Numbers 1

The Census of Israel

1The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they came out from the land of Egypt, saying, 2“Take a census of the whole congregation of the Israelites, by their clans and by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, every male, one by one, 3from twenty years old and upward, everyone in Israel able to go out to war. You and Aaron shall count them by their divisions. 4With you shall be one man from each tribe, each one head of his ancestral house.

5These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur; 6from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; 7from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab; 8from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar; 9from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon; 10from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur; 11from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni; 12from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; 13from Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran; 14from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel; 15from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.” 16These were the ones called from the congregation, leaders of their ancestral tribes, heads of the thousands of Israel.

17Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, 18and they assembled the whole congregation on the first day of the second month. They registered themselves by their clans and ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, one by one, 19as the LORD commanded Moses. So he counted them in the wilderness of Sinai.

The Tribal Counts

20The descendants of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations by their clans and ancestral houses, according to the number of names, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go out to war— 21those counted from the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred. 22From the descendants of Simeon, their generations by their clans and ancestral houses, those counted according to the number of names, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go out to war— 23those counted from the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred. 24From the descendants of Gad, their generations by their clans and ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go out to war— 25those counted from the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.

26From the descendants of Judah, their generations by their clans and ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go out to war— 27those counted from the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred. 28From the descendants of Issachar, their generations by their clans and ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go out to war— 29those counted from the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred. 30From the descendants of Zebulun, their generations by their clans and ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go out to war— 31those counted from the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

32From the descendants of Joseph, the descendants of Ephraim, their generations by their clans and ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go out to war— 33those counted from the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred. 34From the descendants of Manasseh, their generations by their clans and ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go out to war— 35those counted from the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred. 36From the descendants of Benjamin, their generations by their clans and ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go out to war— 37those counted from the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

38From the descendants of Dan, their generations by their clans and ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go out to war— 39those counted from the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred. 40From the descendants of Asher, their generations by their clans and ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go out to war— 41those counted from the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred. 42From the descendants of Naphtali, their generations by their clans and ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go out to war— 43those counted from the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

44These are those who were counted, whom Moses and Aaron counted with the twelve leaders of Israel, each representing an ancestral house. 45So all those counted from the Israelites by their ancestral houses, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go out to war in Israel— 46all those counted were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.

The Levites Set Apart

47But the Levites were not counted among them by their ancestral tribe. 48The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 49“Only the tribe of Levi you shall not count, nor shall you take their census among the Israelites. 50Instead, appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, over all its furnishings, and over everything that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they shall serve it and camp around the tabernacle. 51When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. Any outsider who approaches shall be put to death.

52The Israelites shall camp, each by their own camp and each by their own standard, according to their divisions. 53But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that wrath will not come upon the congregation of the Israelites. The Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.” 54The Israelites did so; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they did.