NumbersChapter 3

Tap any verse to comment or suggest a better wording.

¹This is the family record of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. ²These are the names of Aaron's sons. Nadab was the firstborn. Then came Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ³These were Aaron's sons. They were the priests who were anointed. They were set apart to serve as priests. ⁴But Nadab and Abihu died in front of the LORD. It happened when they offered fire that was not allowed before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai. They had no sons. So only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests while their father Aaron was alive. ⁵Then the LORD said to Moses, ⁶"Bring the tribe of Levi and give them to Aaron the priest. They will help him. ⁷They must do work for him and for the whole community in front of the Tent of Meeting. They will do the work of the tabernacle. ⁸They must take care of all the things in the Tent of Meeting. They will do the work for the Israelites by serving at the tabernacle. ⁹Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. Out of all the Israelites, they are the ones given fully to him. ¹⁰Appoint Aaron and his sons to do the work of priests. But any outsider who comes near the tabernacle must be put to death." ¹¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses again. He said, ¹²"Look, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel. I took them in place of every firstborn son in Israel. The Levites belong to me. ¹³For all the firstborn are mine. I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt. On that day I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both people and animals. They are mine. I am the LORD." ¹⁴Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai. He said, ¹⁵"Count the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male who is one month old or older." ¹⁶So Moses counted them, just as the LORD had told him to do. ¹⁷These were the names of the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ¹⁸These were the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei. ¹⁹The sons of Kohath by their clans were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁰The sons of Merari by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites, listed by their families. ²¹The Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan came from Gershon. These were the clans of Gershon. ²²All the males one month old or older numbered 7,500. ²³The clans of Gershon were to camp on the west side, behind the tabernacle. ²⁴The leader of the families of Gershon was Eliasaph son of Lael. ²⁵At the Tent of Meeting, the clans of Gershon took care of the tabernacle and the tent. They took care of its covering and the curtain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ²⁶They took care of the curtains of the courtyard. They took care of the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar. They took care of the ropes too. They did all the work for these things. ²⁷The clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites came from Kohath. These were the clans of Kohath. ²⁸All the males one month old or older numbered 8,600. They were in charge of the work of the holy place. ²⁹The clans of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. ³⁰The leader of the families of Kohath was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. ³¹They took care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, and the altars. They took care of the holy things used with them and the curtain. They did all the work for these things. ³²The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest. He was in charge of those who did the work of the holy place. ³³The clans of the Mahlites and Mushites came from Merari. These were the clans of Merari. ³⁴All the males one month old or older numbered 6,200. ³⁵The leader of the families of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. ³⁶The sons of Merari were given these jobs. They took care of the tabernacle's frames, crossbars, posts, and bases, and all its tools. They did all the work for these things. ³⁷They also took care of the posts around the courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes. ³⁸Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons were to camp on the east side of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise. They camped in front of the Tent of Meeting. They were to do the work of the holy place for the Israelites. But any outsider who came near the holy place was to be put to death. ³⁹Moses and Aaron counted the Levites by their clans, as the LORD commanded. All the males one month old or older numbered 22,000. ⁴⁰Then the LORD said to Moses, "Count every firstborn male of the Israelites who is one month old or older. Write down their names. ⁴¹Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of Israel. I am the LORD. And take the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn livestock of the Israelites." ⁴²So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him. ⁴³The total number of firstborn males one month old or older, listed by name, was 22,273. ⁴⁴Then the LORD spoke to Moses again. He said, ⁴⁵"Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel. Take the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to me. I am the LORD. ⁴⁶There are 273 more firstborn Israelites than there are Levites. These 273 must be bought back. ⁴⁷Collect five shekels for each one. Use the shekel of the holy place, which weighs twenty gerahs. ⁴⁸Give the money to Aaron and his sons. It is the price to buy back the extra Israelites." ⁴⁹So Moses collected the money to buy back those who were more than the number of Levites. ⁵⁰He collected the money from the firstborn of the Israelites. It was 1,365 shekels, by the shekel of the holy place.a ⁵¹Moses gave the money to Aaron and his sons. He obeyed the word of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.