Numbers
Chapter 3

The Levitical families

3:1 These also [are] the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day [that] Yehovah spoke with Moses in 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 priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.
3:4 And Nadab and Abihu died before Yehovah, when they offered strange fire before Yehovah, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father.
3:5 And Yehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
3:6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present 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 congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.
3:8 And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, 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 out of the children of Israel.
3:10 And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.
3:11 And Yehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
3:12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that opens the womb among the children of Israel therefore the Levites shall be mine;

Firstborn belong to God

3:13 Because all the firstborn [are] mine; [for] on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast mine shall they be I [am] Yehovah.
3:14 And Yehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
3:15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families every male from a month old and upward shall you number them.
3:16 And Moses numbered them according to the word of Yehovah, 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 by their families ; Libni, and Shimei.
3:19 And the sons of Kohath by their families ; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
3:20 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.

Their number and charges

3:21 Of Gershon [was] the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites these [are] the families of the Gershonites.
3:22 Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, [even] those that were numbered of them [were] seven thousand and five hundred.
3:23 The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.
3:24 And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites [shall be] Eliasaph the son of Lael.
3:25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the 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,
3:26 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.
3:27 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.
3:28 In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, [were] eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
3:29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward.
3:30 And the chief of the house of the father 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 candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary by which they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.
3:32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest [shall be] chief over the chief of the Levites, [and have] the oversight of them that 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 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.
3:35 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.
3:36 And [under] the custody and charge of the sons of Merari [shall be] the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serves thereto,
3:37 And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.
3:38 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 for the charge of the children of Israel ; and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.
3:39 All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of Yehovah, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, [were] twenty and two thousand.
3:40 And Yehovah said to 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.
3:41 And you shall take the Levites for me(I [am] Yehovah) 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.
3:42 And Moses numbered, as Yehovah commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
3:43 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 sixty and thirteen.
3:44 And Yehovah 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] Yehovah.

Redeem the first born

3:46 And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and sixty and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites ;
3:47 You shall even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shall you take [them](the shekel [is] twenty gerahs)
3:48 And you shall give the money, by which the odd number of them is to be redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.
3:49 And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites
3:50 Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money ; a thousand three hundred and sixty and five [shekels], after the shekel of the sanctuary
3:51 And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of Yehovah, as Yehovah commanded Moses.

Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 || Chapter 6 || Chapter 7 || Chapter 8 || Chapter 9 || Chapter 10

Chapter 11 || |Chapter 12 || Chapter 13 || Chapter 14 || Chapter 15 || Chapter 16 || Chapter 17 || Chapter 18 || Chapter 19 || Chapter 20

Chapter 21 || Chapter 22 || Chapter 23 || Chapter 24 || Chapter 25 || Chapter 26 || Chapter 27 || Chapter 28 || Chapter 29 || Chapter 30

Chapter 31 || Chapter 32 || Chapter 33 || Chapter 34 || Chapter 35 || Chapter 36 || Back to index || Back to front page