Numbers 1:49-53

49“Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel. 50 aBut appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it band shall camp around the tabernacle. 51 cWhen 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. dAnd if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death. 52The people of Israel shall pitch their tents by their companies, each man in his own camp and eeach man by his own standard. 53But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no fwrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. gAnd the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony.”

Numbers 3:5-43

Duties of the Levites

5And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6 hBring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, ias they minister at the tabernacle. 8They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. 9And jyou shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are kwholly given to him from among the people of Israel. 10And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and lthey shall guard their priesthood. But if many outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.”

11And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12Behold, nI have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, 13for oall the firstborn are mine. pOn the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine: I am the Lord.”

14And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15List the sons of Levi, by fathershouses and by clans; qevery male from a month old and upward you shall list.” 16So Moses listed them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded. 17 rAnd these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. 18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: sLibni and Shimei. 19And the sons of Kohath by their clans: tAmram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20And the sons of Merari by their clans: uMahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, by their fathershouses.

21To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites. 22Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was
Hebrew their listing was
7,500.
23 wThe clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west, 24with Eliasaph, the son of Lael as chief of the fathershouse of the Gershonites. 25And the xguard duty of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved ythe tabernacle, zthe tent with aaits covering, abthe screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 acthe hangings of the court, adthe screen for the door of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and aeits cordsall the service connected with these.

27To Kohath belonged the clan of the afAmramites and the clan of the Izharites and the clan of the Hebronites and the clan of the Uzzielites; these are the clans of the Kohathites. 28According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, keeping guard over the sanctuary. 29The clans of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle, 30with agElizaphan the son of Uzziel as chief of the fathershouse of the clans of the Kohathites. 31And their guard duty involved ahthe ark, aithe table, ajthe lampstand, akthe altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and althe screen; all the service connected with these. 32And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the chiefs of the Levites, and to have oversight of those who kept guard over the sanctuary.

33To Merari belonged the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites: these are the clans of Merari. 34Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 6,200. 35And the chief of the fathershouse of the clans of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 amAnd the appointed guard duty of the sons of Merari involved the anframes of the tabernacle, aothe bars, apthe pillars, the bases, and all their accessories; all the service connected with these; 37also aqthe pillars around the court, with their bases and arpegs and ascords.

38Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, atguarding the sanctuary itself, to protect
Hebrew guard
the people of Israel. And any outsider who came near was to be put to death.
39All those listed among the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron listed at the commandment of the Lord, by clans, all the males from a month old and upward, were av22,000.

Redemption of the Firstborn

40And the Lord said to Moses, “List all the firstborn males of the people of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking the number of their names. 41 awAnd you shall take the Levites for me—I am the Lordinstead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the people of Israel.” 42So Moses listed all the firstborn among the people of Israel, as the Lord commanded him. 43And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names, from a month old and upward as listed were 22,273.

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