Num 3:14-39 | NASB2020 | STEP | Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai , saying ,

Numbers 3:14-39

14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses ^ain the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15 “ ^{▼▼Lit muster, and so throughout the ch
,} ^cCount the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall count.” 16 So Moses counted them according to the ^{▼▼Lit mouth}word of the Lord, just as he had been commanded. 17 ^eThese, then, are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18 And these are the names of the ^fsons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei; 19 and the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel; 20 and 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. 22 Their numbered men, in the counting of every male from a month old and upward, their numbered men were 7,500. 23 The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the ^{▼▼Lit dwelling place, and so throughout the ch}tabernacle westward, 24 and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites: Eliasaph the son of Lael.

Duties of the Levites

25 Now ^hthe duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle and ⁱthe tent, its covering, and ^jthe curtain for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 and ^kthe curtains of the courtyard, ^lthe 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. 28 In the counting of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, performing the duties of the sanctuary. 29 The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle, 30 and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families: ^{▼▼In Ex 6:22, Elzaphan}Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31 Now ^otheir duties included ^pthe ark, ^qthe table, ^rthe lampstand, ^sthe 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; 32 and 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. 34 Their numbered men in the counting of every male from a month old and upward: 6,200. 35 And the leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to ^vcamp on the northward side of the tabernacle. 36 Now 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, 37 and the pillars around the courtyard with their bases, their pegs, and their ropes.

38 Now those who were to ^wcamp 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 ^xthe ^{▼▼Lit stranger}layman coming near was to be put to death. 39 All 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 ^aatwenty-two thousand.