NumbersChapter 4

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¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, ²"Count the clan of Kohath among the Levites. Count them by their clans and families. ³Count the men from thirty to fifty years old. Count everyone who is able to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting. ⁴This is the work of the Kohathites at the Tent of Meeting. They take care of the most holy things. ⁵Whenever the camp moves out, Aaron and his sons must go in. They must take down the curtain that hangs in front of the ark. Then they must cover the ark of the Testimony with it. ⁶They must put a cover of fine leather over it. Then they must spread a cloth of solid blue on top. Then they must put its poles in place. ⁷They must spread a blue cloth over the table of the Presence. They must put the plates and cups on it. They must put the bowls and jars for the drink offering on it. The bread that is always there must stay on it. ⁸They must spread a red cloth over these things. Then they must cover them with fine leather. And they must put the poles in place. ⁹They must take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand that gives light. They must cover its lamps, wick trimmers, and trays. They must also cover all the jars of oil used for it. ¹⁰Then they must wrap the lampstand and all its tools in a cover of fine leather. They must put it on a frame for carrying. ¹¹They must spread a blue cloth over the gold altar. They must cover it with fine leather. And they must put its poles in place. ¹²They must take all the tools used for serving in the holy place. They must wrap them in a blue cloth and cover them with fine leather. Then they must put them on a frame for carrying. ¹³Then they must clean the ashes off the bronze altar. They must spread a purple cloth over it. ¹⁴They must put on it all the tools used to serve at the altar. These are the fire pans, meat forks, shovels, and sprinkling bowls. They are all the tools of the altar. They must spread a cover of fine leather over it and put its poles in place. ¹⁵Aaron and his sons must finish covering the holy things and all their tools. Then, when the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites must come and carry them. But they must not touch the holy things, or they will die. This is what the Kohathites must carry from the Tent of Meeting. ¹⁶Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, will be in charge of the oil for the light and the sweet-smelling incense. He will be in charge of the daily grain offering and the anointing oil. He will be in charge of the whole tabernacle and everything in it. That includes the holy things and their tools." ¹⁷Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, ¹⁸"Do not let the clans of Kohath be wiped out from among the Levites. ¹⁹Do this for them so that they will live and not die when they come near the most holy things. Aaron and his sons must go in. They must give each man his job and tell him what to carry. ²⁰But the Kohathites must not go in and look at the holy things, not even for a moment. If they do, they will die." ²¹The LORD said to Moses, ²²"Count the clan of Gershon too. Count them by their families and clans. ²³Count the men from thirty to fifty years old. Count everyone who comes to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting. ²⁴This is the work of the clans of Gershon, what they must do and what they must carry. ²⁵They must carry the curtains of the tabernacle. They must carry the Tent of Meeting with its cover of fine leather on top. They must carry the curtain for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ²⁶They must carry the curtains of the courtyard. They must carry the curtain for the entrance at the gate of the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar. They must carry the ropes and all the tools used for this work. The Gershonites will do all the work needed for these things. ²⁷Aaron and his sons must direct all the work of the Gershonites. That includes all they carry and all their other work. You must give them each thing they are in charge of carrying. ²⁸This is the work of the clans of Gershon at the Tent of Meeting. Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest, will direct their work. ²⁹Now count the sons of Merari by their clans and families. ³⁰Count the men from thirty to fifty years old. Count everyone who comes to serve in the work of the Tent of Meeting. ³¹This is their job in all their work at the Tent of Meeting. They must carry the frames of the tabernacle with its crossbars, posts, and bases. ³²They must carry the posts around the courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes. They must carry all the tools and everything used with them. Give each man by name the things he must carry. ³³This is the work of the clans of Merari at the Tent of Meeting. Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest, will direct it." ³⁴So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the community counted the Kohathites by their clans and families. ³⁵They counted everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting. ³⁶The men counted by their clans numbered 2,750. ³⁷This was the count of the clans of Kohath. It was everyone who could serve at the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them as the LORD had commanded through Moses. ³⁸Then the Gershonites were counted by their clans and families. ³⁹Everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting was counted. ⁴⁰The men counted by their clans and families numbered 2,630. ⁴¹This was the count of the clans of Gershon who served at the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them as the LORD commanded. ⁴²Then the Merarites were counted by their clans and families. ⁴³Everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting was counted. ⁴⁴The men counted by their clans numbered 3,200. ⁴⁵This was the count of the clans of Merari. Moses and Aaron counted them as the LORD had commanded through Moses. ⁴⁶So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by their clans and families. ⁴⁷They counted the men from thirty to fifty years old who came to do the work of serving at the Tent of Meeting and carrying it. ⁴⁸The number of men was 8,580. ⁴⁹They were counted as the LORD had commanded through Moses. Each one was given his work and what he must carry. It was done just as the LORD had commanded Moses.