Numbers 3:14-43

14Then the Lord spoke to Moses 1in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15“23Count 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 4word of the Lord, just as he had been commanded. 175These, then, are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18And these are the names of the 6sons 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 7tabernacle westward, 24and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites: Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25Now 8the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle and 9the tent, its covering, and 10the curtain for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26and 11the curtains of the courtyard, 12the curtain for the entrance of the courtyard which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its ropes, according to all the service 13concerning 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: 14Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31Now 15their duties included 16the ark, 17the table, 18the lampstand, 19the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, the 20curtain, and all the service 21concerning 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 22camp 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 23camp 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 24the 25layman coming near was to be put to death. 39All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the 26command of the Lord by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 27twenty-two thousand.

40Then the Lord said to Moses, “28Count every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and 29make a list of their names. 41And you 30shall 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 in place of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.” 42So Moses counted 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 3122,273.