‏ Numbers 3

Levite Priesthood Established

1 aNow these are the records of the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 bThese then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the canointed priests, whom he
Lit filled their hand
ordained to serve as priests.
4 eBut Nadab and Abihu died in the presence of the Lord when they offered
I.e., prohibited
strange fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests
Lit before the face
in the lifetime of their father Aaron.

5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6hBring the tribe of Levi forward and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. 7They shall perform the duties for
Lit him and the duties of the whole congregation
him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, to do the jservice of the tabernacle.
8They shall also take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9So you shall kassign the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are exclusively assigned to him from the sons of Israel. 10So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that lthey may
Or perform
keep their priesthood, but nthe
Lit stranger
layman who comes near shall be put to death.”

11 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Now, behold, I phave taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every qfirstborn, the firstborn of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. 13For rall the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I fatally struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from the human firstborn to animals. They shall be Mine; I am the Lord.”

14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses sin the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15
Lit muster, and so throughout the ch
uCount the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall count.”
16So Moses counted them according to the
Lit mouth
word of the Lord, just as he had been commanded.
17 wThese, then, are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18And these are the names of the xsons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei; 19and the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel; 20and the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.

21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites. 22Their numbered men, in the counting of every male from a month old and upward, their numbered men were 7,500. 23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the
Lit dwelling place, and so throughout the ch
tabernacle westward,
24and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites: Eliasaph the son of Lael.

Duties of the Levites

25 Now zthe duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle and aathe tent, its covering, and abthe curtain for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26and acthe curtains of the courtyard, adthe curtain for the entrance of the courtyard which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its ropes, according to all the service
Lit of it
concerning them.

27 Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites. 28In the counting of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, performing the duties of the sanctuary. 29The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle, 30and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families:
In Ex 6:22, Elzaphan
Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31Now agtheir duties included ahthe ark, aithe table, ajthe lampstand, akthe altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, the
I.e., the veil between the Holy Place and Most Holy Place
curtain, and all the service
Lit of it
concerning them;
32and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the head of the leaders of Levi, and he had the supervision of those who performed the duties of the sanctuary.

33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari. 34Their numbered men in the counting of every male from a month old and upward: 6,200. 35And the leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to ancamp on the northward side of the tabernacle. 36Now the appointment of duties of the sons of Merari included the framework of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its bases, all its equipment, and all the service concerning them, 37and the pillars around the courtyard with their bases, their pegs, and their ropes.

38 Now those who were to aocamp in front of the tabernacle eastward, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for the obligation of the sons of Israel; but apthe
Lit stranger
layman coming near was to be put to death.
39All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the
Lit mouth
command of the Lord by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were astwenty-two thousand.

Firstborn Redeemed

40 Then the Lord said to Moses, “ atCount every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and
Lit take up the number
make a list of their names.
41And you avshall take the Levites for Me--I am the Lord --instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.” 42So Moses counted all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the Lord had commanded him; 43and all the firstborn males, by the number of names from a month old and upward for their numbered men, were aw22,273.

44 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45axTake the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites in place of their cattle. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am the Lord. 46 ayAnd as
Or ransom
a redemption price for the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess of the number of the Levites,
47you shall take bafive shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in bbterms of the shekel of the sanctuary ( bcthe shekel is twenty
A gerah is about 0.025 oz. or 0.7 gm
gerahs),
48and you shall give the money, the redemption price of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons.” 49So Moses took the redemption money from those who were in excess of the number of those redeemed by the Levites; 50from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365. 51Then Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, at the
Lit mouth
command of the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
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