aNow these are the records of the generations
of Aaron
and Moses
at the time
when the LORD
spoke
with Moses
on Mount
Sinai
.
aThese then are the names
of the sons
of Aaron
: Nadab
the firstborn
, and Abihu
, Eleazar
and Ithamar
.
These are the names
of the sons
of Aaron
, the aanointed
priests
, whom
he 1ordained
to serve
as priests
.
aBut Nadab and Abihu
died
before
the LORD
when they offered
strange
fire
before
the LORD
in the wilderness
of Sinai
; and they had
no
children
. So Eleazar
and Ithamar
served
as priests
1in the lifetime
of their father
Aaron
.
Then the LORD spoke
to Moses
, saying
,
" aBring the tribe
of Levi
near
and set
them before
Aaron
the priest
, that they may serve
him.
"They shall perform the duties
for 1him and for the whole
congregation
before
the tent
of meeting
, to do
the aservice
of the tabernacle
.
"They shall also keep all
the furnishings
of the tent
of meeting
, along with the duties
of the sons
of Israel
, to do
the service
of the tabernacle
.
"You shall thus agive the Levites
to Aaron
and to his sons
; they are wholly
given
to him from among the sons
of Israel
.
"So you shall appoint Aaron
and his sons
that athey may keep
their priesthood
, but bthe 1layman
who comes
near
shall be put
to death
."
Again the LORD spoke
to Moses
, saying
,
"Now, behold, I ahave taken
the Levites
from among
the sons
of Israel
instead
of every
bfirstborn
, the first
issue
of the womb
among
the sons
of Israel
. So the Levites
shall be Mine.
"For aall the firstborn
are Mine; on the day
that I struck
down
all
the firstborn
in the land
of Egypt
, I sanctified
to Myself all
the firstborn
in Israel
, from man
to beast
. They shall be Mine; I am the LORD
."
Then the LORD spoke
to Moses
ain the wilderness
of Sinai
, saying
,
" 1 aNumber the sons
of Levi
by their fathers'
households
, by their families
; every
male
from a month
old
and upward
you shall number
."
So Moses numbered
them according
to the 1word
of the LORD
, just
as he had been commanded
.
aThese then are the sons
of Levi
by their names
: Gershon
and Kohath
and Merari
.
These are the names
of the asons
of Gershon
by their families
: Libni
and Shimei
;
and the sons of Kohath
by their families
: Amram
and Izhar
, Hebron
and Uzziel
;
and the sons of Merari
by their families
: Mahli
and Mushi
. These
are the families
of the Levites
according to their fathers'
households
.
Of Gershon was the family
of the Libnites
and the family
of the Shimeites
; these
were the families
of the Gershonites
.
Their numbered men, in the numbering
of every
male
from a month
old
and upward
, even their numbered
men were 7,500
.
The families of the Gershonites
were to camp
behind
the 1tabernacle
westward
,
and the leader of the fathers'
households
of the Gershonites
was Eliasaph
the son
of Lael
.
Now athe duties of the sons
of Gershon
in the tent
of meeting
involved the tabernacle
and bthe tent
, its covering
, and cthe screen
for the doorway
of the tent
of meeting
,
and athe hangings of the court
, and bthe screen
for the doorway
of the court
which
is around
the tabernacle
and the altar
, and its cords
, according to all
the service
1concerning them.
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
were the families
of the Kohathites
.
In the numbering of every
male
from a month
old
and upward
, there were 8,600
, performing
the duties
of the sanctuary
.
The families of the sons
of Kohath
were to camp
on the southward
side
of the tabernacle
,
and the leader of the fathers'
households
of the Kohathite
families
was 1Elizaphan
the son
of Uzziel
.
Now atheir duties involved bthe ark
, cthe table
, dthe lampstand
, ethe altars
, and the utensils
of the sanctuary
with which
they minister
, and the screen
, and all
the service
1concerning them;
and Eleazar the son
of Aaron
the priest
was the chief
of the leaders
of Levi
, and had the oversight
of those who perform
the duties
of the sanctuary
.
Of Merari was the family
of the Mahlites
and the family
of the Mushites
; these
were the families
of Merari
.
Their numbered men in the numbering
of every
male
from a month
old
and upward
, were 6,200
.
The leader of the fathers'
households
of the families
of Merari
was Zuriel
the son
of Abihail
. They were to acamp
on the northward
side
of the tabernacle
.
Now the appointed duties
of the sons
of Merari
involved the frames
of the tabernacle
, its bars
, its pillars
, its sockets
, all
its equipment
, and the service
concerning them,
and the pillars around
the court
with their sockets
and their pegs
and their cords
.
Now those who were to acamp before
the tabernacle
eastward
, before
the tent
of meeting
toward the sunrise
, are Moses
and Aaron
and his sons
, performing
the duties
of the sanctuary
for the obligation
of the sons
of Israel
; but bthe 1layman
coming
near
was to be put
to death
.
All the numbered
men of the Levites
, whom
Moses
and Aaron
numbered
at the 1command
of the LORD
by their families
, every
male
from a month
old
and upward
, were a22,000
.
Then the LORD said
to Moses
, " aNumber
every
firstborn
male
of the sons
of Israel
from a month
old
and upward
, and 1make
a list
of their names
.
"You ashall take the Levites
for Me, I am the LORD
, instead
of all
the firstborn
among the sons
of Israel
, and the cattle
of the Levites
instead
of all
the firstborn
among the cattle
of the sons
of Israel
."
So Moses numbered
all
the firstborn
among the sons
of Israel
, just
as the LORD
had commanded
him;
and all the firstborn
males
by the number
of names
from a month
old
and upward
, for their numbered
men were a22,273
.
Then the LORD spoke
to Moses
, saying
,
" aTake the Levites
instead
of all
the firstborn
among the sons
of Israel
and the cattle
of the Levites
. And the Levites
shall be Mine; I am the LORD
.
" aFor the ransom of the 273
of the firstborn
of the sons
of Israel
who are in excess
beyond
the Levites
,
you shall take afive
shekels
apiece
, per head
; you shall take
them in bterms of the shekel
of the sanctuary
( cthe shekel
is twenty
1gerahs
),
and give the money
, the ransom
of those who are in excess
among them, to Aaron
and to his sons
."
So Moses took
the ransom
money
from those who were in excess
, beyond
those ransomed
by the Levites
;
from the firstborn of the sons
of Israel
he took
the money
in terms of the shekel
of the sanctuary
, 1,365
.
Then Moses gave
the ransom
money
to Aaron
and to his sons
, at the 1command
of the LORD
, just
as the LORD
had commanded
Moses
.