Numbers, 1

1. In the year following that of the Israelites' departure from the land of Egypt, on the first day of the second month, the LORD said to Moses in the meeting tent in the desert of Sinai:

1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, in the desert of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after the exodus from Egypt, and said:

2. "Take a census of the whole community of the Israelites, by clans and ancestral houses, registering each male individually.

2. 'Take a census of the whole community of Israelites by clans and families, taking a count of the names of all the males, head by head.

3. You and Aaron shall enroll in companies all the men in Israel of twenty years or more who are fit for military service.

3. You and Aaron will register all those in Israel, twenty years of age and over, fit to bear arms, company by company;

4. "To assist you there shall be a man from each tribe, the head of his ancestral house.

4. you will have one man from each tribe, the head of his family, to help you.

5. These are the names of those who are to assist you: from Reuben: Elizur, son of Shedeur;

5. 'These are the names of those who must help you: For Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur.

6. from Simeon: Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai;

6. For Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

7. from Judah: Nahshon, son of Amminadab;

7. For Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab.

8. from Issachar: Nethanel, son of Zuar;

8. For Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar.

9. from Zebulun: Eliab, son of Helon;

9. For Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon.

10. from Ephraim: Elishama, son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh: Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, for the descendants of Joseph;

10. Of the sons of Joseph: for Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; for Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

11. from Benjamin: Abidan, son of Gideoni;

11. For Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni.

12. from Dan: Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai;

12. For Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

13. from Asher: Pagiel, son of Ochran;

13. For Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran.

14. from Gad: Eliasaph, son of Reuel;

14. For Gad, Eliasaph son of Reuel.

15. from Naphtali: Ahira, son of Enan."

15. For Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.'

16. These were councilors of the community, princes of their ancestral tribes, chiefs of the troops of Israel.

16. These were men of repute in the community; they were the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of Israel's thousands.

17. So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated,

17. Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named

18. and assembled the whole community on the first day of the second month. Every man of twenty years or more then declared his name and lineage according to clan and ancestral house,

18. and on the first day of the second month they mustered the whole community. The Israelites established their pedigrees by clans and families, and one by one the names of all men of twenty years and over were recorded.

19. as the LORD had commanded Moses. This is their census as taken in the desert of Sinai.

19. As Yahweh had ordered, Moses registered them in the desert of Sinai.

20. Of the descendants of Reuben, the first-born of Israel, registered by lineage in clans and ancestral houses: when all the males of twenty years or more who were fit for military service were polled,

20. Once the pedigrees of the descendants of Reuben, Israel's first-born, had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.

21. forty-six thousand five hundred were enrolled in the tribe of Reuben.

21. The total of these for the tribe of Reuben was forty-six thousand five hundred.

22. Of the descendants of Simeon, registered by lineage in clans and ancestral houses: when all the males of twenty years or more who were fit for military service were polled,

22. Once the pedigrees of Simeon's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.

23. fifty-nine thousand three hundred were enrolled in the tribe of Simeon.

23. The total of these for the tribe of Simeon was fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

24. Of the descendants of Gad, registered by lineage in clans and ancestral houses: when all the males of twenty years or more who were fit for military service were polled,

24. Once the pedigrees of Gad's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.

25. forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty were enrolled in the tribe of Gad.

25. The total of these for the tribe of Gad was forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

26. Of the descendants of Judah, registered by lineage in clans and ancestral houses: when all the males of twenty years or more who were fit for military service were polled,

26. Once the pedigrees of Judah's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.

27. seventy-four thousand six hundred were enrolled in the tribe of Judah.

27. The total of these for the tribe of Judah was seventy-four thousand six hundred.

28. Of the descendants of Issachar, registered by lineage in clans and ancestral houses: when all the males of twenty years or more who were fit for military service were polled,

28. Once the pedigrees of Issachar's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.

29. fifty-four thousand four hundred were enrolled in the tribe of Issachar.

29. The total of these for the tribe of Issachar was fifty-four thousand four hundred.

30. Of the descendants of Zebulun, registered by lineage in clans and ancestral houses: when all the males of twenty years or more who were fit for military service were polled,

30. Once the pedigrees of Zebulun's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.

31. fifty-seven thousand four hundred were enrolled in the tribe of Zebulun.

31. The total of these for the tribe of Zebulun was fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

32. Of the descendants of Joseph-Of the descendants of Ephraim, registered by lineage in clans and ancestral houses: when all the males of twenty years or more who were fit for military service were polled,

32. As regards the descendants of Joseph: once the pedigrees of Ephraim's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.

33. forty thousand five hundred were enrolled in the tribe of Ephraim.

33. The total of these for the tribe of Ephraim was forty thousand five hundred.

34. Of the descendants of Manasseh, registered by lineage in clans and ancestral houses: when all the males of twenty years or more who were fit for military service were polled,

34. Once the pedigrees of Manasseh's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.

35. thirty-two thousand two hundred were enrolled in the tribe of Manasseh.

35. The total of these for the tribe of Manasseh was thirty-two thousand two hundred.

36. Of the descendants of Benjamin, registered by lineage in clans and ancestral houses: when all the males of twenty years or more who were fit for military service were polled,

36. Once the pedigrees of Benjamin's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.

37. thirty-five thousand four hundred were enrolled in the tribe of Benjamin.

37. The total of these for the tribe of Benjamin was thirty-five thousand four hundred.

38. Of the descendants of Dan, registered by lineage in clans and ancestral houses: when all the males of twenty years or more who were fit for military service were polled,

38. Once the pedigrees of Dan's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.

39. sixty-two thousand seven hundred were enrolled in the tribe of Dan.

39. The total of these for the tribe of Dan was sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

40. Of the descendants of Asher, registered by lineage in clans and ancestral houses: when all the males of twenty years or more who were fit for military service were polled,

40. Once the pedigrees of Asher's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.

41. forty-one thousand five hundred were enrolled in the tribe of Asher.

41. The total of these for the tribe of Asher was forty-one thousand five hundred.

42. Of the descendants of Naphtali, registered by lineage in clans and ancestral houses: when all the males of twenty years or more who were fit for military service were polled,

42. Once the pedigrees of Naphtali's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one.

43. fifty-three thousand four hundred were enrolled in the tribe of Naphtali.

43. The total of these for the tribe of Naphtali was fifty-three thousand four hundred.

44. It was these who were registered, each according to his ancestral house, in the census taken by Moses and Aaron and the twelve princes of Israel.

44. Such were the men registered by Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel, of whom there were twelve, each representing his family.

45. The total number of the Israelites of twenty years or more who were fit for military service, registered by ancestral houses,

45. All the Israelites of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were counted by families.

46. was six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty.

46. Altogether, the total came to six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

47. The Levites, however, were not registered by ancestral tribe with the others.

47. But the Levites and their tribes were not included in the count.

48. For the LORD had told Moses,

48. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:

49. "The tribe of Levi alone you shall not enroll nor include in the census along with the other Israelites.

49. 'Do not, however, take a census of the Levites, or register them with the other Israelites,

50. You are to give the Levites charge of the Dwelling of the commandments with all its equipment and all that belongs to it. It is they who shall carry the Dwelling with all its equipment and who shall be its ministers. They shall therefore camp around the Dwelling.

50. but enrol the Levites to take charge of the Dwelling where the Testimony is and of all its furnishings and belongings. They must carry the Dwelling and all its furnishings; they must look after the Dwelling and pitch their camp round it.

51. When the Dwelling is to move on, the Levites shall take it down; when the Dwelling is to be pitched, it is the Levites who shall set it up. Any layman who comes near it shall be put to death.

51. Whenever the Dwelling is moved, the Levites will dismantle it; whenever the Dwelling stops for the night, the Levites will erect it. Any unauthorised person coming near it will be put to death.

52. While the other Israelites shall camp by companies, each in his own division of the camp,

52. The Israelites will pitch their tents, each in their own encampment and by their own standard, company by company,

53. the Levites shall camp around the Dwelling of the commandments. Otherwise God's wrath will strike the Israelite community. The Levites, then, shall have charge of the Dwelling of the commandments."

53. but the Levites will pitch their tents round the Dwelling where the Testimony is. In this way Retribution will be kept from falling on the whole community of Israelites, and the Levites will keep charge of the Dwelling of the Testimony.'

54. All this the Israelites fulfilled as the LORD had commanded Moses.

54. The Israelites did exactly as Yahweh had ordered Moses. They did as he said.