Numbers 3:14-39

14Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying,

15“Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families (clans). You shall number every male from a month old and upward.”

16So Moses numbered them just as he was commanded by the word (mouth) of the Lord.

17These are the [three] sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

18These are the names of the [two] sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei;

19and the [four] sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel;

20and the [two] sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ households.

21Of Gershon were the families of the Libnites and of the Shimeites. These are the families of the Gershonites.

22The males who were numbered, every male from a month old and upward totaled 7,500.

23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west,

24and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25Now the responsibilities of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting involved the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the curtain for the doorway of the Tent of Meeting,

26and the hangings of the courtyard, the curtain for the doorway of the courtyard which is around the tabernacle and the altar, its tent ropes, and all the service concerning them.

27Of Kohath were the families of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these are the families of the Kohathites.

28The males who were numbered, every male from a month old and upward totaled 8,600, attending to the duties of the sanctuary.

29The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle,

30and the leader of the fathers’ households of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

31Now their responsibilities involved the ark, the table [on which the bread of the Presence was placed], the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the curtain, and all the service concerning them.

32Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, was chief of the leaders of the Levites; he supervised those who performed the duties of the sanctuary.

33Of Merari were the families of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these are the families of Merari.

34The males who were numbered, every male from a month old and upward totaled 6,200.

35The leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. The Merarites were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.

36Now the appointed responsibilities of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets or bases, and all the equipment, and all the service concerning them,

37and the pillars around the courtyard with their bases and their pegs and their cords (tent ropes).

38Now those to camp before the tabernacle toward the east, before the Tent of Meeting, toward the sunrise, were to be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for whatever was required of the Israelites; and the layman (non-Levite) who approached [the sanctuary] was to be put to death.

39All the men of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the command of the Lord, by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000.