Numbers 3:11-38

11And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12Behold, aI 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 ball the firstborn are mine. cOn 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; devery 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 eAnd 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: fLibni and Shimei. 19And the sons of Kohath by their clans: gAmram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20And the sons of Merari by their clans: hMahli 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 jThe 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 kguard duty of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved lthe tabernacle, mthe tent with nits covering, othe screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 pthe hangings of the court, qthe screen for the door of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and rits cordsall the service connected with these.

27To Kohath belonged the clan of the sAmramites 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 tElizaphan the son of Uzziel as chief of the fathershouse of the clans of the Kohathites. 31And their guard duty involved uthe ark, vthe table, wthe lampstand, xthe altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and ythe 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 zAnd the appointed guard duty of the sons of Merari involved the aaframes of the tabernacle, abthe bars, acthe pillars, the bases, and all their accessories; all the service connected with these; 37also adthe pillars around the court, with their bases and aepegs and afcords.

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, agguarding the sanctuary itself, to protect
Hebrew guard
the people of Israel. And any outsider who came near was to be put to death.
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