THE FOURTH BOOK OF
MOSES,
called
N U M B E R S
Numbers 3 ©
The genealogy of the priests, v.1, etc. With whom the Levites are joined in the administration of the tabernacle, 5. Of these are numbered three families, and the places of their habitations assigned, by the tabernacle, as also their offices, 14. The first born of the Israelites, into whose place the Levites were substituted, are numbered by God’s command, 40. And forasmuch as their number was greater than that of the Levites, the remainder are redeemed, 44. And the money made of it, given to Aaron and his sons, 51.
THESE also are the 1generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spake with Moses in mount Sinai.
And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab thea firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he 2consecrated to minister in the priest's office.
Andb Nadab and Abihu died 3before the LORD, when they offered 4strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office 5in the sight of Aaron their father.
¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Bringc the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.
And they shall 6keep his charge, and the charge of the 7whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.
And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge 8of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the 9stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn 10thatd openeth the matrixe among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;
Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt If hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.
¶And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from 11a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
And Moses numbered them according to the 12word of the LORD, as he was commanded.
And theseg were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and 13Kohath, and Merari.
And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei.
And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.
Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites.
Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, 14from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.
The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle 15westward.
And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.
And the 16charge 17of the sons of Gershon in 18the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.
¶And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.
In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, 19keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle 20southward.
And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the 21altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith 22they minister, and the 23hanging, and all the 24service thereof.
And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be 25chief over 26the chief of the Levites, and have 27the oversight of them 28that keep the charge of the sanctuary.
¶Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.
And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.
And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward.
And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be 29the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,
And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.
¶But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary 30for the charge of the children of Israel; 31and the strangerh that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were 32twenty and two thousand.
¶And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.
And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.
¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Take the 33Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.
And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are 34more than the Levites;
Thou shalt even take 35five shekels apiece by the poll, 36after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (thei shekel is twenty 37gerahs:)
And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons.
And Moses took the redemption money of them 38that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites:
Of 39the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; 40a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the 41word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.