Números 3

The family line of Aaron and Moses

¹This is the family line of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. ²These are the names of Aaron’s sons: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ³These were the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. ⁴But Nadab and Abihu died in the presence of the LORD when they offered an improper fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai. They had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of their father Aaron.

The Levites given to Aaron

⁵The LORD spoke to Moses. He said, ⁶“Bring the tribe of Levi forward and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. ⁷They are to carry out duties for him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting as they do the work of the tabernacle. ⁸They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and carry out the duties of the Israelites as they do the work of the tabernacle. ⁹Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. From among the Israelites they are given entirely to him.^{a 10}Appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out their duties as priests. Any outsider who comes near is to be put to death.”

The Levites in place of the firstborn

¹¹The LORD spoke to Moses. He said, ¹²“Look, I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of every firstborn, the first child born to each mother in Israel. The Levites belong to me. ¹³For every firstborn is mine. When I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I made holy to myself every firstborn in Israel, both human and animal. They are to be mine. I am the LORD.”

A census of the Levites

¹⁴The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. He said, ¹⁵“Enroll the Levites by their ancestral families and their clans. Enroll every male one month old and up.” ¹⁶So Moses enrolled them at the command of the LORD, as he had been commanded. ¹⁷These were the names of Levi’s sons: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. ¹⁸The names of the sons of Gershon, by their clans, were Libni and Shimei. ¹⁹The sons of Kohath, by their clans, were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. ²⁰The sons of Merari, by their clans, were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites by their ancestral families. ²¹From Gershon came the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites. These were the Gershonite clans. ²²The number of those enrolled, counting every male one month old and up, was 7,500. ²³The Gershonite clans were to camp behind the tabernacle, on the west side. ²⁴The leader of the ancestral family of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael. ²⁵In the tent of meeting, the Gershonites were in charge of the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, ²⁶the hangings of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords. They did all the work connected with these things. ²⁷From Kohath came the clan of the Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites and the clan of the Uzzielites. These were the Kohathite clans. ²⁸Counting every male one month old and up, there were 8,600. They were responsible for the care of the holy place.^{b 29}The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. ³⁰The leader of the ancestral family of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. ³¹They were in charge of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the holy utensils used in the priests’ ministry, the screen, and all the work connected with these things. ³²The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest. He oversaw those responsible for the care of the holy place. ³³From Merari came the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites. These were the Merarite clans. ³⁴The number of those enrolled, counting every male one month old and up, was 6,200. ³⁵The leader of the ancestral family of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. ³⁶The Merarites were appointed to take charge of the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, posts and bases, all its equipment and all the work connected with them, ³⁷and the posts around the courtyard, with their bases, pegs and cords. ³⁸Those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses, Aaron and his sons. They were to carry out the duties of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Any outsider who came near was to be put to death. ³⁹All the Levites enrolled by Moses and Aaron at the command of the LORD, by their clans, every male one month old and up, numbered 22,000.^c

Redeeming the firstborn of Israel

⁴⁰Then the LORD said to Moses, “Enroll every firstborn male among the Israelites who is one month old and up, and make a list of their names. ⁴¹Take the Levites for me — I am the LORD — in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and take the livestock of the Levites in place of every firstborn among the livestock of the Israelites.” ⁴²So Moses enrolled every firstborn among the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him. ⁴³The total of firstborn males one month old and up, enrolled by name, was 22,273.^d

⁴⁴The LORD spoke to Moses. He said, ⁴⁵“Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the LORD. ⁴⁶To redeem the 273 firstborn of the Israelites who are more than the number of Levites, ⁴⁷collect about 2 ounces of silver for each one, by the sanctuary standard. ⁴⁸Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price of the extra firstborn.” ⁴⁹So Moses collected the redemption money from those who were more than the number redeemed by the Levites. ⁵⁰From the firstborn of the Israelites he collected about 34 pounds of silver by the sanctuary standard. ⁵¹Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons at the command of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.