Numbers 3

Aaron’s Sons and the Levites

1These are the generations 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, then Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3These are the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests. 4Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.

The Levites Given for Service

5The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest so that they may serve him. 7They shall keep his charge and the charge of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, performing the service of the tabernacle. 8They shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and the charge of the Israelites by performing the service of the tabernacle. 9You shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the Israelites. 10You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood. Any outsider who approaches shall be put to death.”

11The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Look, I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites. The Levites shall be mine, 13for every firstborn is mine. On the day I struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to myself every firstborn in Israel, both human and animal. They shall be mine. I am the LORD.”

The Families of Levi

14The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15“Count the Levites by their ancestral houses and clans. Every male from one month old and upward you shall count.” 16So Moses counted them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded. 17These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei. 19The sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20The sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi by their ancestral houses.

The Gershonites

21From Gershon came the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites. 22Those counted among them, by the number of all males from one month old and upward, were seven thousand five hundred. 23The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west. 24The leader of the ancestral house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael. 25The charge of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting was the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, 26the hangings of the court, the screen for the entrance of the court around the tabernacle and altar, and its cords—all the service connected with them.

The Kohathites

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 clans of the Kohathites. 28By the number of all males from one month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, keeping charge of the sanctuary. 29The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. 30The leader of the ancestral house of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31Their charge was the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, the screen, and all the service connected with them. 32Eleazar son of Aaron the priest was chief over the leaders of the Levites and had oversight of those keeping charge of the sanctuary.

The Merarites

33From Merari came the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites; these were the clans of Merari. 34Those counted among them, by the number of all males from one month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred. 35The leader of the ancestral house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36The appointed charge of the Merarites was the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, pillars, bases, all its equipment, and all the service connected with them, 37together with the pillars around the court, their bases, pegs, and cords.

Moses, Aaron, and the Priests

38Those camping in front of the tabernacle on the east, before the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Any outsider who approached was to be put to death. 39All the Levites whom Moses and Aaron counted at the command of the LORD, by their clans, every male from one month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.

The Levites in Place of the Firstborn

40The LORD said to Moses, “Count every firstborn male of the Israelites from one month old and upward, and record the number of their names. 41You shall take the Levites for me—I am the LORD—in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of every firstborn among the livestock of the Israelites.” 42So Moses counted every firstborn among the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him. 43All the firstborn males, by the number of names from one month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.

44The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 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 shall be mine. I am the LORD. 46For the redemption of the two hundred seventy-three firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, 47you shall take five shekels for each person, according to the sanctuary shekel; the shekel is twenty gerahs. 48Give the money, the redemption price for those who exceed their number, to Aaron and his sons.”

49So Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites. 50From the firstborn of the Israelites he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 51Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.