Numbers 3:6-46

6“1Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. 7They shall perform the duties for 2him and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the 3service 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 4give 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 5they may keep their priesthood, but 6the 7layman who comes near shall be put to death.”

11Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Now, behold, I 8have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every 9firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. 13For 10all 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 11in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15“1213Number 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 14word of the Lord, just as he had been commanded. 1715These then are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. 18These are the names of the 16sons 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 17tabernacle westward, 24and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25Now 18the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle and 19the tent, its covering, and 20the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting, 26and 21the hangings of the court, and 22the screen for the doorway of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords, according to all the service 23concerning 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 24Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31Now 25their duties involved 26the ark, 27the table, 28the lampstand, 29the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service 30concerning 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 31camp 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 32camp 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 33the 34layman coming near was to be put to death. 39All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the 35command of the Lord by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 3622,000.

40Then the Lord said to Moses, “37Number every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and 38make a list of their names. 41You 39shall 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 4022,273.

44Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45“41Take 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. 4642For the ransom of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites,