Numbers 4:5-33

5“When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down 1the veil of the curtain, and cover the 2ark of the testimony with it; 6and they shall place a 3covering of 4fine leather on it, and spread over it a cloth of pure 5violet, and insert its carrying poles. 7Over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall also spread a cloth of violet and put on it the dishes, the pans, the sacrificial bowls, and the jugs for the drink offering; and 6the continual bread shall be on it. 8And they shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet material, and cover the same with a covering of fine leather, and they shall insert its carrying poles. 9Then they shall take a violet cloth and cover the 7lampstand for the light, 8along with its lamps, its tongs, its trays, and all its oil containers, by which they attend to it; 10and they shall put it and all its utensils in a covering of fine leather, and put it on the carrying 9bars. 11Over the golden altar they shall spread a violet cloth, and cover it with a covering of fine leather, and they shall insert its carrying poles; 12and they shall take all the utensils of service, with which they serve in the sanctuary, and put them in a violet cloth and cover them with a covering of fine leather, and put them on the carrying 10bars. 13Then they shall clean away the 11ashes from the 12altar, 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, shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread a cover of fine leather over it and insert its carrying 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 by the poles, so that they will not touch the holy objects 13and die. These are the 14things in the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.

16“Now the responsibility of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is 15the oil for the light, the 16fragrant incense, 17the continual grain offering, and 18the anointing oil--the responsibility of all the 19tabernacle and everything 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 eliminated from among the Levites. 19Rather, do this for them so that they will live and 20not 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 21they shall not come in to see the holy objects even for a moment, or they will die.”

21Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 22“Take a 22census of the sons of Gershon 23also, by their fathers’ households, by their families; 23from 24thirty years old and upward to fifty years old you shall 25count them: all who can enter to perform service, to do the work in the tent of meeting. 24This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in carrying: 25they shall carry 26the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering and 27the covering of fine leather that is on top of it, and the curtain for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26and 28the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance of the gate of the courtyard that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their ropes and all the equipment for their service; and everything that is to be done 29by them, 30they shall perform. 27All the service of the sons of the Gershonites, that is, all their loads and all their work, shall be performed at the 31command of Aaron and his sons; and you shall assign to them as a duty all their loads. 28This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting; and their duties shall be 32under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

29“As for the sons of Merari, you shall count them by their families, by their fathers’ households; 30from 33thirty years old and upward, even to fifty years old, you shall count them, everyone who can enter the service to do the work of the tent of meeting. 31Now this is the duty of their loads, for all their service in the tent of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, and its bases, 32and the pillars around the courtyard and their bases, their pegs, and their ropes, with all their equipment and with all their service; and you shall assign by names of the men the items 34that each is to carry. 33This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the tent of meeting, 35under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”