Numbers 3

Levite Priesthood Established

11Now theseH428 are the records of the generationsH8435 of AaronH175 and MosesH4872 at the timeH3117 when the LordH3068 spokeH1696 with MosesH4872 on MountH2022 SinaiH5514. 22TheseH428 then are the namesH8034 of the sonsH1121 of AaronH175: NadabH5070 the firstbornH1060, and AbihuH30, EleazarH499 and IthamarH385. 3TheseH428 are the namesH8034 of the sonsH1121 of AaronH175, the 3anointedH4886 priestsH3548, whomH834 he 4ordainedH4390H3027 to serveH3547 asH3547 priestsH3547. 45But NadabH5070 and AbihuH30 diedH4191 in the presenceH6440 of the LordH3068 when they offeredH7126 6strangeH2114 fireH784 beforeH6440 the LordH3068 in the wildernessH4057 of SinaiH5514; and they hadH1961 noH3808 childrenH1121. So EleazarH499 and IthamarH385 servedH3547 asH3547 priestsH3547 7in the lifetimeH6440 of their fatherH1 AaronH175.

5Then the LordH3068 spokeH1696 to MosesH4872, sayingH559, 6“8BringH7126 the tribeH4294 of LeviH3878 forwardH7126 and presentH5975 them beforeH6440 AaronH175 the priestH3548, that they may serveH8334 him. 7They shall performH8104 the dutiesH4931 for 9him and for the wholeH3605 congregationH5712 in frontH6440 of the tentH168 of meetingH4150, to doH5647 the 10serviceH5656 of the tabernacleH4908. 8They shall also takeH8104 careH8104 of allH3605 the furnishingsH3627 of the tentH168 of meetingH4150, along with the dutiesH4931 of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, to doH5647 the serviceH5656 of the tabernacleH4908. 9So you shall 11assignH5414 the LevitesH3881 to AaronH175 and to his sonsH1121; they are exclusivelyH5414 assignedH5414 to him from the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478. 10So you shall appointH6485 AaronH175 and his sonsH1121 that 12they may 13keepH8104 their priesthoodH3550, but 14the 15laymanH2114 who comesH7131 nearH7131 shall be putH4191 toH4191 deathH4191.”

11Again the LordH3068 spokeH1696 to MosesH4872, sayingH559, 12“Now, beholdH2009, I 16have takenH3947 the LevitesH3881 from amongH8432 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 insteadH8478 ofH8478 everyH3605 17firstbornH1060, the firstbornH6363 of the wombH7358 amongH4480 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478. So the LevitesH3881 shall be Mine. 13For 18allH3605 the firstbornH1060 are Mine; on the dayH3117 that I fatallyH5221 struckH5221 allH3605 the firstbornH1060 in the landH776 of EgyptH4714, I sanctifiedH6942 to Myself allH3605 the firstbornH1060 in IsraelH3478, from the humanH120 firstborn to animalsH929. They shall be Mine; I am the LordH3068.”

14Then the LordH3068 spokeH1696 to MosesH4872 19in the wildernessH4057 of SinaiH5514, sayingH559, 15“2021CountH6485 the sonsH1121 of LeviH3878 by their fathers’H1 householdsH1004, by their familiesH4940; everyH3605 maleH2145 from a monthH2320 oldH1121 and upwardH4605 you shall countH6485.” 16So MosesH4872 countedH6485 them accordingH5921 to the 22wordH6310 of the LordH3068, justH3512 asH3512 he had been commandedH6680. 1723TheseH428, then, are the sonsH1121 of LeviH3878 by their namesH8034: GershonH1648, KohathH6955, and MerariH4847. 18And theseH428 are the namesH8034 of the 24sonsH1121 of GershonH1648 by their familiesH4940: LibniH3845 and ShimeiH8096; 19and the sonsH1121 of KohathH6955 by their familiesH4940: AmramH6019 and IzharH3324, HebronH2275 and UzzielH5816; 20and the sonsH1121 of MerariH4847 by their familiesH4940: MahliH4249 and MushiH4187. TheseH428 are the familiesH4940 of the LevitesH3881 according to their fathers’H1 householdsH1004.

21Of GershonH1648 was the familyH4940 of the LibnitesH3846 and the familyH4940 of the ShimeitesH8097; theseH428 were the familiesH4940 of the GershonitesH1649. 22Their numberedH6485 men, in the countingH4557 of everyH3605 maleH2145 from a monthH2320 oldH1121 and upwardH4605, their numberedH6485 men were 7,500H7651H505H2568H3967. 23The familiesH4940 of the GershonitesH1649 were to campH2583 behindH310 the 25tabernacleH4908 westwardH3220, 24and the leaderH5387 of the fathers’H1 householdsH1004 of the GershonitesH1649: EliasaphH460 the sonH1121 of LaelH3815.

Duties of the Levites

25Now 26the dutiesH4931 of the sonsH1121 of GershonH1648 in the tentH168 of meetingH4150 included the tabernacleH4908 and 27the tentH168, its coveringH4372, and 28the curtainH4539 for the entranceH6607 of the tentH168 of meetingH4150, 26and 29the curtainsH7050 of the courtyardH2691, 30the curtainH4539 for the entranceH6607 of the courtyardH2691 whichH834 is aroundH5439 the tabernacleH4908 and the altarH4196, and its ropesH4340, according to allH3605 the serviceH5656 31concerning them.

27Of KohathH6955 was the familyH4940 of the AmramitesH6020, the familyH4940 of the IzharitesH3325, the familyH4940 of the HebronitesH2276, and the familyH4940 of the UzzielitesH5817; theseH428 were the familiesH4940 of the KohathitesH6956. 28In the countingH4557 of everyH3605 maleH2145 from a monthH2320 oldH1121 and upwardH4605, there were 8,600H8083H505H8337H3967, performingH8104 the dutiesH4931 of the sanctuaryH6944. 29The familiesH4940 of the sonsH1121 of KohathH6955 were to campH2583 on the southH8486 sideH3409 of the tabernacleH4908, 30and the leaderH5387 of the fathers’H1 householdsH1004 of the KohathiteH6956 familiesH4940: 32ElizaphanH469 the sonH1121 of UzzielH5816. 31Now 33their dutiesH4931 included 34the arkH727, 35the tableH7979, 36the lampstandH4501, 37the altarsH4196, the utensilsH3627 of the sanctuaryH6944 with whichH834 they ministerH8334, the 38curtainH4539, and allH3605 the serviceH5656 39concerning them; 32and EleazarH499 the sonH1121 of AaronH175 the priestH3548 was the headH5387 of the leadersH5387 of LeviH3878, and he had the supervisionH6486 of those who performedH8104 the dutiesH4931 of the sanctuaryH6944.

33Of MerariH4847 was the familyH4940 of the MahlitesH4250 and the familyH4940 of the MushitesH4188; theseH428 were the familiesH4940 of MerariH4847. 34Their numberedH6485 men in the countingH4557 of everyH3605 maleH2145 from a monthH2320 oldH1121 and upwardH4605: 6,200H8337H505H3967. 35And the leaderH5387 of the fathers’H1 householdsH1004 of the familiesH4940 of MerariH4847 was ZurielH6700 the sonH1121 of AbihailH32. They were to 40campH2583 on the northwardH6828 sideH3409 of the tabernacleH4908. 36Now the appointmentH6486 of dutiesH4931 of the sonsH1121 of MerariH4847 included the frameworkH7175 of the tabernacleH4908, its barsH1280, its pillarsH5982, its basesH134, allH3605 its equipmentH3627, and allH3605 the serviceH5656 concerning them, 37and the pillarsH5982 aroundH5439 the courtyardH2691 with their basesH134, their pegsH3489, and their ropesH4340.

38Now those who were to 41campH2583 in frontH6440 of the tabernacleH4908 eastwardH6924, in frontH6440 of the tentH168 of meetingH4150 toward the sunriseH4217, were MosesH4872 and AaronH175 and his sonsH1121, performingH8104 the dutiesH4931 of the sanctuaryH4720 for the obligationH4931 of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478; but 42the 43laymanH2114 comingH7131 nearH7131 was to be putH4191 toH4191 deathH4191. 39AllH3605 the numberedH6485 men of the LevitesH3881, whomH834 MosesH4872 and AaronH175 countedH6485 at the 44commandH6310 of the LordH3068 by their familiesH4940, everyH3605 maleH2145 from a monthH2320 oldH1121 and upwardH4605, were 45twenty-twoH8147H6242 thousandH505.

Firstborn Redeemed

40Then the LordH3068 saidH559 to MosesH4872, “46CountH6485 everyH3605 firstbornH1060 maleH2145 of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 from a monthH2320 oldH1121 and upwardH4605, and 47makeH5375 a listH4557 of their namesH8034. 41And you 48shall takeH3947 the LevitesH3881 for Me--I am the LordH3068--insteadH8478 ofH8478 allH3605 the firstbornH1060 among the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478; and the cattleH929 of the LevitesH3881 inH8478 placeH8478 ofH8478 allH3605 the firstbornH1060 among the cattleH929 of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478.” 42So MosesH4872 countedH6485 allH3605 the firstbornH1060 among the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, justH3512 asH3512 the LordH3068 had commandedH6680 him; 43and allH3605 the firstbornH1060 malesH2145, by the numberH4557 of namesH8034 from a monthH2320 oldH1121 and upwardH4605 for their numberedH6485 men, were 4922,273H8147H6242H505H7969H7657H3967.

44Then the LordH3068 spokeH1696 to MosesH4872, sayingH559, 45“50TakeH3947 the LevitesH3881 inH8478 placeH8478 ofH8478 allH3605 the firstbornH1060 among the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, and the cattleH929 of the LevitesH3881 inH8478 placeH8478 ofH8478 their cattleH929. And the LevitesH3881 shall be Mine; I am the LordH3068. 4651And as 52a redemptionH6302 priceH6302 for the 273H7969H7657H3967 of the firstbornH1060 of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 who are in excessH5736 of the number of the LevitesH3881, 47you shall takeH3947 53fiveH2568 shekelsH8255 apieceH2568, per headH1538; you shall takeH3947 them in 54terms of the shekelH8255 of the sanctuaryH6944 (55the shekelH8255 is twentyH6242 56gerahsH1626), 48and you shall giveH5414 the moneyH3701, the redemptionH6302 priceH6302 of those who are in excessH5736 among them, to AaronH175 and to his sonsH1121.” 49So MosesH4872 tookH3947 the redemptionH6302 moneyH3701 from those who were in excessH5736 of the number of those redeemedH6299 by the LevitesH3881; 50from the firstbornH1060 of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 he tookH3947 the moneyH3701 in terms of the shekelH8255 of the sanctuaryH6944, 1,365H2568H8346H7969H3967H505. 51Then MosesH4872 gaveH5414 the redemptionH6302 moneyH3701 to AaronH175 and to his sonsH1121, at the 57commandH6310 of the LordH3068, justH3512 asH3512 the LordH3068 had commandedH6680 MosesH4872.