Numbers 3

Levites to Be Priesthood

11Now these are the records of the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 22These then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the 3anointed priests, whom he 4ordained to serve as priests. 45But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered strange fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests 6in the lifetime of their father Aaron.

5Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6“7Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. 7They shall perform the duties for 8him and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the 9service of the tabernacle. 8They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9You shall thus 10give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel. 10So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that 11they may keep their priesthood, but 12the 13layman who comes near shall be put to death.”

11Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Now, behold, I 14have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every 15firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. 13For 16all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am the Lord.”

14Then the Lord spoke to Moses 17in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15“1819Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number.” 16So Moses numbered them according to the 20word of the Lord, just as he had been commanded. 1721These then are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. 18These are the names of the 22sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei; 19and the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel; 20and the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.

21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites. 22Their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, even their numbered men were 7,500. 23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the 23tabernacle westward, 24and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.

Duties of the Priests

25Now 24the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle and 25the tent, its covering, and 26the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting, 26and 27the hangings of the court, and 28the screen for the doorway of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords, according to all the service 29concerning them.

27Of 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 were the families of the Kohathites. 28In the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, performing the duties of the sanctuary. 29The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the southward side of the tabernacle, 30and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families was 30Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31Now 31their duties involved 32the ark, 33the table, 34the lampstand, 35the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service 36concerning them; 32and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the chief of the leaders of Levi, and had the oversight of those who perform the duties of the sanctuary.

33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari. 34Their numbered men in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200. 35The leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to 37camp on the northward side of the tabernacle. 36Now the appointed duties of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its equipment, and the service concerning them, 37and the pillars around the court with their sockets and their pegs and their cords.

38Now those who were to 38camp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for the obligation of the sons of Israel; but 39the 40layman coming near was to be put to death. 39All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the 41command of the Lord by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 4222,000.

Firstborn Redeemed

40Then the Lord said to Moses, “43Number every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and 44make a list of their names. 41You 45shall take the Levites for Me, I am the Lord, instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.” 42So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the Lord had commanded him; 43and all the firstborn males by the number of names from a month old and upward, for their numbered men were 4622,273.

44Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45“47Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am the Lord. 4648For the ransom of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites, 47you shall take 49five shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in 50terms of the shekel of the sanctuary (51the shekel is twenty 52gerahs), 48and give the money, the ransom of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons.” 49So Moses took the ransom money from those who were in excess, beyond those ransomed by the Levites; 50from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365. 51Then Moses gave the ransom money to Aaron and to his sons, at the 53command of the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.