 the tabernacle itself, and its covering; the tent that is drawn before the doors of the covering of the covenant; and the curtains of the atrium; likewise, the tent that is suspended at the entrance of the atrium of the tabernacle; and whatever pertains to the ritual of the altar; the cords of the tabernacle and all its implements.

and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.

27 The kinship of Kohath includes the peoples of the Amramites and Izharites and Hebronites and Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites, having been counted by their names,

And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites.

28 all those of the male gender, from one month and above: eight thousand six hundred. They shall keep watch over the Sanctuary,

According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.

29 and they shall encamp toward the south side.

The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the side of the tabernacle southward.

30 And their leader shall be Elisaphan the son of Uzziel.

And the ruler of the fathers' house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

31 And they shall take care of the ark, and the table and the lampstand, the altars and the vessels of the Sanctuary, by which they minister, and the veil, and all the articles of this kind.

And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the lampstand, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service thereof.

32 But the leader of the leaders of the Levites, Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, shall be over those who watch over the care of the Sanctuary.

And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be ruler of the rulers of the Levites, with the oversight of those who keep the charge of the sanctuary.

33 And truly, from Merari are the peoples of the Mahlites and Mushites, having been counted by their names,

Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari.

34 all those of the male gender, from one month and above: six thousand two hundred.

And those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.

35 Their leader is Suriel the son of Abihaiel. They shall make camp on the north side.

And the ruler of the fathers' house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the side of the tabernacle northward.

36 Under their care shall be the panels of the tabernacle, and the bars, and the columns with their bases, and all the things which pertain to service of this kind,

And the appointed charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars of it, and the pillars of it, and the sockets of it, and all the instruments of it, and all the service thereof,

37 and the columns of the surrounding atrium with their bases, and the tent pegs with their cords.

and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pegs, and their cords.

38 Moses and Aaron, with their sons, shall make camp before the tabernacle of the covenant, that is, on the east side, holding the custody of the Sanctuary in the midst of the sons of Israel. Whatever foreigner approaches it shall die.

And those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the sons of Israel. And the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.

39 All the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered by their families according to the precept of the Lord, of the male gender, from one month and above, were twenty-two thousand.

All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of Jehovah, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.

40 And the Lord said to Moses: “Number the firstborn of the male sex from the sons of Israel, from one month and above, and you shall take their total.

And Jehovah said to Moses, Number all the firstborn males of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

41 And you shall bring the Levites to me, in place of all the firstborn of the sons of Israel, and you shall bring their cattle to me, in place of all the firstborn of the cattle of the sons of Israel. I am the Lord.”

And thou shall take the Levites for me (I am Jehovah) instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the sons of Israel.

42 Moses took a census, just as the Lord had instructed, of the firstborn of the sons of Israel.

And Moses numbered, as Jehovah commanded him, all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.

43 And the males by their names, from one month and above, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.

And all the firstborn males according to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

44 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

45 “Take the Levites, in place of the firstborn of the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites, in place of their cattle, and so the Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord.

Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. And the Levites shall be mine. I am Jehovah.

46 But for the price of the two hundred and seventy-three, which exceed the number of the Levites compared to the number of firstborn of the sons of Israel,

And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the sons of Israel, who are over and above the number of the Levites,

47 you shall take five shekels for each head, by the measure of the Sanctuary. A shekel has twenty obols.

thou shall take five shekels apiece by the poll. According to the shekel of the sanctuary thou shall take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs),

48 And you shall give the money to Aaron and his sons as the price of those that are in excess.”

and thou shall give the money, with which the odd number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.

49 Therefore, Moses took the money for those that were in excess, and whom they had redeemed from the Levites

And Moses took the redemption-money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites.

50 in place of the firstborn of the sons of Israel: one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, according to the weight of the Sanctuary.

He took the money from the firstborn of the sons of Israel, a thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

51 And he gave it to Aaron and his sons, according to the word by which the Lord had instructed him.

And Moses gave the redemption-money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of Jehovah, as Jehovah commanded Moses.