Numbers, 3

1. These were the descendants of Aaron and Moses, at the time when Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.

1. These are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

2. These were the names of Aaron's sons: Nadab the eldest, then Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

2. These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the first-born, and Abi'hu, Elea'zar, and Ith'amar;

3. Such were the names of Aaron's sons, priests anointed and invested with the powers of the priesthood.

3. these are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to minister in the priest's office.

4. Nadab and Abihu died in Yahweh's presence, in the desert of Sinai, when they offered unauthorised fire before Yahweh. They left no children and so it fell to Eleazar and Ithamar to exercise the priesthood under their father Aaron.

4. But Nadab and Abi'hu died before the LORD when they offered unholy fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Elea'zar and Ith'amar served as priests in the lifetime of Aaron their father.

5. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:

5. And the LORD said to Moses,

6. 'Muster the tribe of Levi and put it at the disposal of the priest Aaron: they must be at his service.

6. "Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.

7. They will undertake the duties incumbent on him and the whole community before the Tent of Meeting, in serving the Dwelling,

7. They shall perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle;

8. and they will be in charge of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and undertake the duties incumbent on the Israelites in serving the Dwelling.

8. they shall have charge of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and attend to the duties for the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle.

9. You will present the Levites to Aaron and his sons as men dedicated; they will be given to him by the Israelites.

9. And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel.

10. 'You will register Aaron and his sons, who will carry out their priestly duty. But any unauthorised person who comes near must be put to death.'

10. And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but if any one else comes near, he shall be put to death."

11. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:

11. And the LORD said to Moses,

12. 'Look, I myself have chosen the Levites from the Israelites instead of all the first-born, those who emerge first from the womb in Israel; the Levites therefore belong to me.

12. "Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every first-born that opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine,

13. For every first-born belongs to me. On the day when I struck down all the first-born in Egypt, I consecrated all the first-born in Israel, human and animal, to be my own. They are mine, Yahweh's.'

13. for all the first-born are mine; on the day that I slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the first-born in Israel, both of man and of beast; they shall be mine: I am the LORD."

14. Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai and said:

14. And the LORD said to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai,

15. 'You must take a census of Levi's descendants by families and clans; all the males of the age of one month and over will be counted.'

15. "Number the sons of Levi, by fathers' houses and by families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number."

16. At Yahweh's word Moses took a census of them, as Yahweh had ordered.

16. So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.

17. These were the names of Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

17. And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merar'i.

18. These were the names of Gershon's sons by their clans: Libni and Shimei;

18. And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shim'e-i.

19. Kohath's sons by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel;

19. And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uz'ziel.

20. Merari's sons by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi, grouped by families.

20. And the sons of Merar'i by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites, by their fathers' houses.

21. From Gershon were descended the Libnite and Shimeite clans; these were the Gershonite clans.

21. Of Gershon were the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shim'e-ites; these were the families of the Gershonites.

22. Their full number, counting the males of one month and over, came to seven thousand five hundred.

22. Their number according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was seven thousand five hundred.

23. The Gershonite clans pitched their camp behind the Dwelling, on the west side.

23. The families of the Gershonites were to encamp behind the tabernacle on the west,

24. The leader of the House of Gershon was Eliasaph son of Lael.

24. with Eli'asaph, the son of La'el as head of the fathers' house of the Gershonites.

25. As regards the Tent of Meeting, the Gershonites had charge of the Dwelling, the Tent and its covering, the screen for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,

25. And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting was to be the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the door of the tent of meeting,

26. the curtaining of the court, the screen for the entrance to the court surrounding the Dwelling and the altar, and the cords required in dealing with all this.

26. the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords; all the service pertaining to these.

27. From Kohath were descended the Amramite, Izharite, Hebronite and Uzzielite clans; these were the Kohathite clans.

27. Of Kohath were the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izhar'ites, and the family of the He'bronites, and the family of the Uzzie'lites; these are the families of the Ko'hathites.

28. Their full number, counting the males of one month and over, came to eight thousand three hundred. They were in charge of the sanctuary.

28. According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, attending to the duties of the sanctuary.

29. The Kohathite clans pitched their camp on the south side of the Dwelling.

29. The families of the sons of Kohath were to encamp on the south side of the tabernacle,

30. The leader of the house of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.

30. with Eli-za'phan the son of Uz'ziel as head of the fathers' house of the families of the Ko'hathites.

31. They were in charge of the ark, the table, the lamp-stand, the altars, the sacred vessels used in the liturgy, and the curtain with all its fittings.

31. And their charge was to be the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen; all the service pertaining to these.

32. The chief of the Levite leaders was Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest. He supervised the people responsible for the sanctuary.

32. And Elea'zar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, and to have oversight of those who had charge of the sanctuary.

33. From Merari were descended the Mahlite and Mushite clans; these were the Merarite clans.

33. Of Merar'i were the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merar'i.

34. Their full number, counting the males of one month and over, came to six thousand two hundred.

34. Their number according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was six thousand two hundred.

35. The leader of the House of the Merarite clans was Zuriel, son of Abihail. They pitched their camp on the north side of the Dwelling.

35. And the head of the fathers' house of the families of Merar'i was Zu'riel the son of Ab'ihail; they were to encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.

36. The Merarites were in charge of the framework of the Dwelling, with its crossbars, poles, sockets and all its accessories and fittings,

36. And the appointed charge of the sons of Merar'i was to be the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories; all the service pertaining to these;

37. and also the poles round the court, with their sockets, pegs and cords.

37. also the pillars of the court round about, with their bases and pegs and cords.

38. Finally, on the east side, in front of the Dwelling, in front of the Tent of Meeting, towards the east, was the camp of Moses and Aaron and his sons, who had charge of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Any unauthorised person coming near was to be put to death.

38. And those to encamp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, having charge of the rites within the sanctuary, whatever had to be done for the people of Israel; and any one else who came near was to be put to death.

39. The total number of male Levites of the age of one month and over, whom Moses counted by clans as Yahweh had ordered, came to twenty-two thousand.

39. All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, by families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.

40. Yahweh said to Moses: 'Take a census of all the first-born of the Israelites, all the males from the age of one month and over; take a census of them by name.

40. And the LORD said to Moses, "Number all the first-born males of the people of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking their number by names.

41. You will then present the Levites to me, Yahweh, instead of Israel, and similarly the Levites' cattle instead of the first-born cattle of the Israelites.'

41. And you shall take the Levites for me -- I am the LORD -- instead of all the first-born among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the people of Israel."

42. As Yahweh ordered, Moses took a census of all the first-born of the Israelites.

42. So Moses numbered all the first-born among the people of Israel, as the LORD commanded him.

43. The total count, by name, of the first-born from the age of one month and over came to twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

43. And all the first-born males, according to the number of names, from a month old and upward as numbered were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

44. Yahweh then spoke to Moses and said:

44. And the LORD said to Moses,

45. 'Take the Levites instead of all the first-born of the Israelites, and the Levites' cattle instead of their cattle; the Levites will be mine, Yahweh's.

45. "Take the Levites instead of all the first-born among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.

46. For the ransom of the two hundred and seventy-three first-born of the Israelites in excess of the number of Levites,

46. And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the first-born of the people of Israel, over and above the number of the male Levites,

47. you will take five shekels for each, by the sanctuary shekel, at twenty gerah to the shekel;

47. you shall take five shekels apiece; reckoning by the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs, you shall take them,

48. you will then give this money to Aaron and his sons as the ransom for the extra number.'

48. and give the money by which the excess number of them is redeemed to Aaron and his sons."

49. Moses took the ransom money for the extra ones unransomed by the Levites;

49. So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites;

50. he took the money for the first-born of the Israelites: one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, by the sanctuary shekel;

50. from the first-born of the people of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, reckoned by the shekel of the sanctuary;

51. and Moses then handed over their ransom money to Aaron and his sons, at Yahweh's bidding, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.

51. and Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.