Numbers 3:11-38

11Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Now, behold, I 1have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every 2firstborn, the firstborn of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. 13For 3all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I fatally struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from the human firstborn to animals. They shall be Mine; I am the Lord.”

14Then the Lord spoke to Moses 4in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15“56Count the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall count.” 16So Moses counted them according to the 7word of the Lord, just as he had been commanded. 178These, then, are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18And these are the names of the 9sons 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 counting of every male from a month old and upward, their numbered men were 7,500. 23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the 10tabernacle westward, 24and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites: Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25Now 11the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle and 12the tent, its covering, and 13the curtain for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26and 14the curtains of the courtyard, 15the curtain for the entrance of the courtyard which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its ropes, according to all the service 16concerning them.

27Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites. 28In the counting 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 south side of the tabernacle, 30and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families: 17Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31Now 18their duties included 19the ark, 20the table, 21the lampstand, 22the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, the 23curtain, and all the service 24concerning them; 32and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the head of the leaders of Levi, and he had the supervision of those who performed 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 counting of every male from a month old and upward: 6,200. 35And the leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to 25camp on the northward side of the tabernacle. 36Now the appointment of duties of the sons of Merari included the framework of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its bases, all its equipment, and all the service concerning them, 37and the pillars around the courtyard with their bases, their pegs, and their ropes.

38Now those who were to 26camp in front of the tabernacle eastward, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for the obligation of the sons of Israel; but 27the 28layman coming near was to be put to death.