Numbers 3:4-42
New American Standard Bible
5Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
6Bring the tribe of Levi forward and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.
7They shall perform the duties for him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.
8They shall also take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
9So you shall assign the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are exclusively assigned to him from the sons of Israel.
10So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death.'
11Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
12Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the firstborn of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine.
13For all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I fatally struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from the human firstborn to animals. They shall be Mine; I am the Lord.'
14Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15Count the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall count.'
16So Moses counted them according to the word of the Lord, just as he had been commanded.
17These, then, are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei;
19and the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel;
20and the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.
21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites.
22Their numbered men, in the counting of every male from a month old and upward, their numbered men were 7,500.
23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward,
24and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites: Eliasaph the son of Lael.
25Now the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the curtain for the entrance of the tent of meeting,
26and the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance of the courtyard which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its ropes, according to all the service concerning them.
27Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites.
28In the counting of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, performing the duties of the sanctuary.
29The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle,
30and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families: Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31Now their duties included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, the curtain, and all the service concerning them;
32and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the head of the leaders of Levi, and he had the supervision of those who performed the duties of the sanctuary.
33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari.
34Their numbered men in the counting of every male from a month old and upward: 6,200.
35And the leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the northward side of the tabernacle.
36Now the appointment of duties of the sons of Merari included the framework of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its bases, all its equipment, and all the service concerning them,
37and the pillars around the courtyard with their bases, their pegs, and their ropes.
38Now those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle eastward, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for the obligation of the sons of Israel; but the layman coming near was to be put to death.
39All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the command of the Lord by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.
40Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Count every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and make a list of their names.
41And you shall take the Levites for Me—I am the Lord—instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.'
42So Moses counted all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the Lord had commanded him;
King James Version
Chapter 3
4And Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord, when they offered strange fire before the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father. 5And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 6Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. 7And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. 10And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
11And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
12And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;
13Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the Lord.
14And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
16And Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded.
17And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.
18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei.
19And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.
21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites.
22Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.
23The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.
24And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.
25And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
26And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.
27And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.
28In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
29The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward.
30And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.
32And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.
33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.
34And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.
35And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward.
36And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,
37And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.
38But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
39All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.
40And the Lord said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
41And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the Lord) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.
42And Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
Christian Standard Bible
5The Lord spoke to Moses:
6"Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them to the priest Aaron to assist him.
7They are to perform duties for him and the entire community before the tent of meeting by attending to the service of the tabernacle.
8They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and perform duties for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle.
9Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been assigned exclusively to him from the Israelites.
10You are to appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out their priestly responsibilities, but any unauthorized person who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death."
11The Lord spoke to Moses:
12"See, I have taken the Levites from the Israelites in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to me,
13because every firstborn belongs to me. At the time I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated every firstborn in Israel to myself, both man and animal. They are mine; I am the Lord."
14The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai:
15"Register the Levites by their ancestral families and their clans. You are to register every male one month old or more."
16So Moses registered them in obedience to the Lord as he had been commanded:
17These were Levi’s sons by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18These were the names of Gershon’s sons by their clans: Libni and Shimei.
19Kohath’s sons by their clans were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20Merari’s sons by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans by their ancestral families.
21The Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan came from Gershon; these were the Gershonite clans.
22Those registered, counting every male one month old or more, numbered 7,500.
23The Gershonite clans camped behind the tabernacle on the west side,
24and the leader of the Gershonite families was Eliasaph son of Lael.
25The Gershonites’ duties at the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting,
26the hangings of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and the tent ropes—all the work relating to these.
27The Amramite clan, the Izharite clan, the Hebronite clan, and the Uzzielite clan came from Kohath; these were the Kohathites.
28Counting every male one month old or more, there were 8,600 responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.
29The clans of the Kohathites camped on the south side of the tabernacle,
30and the leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31Their duties involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the sanctuary utensils that were used with these, and the screen —and all the work relating to them.
32The chief of the Levite leaders was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he had oversight of those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.
33The Mahlite clan and the Mushite clan came from Merari; these were the Merarite clans.
34Those registered, counting every male one month old or more, numbered 6,200.
35The leader of the families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they camped on the north side of the tabernacle.
36The assigned duties of Merari’s descendants involved the tabernacle’s supports, crossbars, pillars, bases, all its equipment, and all the work related to these,
37in addition to the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes.
40The Lord told Moses: "Register every firstborn male of the Israelites one month old or more, and list their names.
41You are to take the Levites for me—I am the Lord —in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of every firstborn among the Israelites’ cattle."
42So Moses registered every firstborn among the Israelites, as the Lord commanded him.
New Living Translation
5Then the Lord said to Moses,
6Call forward the tribe of Levi, and present them to Aaron the priest to serve as his assistants.
7They will serve Aaron and the whole community, performing their sacred duties in and around the Tabernacle.
8They will also maintain all the furnishings of the sacred tent, serving in the Tabernacle on behalf of all the Israelites.
9Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been given from among all the people of Israel to serve as their assistants.
10Appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the sanctuary must be put to death.'
11And the Lord said to Moses,
12Look, I have chosen the Levites from among the Israelites to serve as substitutes for all the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me,
13for all the firstborn males are mine. On the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both of people and of animals. They are mine; I am the Lord.'
14The Lord spoke again to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. He said,
15Record the names of the members of the tribe of Levi by their families and clans. List every male who is one month old or older.'
16So Moses listed them, just as the Lord had commanded.
21The descendants of Gershon were composed of the clans descended from Libni and Shimei.
22There were 7,500 males one month old or older among these Gershonite clans.
23They were assigned the area to the west of the Tabernacle for their camp.
24The leader of the Gershonite clans was Eliasaph son of Lael.
25These two clans were responsible to care for the Tabernacle, including the sacred tent with its layers of coverings, the curtain at its entrance,
26the curtains of the courtyard that surrounded the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain at the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use.
27The descendants of Kohath were composed of the clans descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
28There were 8,600 males one month old or older among these Kohathite clans. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary,
29and they were assigned the area south of the Tabernacle for their camp.
30The leader of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31These four clans were responsible for the care of the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the various articles used in the sanctuary, the inner curtain, and all the equipment related to their use.
32Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, was the chief administrator over all the Levites, with special responsibility for the oversight of the sanctuary.
33The descendants of Merari were composed of the clans descended from Mahli and Mushi.
34There were 6,200 males one month old or older among these Merarite clans.
35They were assigned the area north of the Tabernacle for their camp. The leader of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail.
36These two clans were responsible for the care of the frames supporting the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the pillars, the bases, and all the equipment related to their use.
37They were also responsible for the posts of the courtyard and all their bases, pegs, and ropes.
40Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Now count all the firstborn sons in Israel who are one month old or older, and make a list of their names.
41The Levites must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn sons of Israel; I am the Lord. And the Levites’ livestock must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the whole nation of Israel.'
English Standard Version
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, as they minister at the tabernacle.
8They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at 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 every firstborn who opens 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 my own 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 and 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 listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 7,500.
23The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west,
24with Eliasaph, the son of Lael as chief of the fathers ' house of the Gershonites.
25And the guard duty of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting,
26the hangings of the court, the screen for the door 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.
28According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, keeping guard over the sanctuary.
29The clans of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle,
30with Elizaphan the son of Uzziel as chief of the fathers ' house of the clans of the Kohathites.
31And their 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.
32And Eleazar 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 listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 6,200.
35And the chief of the fathers ' house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36And the appointed guard duty of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories; all the service connected with these;
37also the pillars around the court, with their bases and pegs and cords.
38Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, guarding the sanctuary itself, to protect the people of Israel. And any outsider who came near was to be put to death.
39All those listed among the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron listed at the commandment of the Lord, by clans, all the males from a month old and upward, were 22,000.
40And the Lord said to Moses, "List all the firstborn males of the people of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking 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 cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the people of Israel."
42So Moses listed all the firstborn among the people of Israel, as the Lord commanded him.
New International Version
5The Lord said to Moses,
6"Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.
7They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the tent of meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle.
8They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle.
9Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him.
10Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death."
11The Lord also said to Moses,
12"I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine,
13for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord."
14The Lord said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai,
15"Count the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or more."
16So Moses counted them, as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.
21To Gershon belonged the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites; these were the Gershonite clans.
22The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 7,500.
23The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle.
24The leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.
25At the tent of meeting the Gershonites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the tent of meeting,
26the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes—and everything related to their use.
27To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites; these were the Kohathite clans.
28The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600. The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.
29The Kohathite clans were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.
30The leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31They were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use.
32The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.
33To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the Merarite clans.
34The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 6,200.
35The leader of the families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36The Merarites were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use,
37as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and ropes.
40The Lord said to Moses, "Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more and make a list of their names.
41Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the Lord."
New King James Version
5And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
6“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.
7And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle.
8Also they shall attend to all the furnishings of the tabernacle of meeting, and to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the work of the tabernacle.
9And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are given entirely to him from among the children of Israel.
10So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”
11Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
12“Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine,
13because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the Lord.”
14Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying:
15“Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families; you shall number every male from a month old and above.”
16So Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded.
17These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.
19And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses.
21From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites; these were the families of the Gershonites.
22Those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above—of those who were numbered there were seven thousand five hundred.
23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward.
24And the leader of the father’s house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.
25The duties of the children of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting,
26the screen for the door of the court, the hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords, according to all the work relating to them.
27From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites.
28According to the number of all the males, from a month old and above, there were eight thousand six hundred keeping charge of the sanctuary.
29The families of the children of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.
30And the leader of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31Their duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to them.
33From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari.
34And those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above, were six thousand two hundred.
35The leader of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36And the appointed duty of the children of Merari included the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, its utensils, all the work relating to them,
37and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their cords.
38Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary, to meet the needs of the children of Israel; but the outsider who came near was to be put to death.
39All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and above, were twenty-two thousand.
40Then the Lord said to Moses: “Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and above, 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 children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel.”
42So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded him.
