14 Then in the Sinai wilderness, Yahweh told Mosheh, 15 “List all the male Levites that are at least one month old. Count them by their families and clans.” 16 So Mosheh listed them exactly as Yahweh had commanded him to, 17 and these were Levi’s sons: Gershon, Kohat, and Merari. 18 Gershon’s sons were: Livni and Shimei. 19 Kohat’s sons were: Amaran, Yitshar, Hevron, and Uzziyel. 20 Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi.

Those were the families of the Levites by their clans.

21 Gershon’s descendants were the Livnites and the Shimites, so they made up the Gershonites. 22 They had 7,500 males that were at least a month old. 23 The Gershonite clans were to camp on the western side of the sacred tent, 24 and their leader was Lael’s son Elyasaf. 25 Gershon’s descendants were responsible for the sacred tent, including its covering and the entrance curtain, 26 the courtyard curtains, and the courtyard entrance curtain, that surrounded it. Also the ropes used to hold them.

27 Kohat’s descendants were the Amramites, the Yitsharites, the Hevronites, and the Uzziyelites, so they made up the Kohatites. 28 They had 8,600 males that were at least a month old. They were in charge of the running of the sacred tent. 29 The Kohatite clans were to camp of the southern side of the sacred tent, 30 and their leader was Uzziyel’s son Elitsafan. 31 They were in charge of the box, the table and the lampstand, the altars and all the utensils used for ministry, the inside curtain and its gear.

32 The man who organised the Levites was Aharon’s son, Eleazar the priest. He had oversight over all those who were responsible for the sacred tent.

33 Merari’s descendants were the Mahlites and the Mushites, so they made up the Merarites. 34 They had 6,200 males that were at least a month old, 35 and their leader was Avihayil’s son Tsuriel. They were to camp on the northern side of the sacred tent. 36 They were in charge of all the frames for the sacred tent, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its containers and equipment, 37 as well as the pillars used to make the courtyard with their bases, pegs, and ropes.

38 Mosheh and Aharon and his sons set up their tents in front of the entrance on the eastern side of the sacred tent. They were in charge of that tent and the needs of the Israelis. Any stranger who approached had to be executed. 39 Mosheh and Aharon listed 22,000 Levite males that were at least a month old, listing them by their clans as per Yahweh’s instructions.