Numbers 1

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai in the tabernacle of the covenant, the first day of the second month, the second year of their going out of Egypt, saying:

On the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai. He said:

2 Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel by their families, and houses, and the names of every one, as many as are of the male sex,

“Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.

3 From twenty years old and upwards, of all the men of Israel fit for war, and you shall number them by their troops, thou and Aaron.

You and Aaron are to number those who are twenty years of age or older by their divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.

4 And there shall be with you the princes of the tribes, and of the houses in their kindreds,

And one man from each tribe, the head of each family, must be there with you.

5 Whose names are these: Of Ruben, Elisur the son of Sedeur.

These are the names of the men who are to assist you: From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

6 Of Simeon, Salamiel the son of Surisaddai.

from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

7 Of Juda, Nahasson the son of Aminadab.

from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;

8 Of Issachar, Nathanael the son of Suar.

from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;

9 Of Zabulon, Eliab the son of Helon.

from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;

10 And of the sons of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elisama the son of Ammiud: of Manasses, Gamaliel the son of Phadassur.

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

11 Of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gedeon.

from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;

12 Of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammisaddai.

from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

13 Of Aser, Phegiel the son of Ochran.

from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran;

14 Of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Duel.

from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;

15 Of Nephtali, Ahira the son of Enan.

and from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”

16 These are the most noble princes of the multitude by their tribes and kindreds, and the chiefs of the army of Israel:

These men were appointed from the congregation; they were the leaders of the tribes of their fathers, the heads of the clans of Israel.

17 Whom Moses and Aaron took with all the multitude of the common people:

So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name,

18 And assembled them on the first day of the second month, reckoning them up by the kindreds, and houses, and families, and heads, and names of every one from twenty years old and upward,

and on the first day of the second month they assembled the whole congregation and recorded their ancestry by clans and families, counting one by one the names of those twenty years of age or older,

19 As the Lord had commanded Moses. And they were numbered in the desert of Sinai.

just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So Moses numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai:

20 Of Ruben the eldest son of Israel, by their generations and families and houses and names of every head, all that were of the male sex, from twenty years old and upward, that were able to go forth to war,

From the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

21 Were forty-six thousand five hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.

22 Of the sons of Simeon by their generations and families, and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names and heads of every one, all that were of the male sex, from twenty years old and upward, that were able to go forth to war,

From the sons of Simeon, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

23 Fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.

24 Of the sons of Gad, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

From the sons of Gad, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

25 Forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

those registered to the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.

26 Of the sons of Juda, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

From the sons of Judah, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

27 Were reckoned up seventy-four thousand six hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.

28 Of the sons of Issachar, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that could go forth to war,

From the sons of Issachar, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

29 Were reckoned up fifty-four thousand four hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.

30 Of the sons of Zabulon, by the generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

From the sons of Zebulun, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

31 Fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.

32 Of the sons of Joseph, namely, of the sons of Ephraim, by the generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

From the sons of Joseph: From the sons of Ephraim, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

33 Forty thousand five hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500.

34 Moreover of the sons of Manasses, by the generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that could go forth to war,

And from the sons of Manasseh, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

35 Thirty-two thousand two hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.

36 Of the sons of Benjamin, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

From the sons of Benjamin, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

37 Thirty-five thousand four hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.

38 Of the sons of Dan, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

From the sons of Dan, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

39 Sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.

40 Of the sons of Aser, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

From the sons of Asher, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

41 Forty-one thousand and five hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.

42 Of the sons of Nephtali, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

From the sons of Naphtali, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

43 Fifty-three thousand four hundred.

those registered to the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.

44 These era they who were numbered by Moses and Aaron, and the twelve princes of Israel, every one by the houses of their kindreds.

These were the men numbered by Moses and Aaron, with the assistance of the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family.

45 And the whole number of the children of Israel by their houses and families, from twenty years old and upward, that were able to go to war,

So all the Israelites twenty years of age or older who could serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families.

46 Were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty men.

And all those counted totaled 603,550.

47 But the Levites in the tribes of their families were not numbered with them.

The Levites, however, were not numbered along with them by the tribe of their fathers.

48 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

For the LORD had said to Moses:

49 Number not the tribe of Levi, neither shalt thou put down the sum of them with the children of Israel:

“Do not number the tribe of Levi in the census with the other Israelites.

50 But appoint them over the tabernacle of the testimony, and all the vessels thereof, and whatsoever pertaineth to the ceremonies. They shall carry the tabernacle and all the furniture thereof: and they shall minister, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.

Instead, you are to appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its articles, care for it, and camp around it.

51 When you are to go forward, the Levites shall take down the tabernacle: when you are to camp, they shall set it up. What stranger soever cometh to it, shall be slain.

Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to be pitched, the Levites are to set it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death.

52 And the children of Israel shall camp every man by his troops and bands and army.

The Israelites are to camp by their divisions, each man in his own camp and under his own standard.

53 But the Levites shall pitch their tents round about the tabernacle, lest there come indignation upon the multitude of the children of Israel, and they shall keep watch, and guard the tabernacle of the testimony.

But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

54 And the children of Israel did according to all things which the Lord had commanded Moses.

Thus the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.