“1 These also [are] the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day
[that] the LORD spake with Moses in mount Sinai. 2 And these [are] the
names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and
Ithamar. 3 These [are] the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which
were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office. 4
And 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. 5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 6 Bring
the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that
they may minister unto him. 7 And 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. 8 And 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. 9
And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they [are]
wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. 10 And 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. 11 And
the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 12 And 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; 13 Because 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.”
“14 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15 Number 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. 16 And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as
he was commanded. 17 And these were the sons of Levi by their names;
Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. 18 And these [are] the names of the
sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei. 19 And the sons of
Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 And
the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These [are] the
families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers. 21 Of
Gershon [was] the family of the Libnites, and the family of the
Shimites: these [are] the families of the Gershonites. 22 Those 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. 23 The families of the Gershonites
shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward. 24 And the chief of the
house of the father of the Gershonites [shall be] Eliasaph the son of
Lael. 25 And 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, 26 And 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. 27 And 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. 28 In the number of all the males,
from a month old and upward, [were] eight thousand and six hundred,
keeping the charge of the sanctuary. 29 The families of the sons of
Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward. 30 And the
chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites
[shall be] Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31 And 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. 32 And 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. 33 Of Merari [was] the
family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these [are] the
families of Merari. 34 And 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. 35 And 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. 36 And [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, 37 And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets,
and their pins, and their cords. 38 But 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. 39 All 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.”
“40 And 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. 41 And 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. 42 And Moses numbered, as
the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
43 And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old
and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two
thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen. 44 And the LORD spake
unto Moses, saying, 45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn
among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of
their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I [am] the LORD. 46 And for
those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and
thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than
the Levites; 47 Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll,
after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take [them]: (the shekel
[is] twenty gerahs:) 48 And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd
number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons. 49 And
Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them
that were redeemed by the Levites: 50 Of the firstborn of the children
of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and
five [shekels], after the shekel of the sanctuary: 51 And Moses gave the
money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according
to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.” (Nu 3:1-51 AV)
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