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/Chapter 3
3 / 36

Numbers

ESV

Chapter 3

1These are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests. 4But Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of Aaron their father. 5And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Bring 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, tending the tabernacle. 8They shall keep guard over all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and over the duties of the people of Israel, tending the tabernacle. 9And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel. 10And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.” 11And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, 13for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for myself 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, 15“List the sons of Levi, by fathers' houses and by clans; every 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. 17And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei. 19And the sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20And the sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, by their fathers' houses. 21To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites. 22Their enrolled number, all the males from a month old and upward, was 7,500. 23The clans of the Gershonites were to encamp behind the tabernacle on the west, 24with the chief of the father's house of the Gershonites being Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25The guard duty of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26the hangings of the court, the screen for the entrance of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords—all the service connected with these. 27To Kohath belonged the clan of the Amramites 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. 28Their enrolled number, all the males from a month old and upward, was 8,600, keeping guard over the sanctuary. 29The clans of the sons of Kohath were to encamp on the south side of the tabernacle, 30with the chief of the father's house of the clans of the Kohathites being Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31Their guard duty involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen; all the service connected with these. 32Eleazar 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 enrolled number, all the males from a month old and upward, was 6,200. 35The chief of the father's house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. These were to encamp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36The appointed guard duty of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its bases, and all its accessories; all the service connected with these; 37also the pillars of the court all around, with their bases, pegs, and cords. 38Those who were to encamp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, keeping guard over the sanctuary, performing the duties for the people of Israel; and any outsider who came near was to be put to death. 39All the males of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron listed at the commandment of the LORD, by their clans, from a month old and upward, were 22,000. 40Then the LORD said to Moses, “List all the firstborn males of the people of Israel, from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. 41And you shall take the Levites for me—I am the LORD—instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock 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, by the number of names, from a month old and upward, were 22,273. 44Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD. 46And for the redemption of the 273 of the firstborn of the people of Israel, over and above the number of the Levites, 47you shall take five shekels per head; you shall take them according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel of twenty gerahs), 48and give the money, the redemption price of those who are over and above them, to Aaron and his sons.” 49So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites. 50From the firstborn of the people of Israel he took the money, 1,365 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary. 51And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.