Numbers 3
1 This is the account of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.
2 These are the names of Aaron’s sons: Nadab, the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 These are the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests who were ordained to serve as priests.
4 Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai. They had no sons. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.
5 The LORD said to Moses:
6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them before Aaron the priest, so they may serve him.
7 They are to attend to his duties and the duties of the whole community before the tent of meeting, doing the work of the tabernacle.
8 They are to care for all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and attend to the duties of the Israelites, doing the work of the tabernacle.
9 You are to give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are given to him, wholly given, from among the Israelites.
10 You are to appoint Aaron and his sons, and they are to attend to their priestly duties. Anyone else who comes near is to be put to death.”
11 The LORD said to Moses:
12 “As for me, I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of every firstborn Israelite male who is the first to open the womb. The Levites are mine,
13 because every firstborn is mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, human and animal alike. They are mine. I am the LORD.”
14 The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai:
15 “Count the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male one month old and older.”
16 Moses counted them as the LORD had commanded him.
17 These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18 These are the names of Gershon’s sons by their clans: Libni and Shimei.
19 The sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20 The sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites by their families.
21 From Gershon came the Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan. These are the clans of the Gershonites.
22 Their count, including every male one month old and older, was 7,500.
23 The Gershonite clans were to camp behind the tabernacle, on its west side.
24 The leader of the Gershonite families was Eliasaph son of Lael.
25 The duties of the sons of Gershon at the tent of meeting included the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting,
26 the curtains of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance to the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords, for all its service.
27 From Kohath came the Amramite clan, the Izharite clan, the Hebronite clan, and the Uzzielite clan. These are the clans of the Kohathites.
28 The count of every male one month old and older was 8,600; they were responsible for the sanctuary.
29 The clans of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.
30 The leader of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31 Their duties included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the sanctuary utensils used in the service, the screen, and all its service.
32 Eleazar son of Aaron the priest was the chief leader of the Levites, with oversight of those responsible for the sanctuary.
33 From Merari came the Mahlite clan and the Mushite clan. These are the clans of Merari.
34 Their count, including every male one month old and older, was 6,200.
35 The leader of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36 The sons of Merari were responsible for the tabernacle frames, its crossbars, its posts, its bases, all its furnishings, and all its service,
37 as well as the posts around the courtyard, their bases, their tent pegs, and their cords.
38 Those camping in front of the tabernacle to the east, in front of the tent of meeting on the sunrise side, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons. They were responsible for the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who comes near is to be put to death.
39 The total number of Levites counted by Moses and Aaron at the LORD’s command, by their clans, including every male one month old and older, was 22,000.
40 The LORD said to Moses: “Count every firstborn Israelite male one month old and older, and record their names.
41 Take the Levites for me—I am the LORD—in place of all the firstborn Israelites, and take the Levites’ livestock in place of every firstborn animal belonging to the Israelites.”
42 Moses counted all the firstborn Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him.
43 The total number of firstborn males one month old and older, counted by name, was 22,273.
44 The LORD said to Moses:
45 “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn Israelites, and the Levites’ livestock in place of their livestock. The Levites are mine. I am the LORD.
46 As for the redemption of the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites:
47 you are to take five shekels for each person, using the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.
48 Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those in excess.”
49 Moses took the redemption silver from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites.
50 From the firstborn Israelites he took 1,365 shekels of silver, using the sanctuary shekel.
51 Moses gave the redemption silver to Aaron and his sons, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Read and listen to this chapter in the Shalem app, free: narration, chapter video and reading progress. Get the app