These are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the
LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. These 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 anointed
priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests. But Nadab and Abihu
died before the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the
LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So
Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of Aaron
their father.
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Bring the tribe of Levi
near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister
to him. They shall keep guard over him and over the whole
congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the
tabernacle. They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of
meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister
at the tabernacle. And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his
sons; they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel.
And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard
their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put
to death.”
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, I have taken the
Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn
who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be
mine, for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down
all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own
all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall
be mine: I am the LORD.”
And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
“List the sons of Levi, by fathers' houses and by clans; every male
from a month old and upward you shall list.” So Moses listed them
according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded. And these
were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and
Merari. And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their
clans: Libni and Shimei. And the sons of Kohath by their clans:
Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. And the sons of Merari by their
clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, by
their fathers' houses.
To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the
Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites. Their listing
according to the number of all the males from a month old and
upward was 7,500. The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind
the tabernacle on the west, with Eliasaph, the son of Lael as chief
of the fathers' house of the Gershonites. And the guard duty of the
sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the
tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of
meeting, the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the
court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its
cords—all the service connected with these.
To Kohath belonged the clan of the Amramites and the clan of the
Izharites and the clan of the Hebronites and the clan of the
Uzzielites; these are the clans of the Kohathites. According to the
number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were
8,600, keeping guard over the sanctuary. The clans of the sons of
Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle, with
Elizaphan the son of Uzziel as chief of the fathers' house of the
clans of the Kohathites. And their guard duty involved the ark, the
table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with
which the priests minister, and the screen; all the service
connected with these. And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was
to be chief over the chiefs of the Levites, and to have oversight
of those who kept guard over the sanctuary.
To Merari belonged the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the
Mushites: these are the clans of Merari. Their listing according to
the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 6,200.
And the chief of the fathers' house of the clans of Merari was
Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of
the tabernacle. And the appointed guard duty of the sons of Merari
involved the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the
bases, and all their accessories; all the service connected with
these; also the pillars around the court, with their bases and pegs
and cords.
Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before
the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and
his sons, guarding the sanctuary itself, to protect the people of
Israel. And any outsider who came near was to be put to death. All
those listed among the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron listed at the
commandment of the LORD, by clans, all the males from a month old
and upward, were 22,000.
And the LORD said to Moses, “List all the firstborn males of the
people of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking the number of
their names. And you shall take the Levites for me—I am the
LORD—instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and
the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the
cattle of the people of Israel.” So Moses listed all the firstborn
among the people of Israel, as the LORD commanded him. And all the
firstborn males, according to the number of names, from a month old
and upward as listed were 22,273.
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the Levites instead of
all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the
Levites instead of their cattle. The Levites shall be mine: I am
the LORD. And as the redemption price for the 273 of the firstborn
of the people of Israel, over and above the number of the male
Levites, you shall take five shekels per head; you shall take them
according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel of twenty
gerahs), and give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption
price for those who are over.” So Moses took the redemption money
from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites.
From the firstborn of the people of Israel he took the money, 1,365
shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary. And Moses gave the
redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of
the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.
