Numbers 4:3-23

3from 1thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting. 4This is the work of the 2descendants of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the most holy things.

5“When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and they shall take down 3the veil of the screen and cover the 4ark of the testimony with it; 6and they shall lay a 5covering of porpoise skin on it, and shall spread over it a cloth of pure 6blue, and shall insert its poles. 7Over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall also spread a cloth of 7blue and put on it the dishes and the pans and the sacrificial bowls and the jars for the drink offering, and 8the continual bread shall be on it. 8They shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet material, and cover the same with a covering of porpoise skin, and they shall insert its poles. 9Then they shall take a 9blue cloth and cover the 10lampstand for the light, 11along with its lamps and its snuffers, and its 12trays and all its oil vessels, by which they serve it; 10and they shall put it and all its utensils in a covering of porpoise skin, and shall put it on the carrying bars. 11Over the golden altar they shall spread a 13blue cloth and cover it with a covering of porpoise skin, and shall insert its poles; 12and they shall take all the utensils of service, with which they serve in the sanctuary, and put them in a 14blue cloth and cover them with a covering of porpoise skin, and put them on the carrying bars. 13Then they shall take away the 15ashes from the 16altar, and spread a purple cloth over it. 14They shall also put on it all its utensils by which they serve in connection with it: the firepans, the forks and shovels and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread a cover of porpoise skin over it and insert its poles. 15When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them, so that they will not touch the holy objects 17and die. These are the 18things in the tent of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.

16“The responsibility of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is 19the oil for the light and the 20fragrant incense and 21the continual grain offering and 22the anointing oil--the responsibility of all the 23tabernacle and of all that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings.”

17Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 18“Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be cut off from among the Levites. 19But do this to them that they may live and 24not die when they approach the most holy objects: Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each of them to his work and to his load; 20but 25they shall not go in to see the holy objects even for a moment, or they will die.”

21Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 22“Take 26a census of the sons of Gershon 27also, by their fathers’ households, by their families; 23from 28thirty years and upward to fifty years old, you shall 29number them; all who enter to perform the service to do the work in the tent of meeting.