NumbersChapter 1

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¹The Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt. On the first day of the second month of the second year after that, the LORD spoke to Moses. He spoke in the Tent of Meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai. He said, ²"Count all the people of Israel by their clans and families. List every man by name, one by one. ³You and Aaron must count all those who are twenty years old or older. Count them by their army groups. Count every man who can serve in Israel's army. ⁴One man from each tribe must be there with you. Each one must be the head of his family. ⁵These are the names of the men who will help you. From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur. ⁶From Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. ⁷From Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab. ⁸From Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar. ⁹From Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon. ¹⁰From the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud. From Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. ¹¹From Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni. ¹²From Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. ¹³From Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran. ¹⁴From Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel. ¹⁵And from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan." ¹⁶These men were chosen from the community. They were the leaders of their fathers' tribes. They were the heads of the clans of Israel. ¹⁷So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named. ¹⁸On the first day of the second month, they called the whole community together. The people listed their family lines by clans and families. They counted the names one by one of all who were twenty years old or older. ¹⁹They did this just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So Moses counted them in the Wilderness of Sinai. ²⁰First were the sons of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel. They were listed by the records of their clans and families. Every man twenty years old or older who could serve in the army was counted one by one by name. ²¹The number from the tribe of Reuben was 46,500. ²²Next were the sons of Simeon. They were listed by the records of their clans and families. Every man twenty years old or older who could serve in the army was counted one by one by name. ²³The number from the tribe of Simeon was 59,300. ²⁴Next were the sons of Gad. They were listed by the records of their clans and families. All the men twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were counted by name. ²⁵The number from the tribe of Gad was 45,650. ²⁶Next were the sons of Judah. They were listed by the records of their clans and families. All the men twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were counted by name. ²⁷The number from the tribe of Judah was 74,600. ²⁸Next were the sons of Issachar. They were listed by the records of their clans and families. All the men twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were counted by name. ²⁹The number from the tribe of Issachar was 54,400. ³⁰Next were the sons of Zebulun. They were listed by the records of their clans and families. All the men twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were counted by name. ³¹The number from the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400. ³²Next were the sons of Joseph. First came the sons of Ephraim. They were listed by the records of their clans and families. All the men twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were counted by name. ³³The number from the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500. ³⁴Then came the sons of Manasseh. They were listed by the records of their clans and families. All the men twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were counted by name. ³⁵The number from the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200. ³⁶Next were the sons of Benjamin. They were listed by the records of their clans and families. All the men twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were counted by name. ³⁷The number from the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400. ³⁸Next were the sons of Dan. They were listed by the records of their clans and families. All the men twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were counted by name. ³⁹The number from the tribe of Dan was 62,700. ⁴⁰Next were the sons of Asher. They were listed by the records of their clans and families. All the men twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were counted by name. ⁴¹The number from the tribe of Asher was 41,500. ⁴²Last were the sons of Naphtali. They were listed by the records of their clans and families. All the men twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were counted by name. ⁴³The number from the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400. ⁴⁴These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron. The twelve leaders of Israel helped them. Each leader stood for his own family. ⁴⁵So all the Israelites twenty years old or older who could serve in Israel's army were counted by their families. ⁴⁶The total number of men counted was 603,550. ⁴⁷But the Levites were not counted with them by their fathers' tribe. ⁴⁸For the LORD had said to Moses, ⁴⁹"Do not count the tribe of Levi with the other Israelites. ⁵⁰Instead, put the Levites in charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony. Put them in charge of all its things and everything in it. They must carry the tabernacle and all its things. They must take care of it and camp around it. ⁵¹When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites must take it down. When it is to be set up, the Levites must put it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death. ⁵²The Israelites must camp by their army groups. Each man must be in his own camp under his own flag. ⁵³But the Levites must camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and guard it. Then God's anger will not fall on the people of Israel. So the Levites are in charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony." ⁵⁴So the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.