3:1 This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD talked with Moses on Mount Sinai.
3:2 The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
3:3 Those were the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests.
3:4 Nadab and Abihu, however, fell dead before the LORD when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons; so only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
3:5 The LORD said to Moses,
3:6 “Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.
3:7 They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the Tent of Meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle.
3:8 They are to take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle.
3:9 Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him.
3:10 Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death.”
3:11 The LORD also said to Moses,
3:12 “I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine,
3:13 for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether man or animal. They are to be mine. I am the LORD.”
3:14 The LORD said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai,
3:15 “Count the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or more.”
3:16 So Moses counted them, as he was commanded by the word of the LORD.
3:17 These were the names of the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
3:18 These were the names of the Gershonite clans: Libni and Shimei.
3:19 The Kohathite clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
3:20 The Merarite clans: Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans, according to their families.
3:21 To Gershon belonged the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites; these were the Gershonite clans.
3:22 The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 7,500
3:23 The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle.
3:24 The leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.
3:25 At the Tent of Meeting the Gershonites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,
3:26 the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes–and everything related to their use.
3:27 To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites; these were the Kohathite clans.
3:28 The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600 The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.
3:29 The Kohathite clans were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.
3:30 The leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
3:31 They were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use.
3:32 The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.
3:33 To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the Merarite clans.
3:34 The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 6,200
3:35 The leader of the families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
3:36 The Merarites were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use,
3:37 as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and ropes.
3:38 Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in front of the Tent of Meeting. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.
3:39 The total number of Levites counted at the LORD’S command by Moses and Aaron according to their clans, including every male a month old or more, was 22,000
3:40 The LORD said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more and make a list of their names.
3:41 Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the LORD.”
3:42 So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him.
3:43 The total number of firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273
3:44 The LORD also said to Moses,
3:45 “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the LORD.
3:46 To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites,
3:47 collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.
3:48 Give the money for the redemption of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons.”
3:49 So Moses collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites.
3:50 From the firstborn of the Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.
3:51 Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of the LORD.
3:1 Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when Jehovah spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
3:2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar;
3:3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, who were consecrated to serve as priests.
3:4 But Nadab and Abihu died before Jehovah when they offered strange fire before Jehovah in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.
3:5 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
3:6 Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.
3:7 And they shall keep his charge and the charge of the whole assembly before the Tent of Meeting to do the service of the tabernacle.
3:8 And they shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and the charge of the children of Israel to do the service of the tabernacle.
3:9 And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the children of Israel.
3:10 And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood; but the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
3:11 Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
3:12 As for Me, I have now taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine.
3:13 For all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine; I am Jehovah.
3:14 Then Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
3:15 Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number.
3:16 And Moses numbered them according to the word of Jehovah, as he was commanded.
3:17 And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
3:18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon according to their families: Libni and Shimei.
3:19 And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
3:20 And the sons of Merari according to their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.
3:21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these are the families of the Gershonites.
3:22 Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those who were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred.
3:23 The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle on the west.
3:24 And the leader of the father’s household of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.
3:25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting shall be the tabernacle and the tent, its covering and the screen for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting,
3:26 And the hangings of the court, and the screen for the entrance of the court, which is around the tabernacle and around the altar, and its cords for all its service.
3:27 And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites and the family of the Izharites and the family of the Hebronites and the family of the Uzzielites; these are the families of the Kohathites.
3:28 According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
3:29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the side of the tabernacle to the south.
3:30 And the leader of the father’s household of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
3:31 And their charge shall be the Ark and the table and the lampstand and the altars and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister and the screen and all its service.
3:32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be leader of the leaders of the Levites and have the oversight of those who keep the charge of the sanctuary.
3:33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these are the families of Merari.
3:34 And those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward: six thousand two hundred.
3:35 And the leader of the father’s household of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the side of the tabernacle to the north.
3:36 And the appointed charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle and its bars and its pillars and its sockets and all its equipment and all the service pertaining to it,
3:37 And the pillars around the court and their sockets and their pegs and their cords.
3:38 And those who encamp before the tabernacle to the east, before the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
3:39 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of Jehovah, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward were twenty-two thousand.
3:40 And Jehovah said to Moses, Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
3:41 And you shall take the Levites for Me ? I am Jehovah ? instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the children of Israel.
3:42 And Moses numbered, just as Jehovah commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
3:43 And all the firstborn males according to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered of them were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.
3:44 Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
3:45 Take the Levites 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 Jehovah.
3:46 And for the redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel over and above the number of the Levites,
3:47 You shall take five shekels apiece per head; according to the shekel of the sanctuary you shall take them. (The shekel is twenty gerahs.)
3:48 And you shall give the money, by which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.
3:49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites;
3:50 From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, a thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
3:51 And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of Jehovah, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.