Open English Translation NUM Chapter 4

4 Then Yahweh told Mosheh (Moses) and Aharon (Aaron), 2 “Take a detailed census of Kohat’s male descendants by their clans and families 3 who are from twenty-five up to fifty years old and who goes into the sacred tent to minister.

4 This is what the Kohatites are responsible for concerning the sacred tent including the inner room: 5 When it’s time to break camp, Aharon and his sons must enter and take down the curtain that veils it, and then use that to cover the box containing the agreement. 6 Then they must cover it with fine leather, followed by a blue cloth, and then put its carrying poles through the rings.

7 They must spread a blue cloth over the sacred bread table, then place the dishes, pans, bowls, and jugs for the drink offerings on top of that, along with the sacred bread. 8 Then they must spread a scarlet cloth over all that, and cover that again with fine leather, and then put its poles through the rings.

9 They must spread a blue cloth over the lampstand with its oil lamps, its tongs and trays, and the oil containers that are used for it. 10 Then they must wrap the lampstand and all its equipment in fine leather, and place it all on its carrying frame.

11 Then the must spread a blue cloth over the gold incense altar, and cover that again with fine leather, and then put its poles through the rings. 12 Then they must get all the other utensils that they use in the sacred tent, and cover that again with fine leather, and place it all on its carrying frame. 13 They need to remove the ashes from the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it, 14 and put all the utensils they use on top of it: the trays, meat forks, shovel and basins for the altar. Then they must cover it with fine leather, and then put its poles through the rings. 15 Aharon and his sons must finish covering the sacred tent and all its utensils and equipment when they’re about to move camp. Then the Kohatites can come to carry it all without touching the inner room so they won’t die. That’s the responsibility of Kohat’s descendants—carrying the sacred tent.

16 Eleazar (son of Aharon the priest) is in charge of the lamp oil and the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering, the anointing oil, and the oversight of the sacred tent and the inner room, including everything that’s used inside them.

17 Then Yahweh told Mosheh and Aharon, 18 “Don’t allow the Kohatite Levites to get wiped out by mishandling the most sacred items, 19 but take these precautions on their behalf so they won’t die when they approach the most sacred items: Get Aharon and his sons to go and show each of them personally the correct and proper way to do his duties. 20 However, they must never go early to set their eyes on the sacred objects, even briefly, or they’ll die.”

21 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 22 “Take a detailed census of Gershon’s male descendants by their clans and families 23 who are from thirty up to fifty years old and who goes into the sacred tent to minister.

24 This is what the Gershonites are responsible for working with and carrying: 25 They must carry the inner curtains from the sacred tent, the covering, the fine leather covering, the entrance curtain, 26 the courtyard curtains, and the courtyard gate curtain, along with the ropes and other equipment for using them. That will be their ministry. 27 Aharon and his sons will direct the Gershonites in their duties and assign all the items to them. 28 That will be the ministry of Gershon’s descendants with the sacred tent, and it will all be under the supervision of Aharon’s son Itamar the priest.

29 “Take a detailed census of Merari’s descendants by their clans and families, 30 listing the men who are from thirty to fifty years old and who goes into the sacred tent to minister. 31 Their duties are carrying the frames, crossbars, posts, and sockets for the sacred tent, 32 the courtyard pillars and their bases, their pegs and ropes, and all their equipment. Every man must be assigned by name as to what equipment he must carry. 33 That will be the ministry of Merari’s descendants with the sacred tent, and it will all be under the supervision of Aharon’s son Itamar the priest.

34 So Mosheh and Aharon and the community leaders listed the Kohatites by their clans and families, 35 counting the men from thirty to fifty years old who go into the sacred tent to minister, 36 and the total for all the clans was 2,750. 37 That was from the Kohatite clans who ministered at the sacred tent and were listed by Mosheh and Aharon just as Yahweh had instructed Mosheh. 38 They counted the Gershonites by their clans and families, 39 counting the men from thirty to fifty years old who go into the sacred tent to minister, 40 and the total for all the clans was 2,630. 41 That was from the Gershonite clans who ministered at the sacred tent and were listed by Mosheh and Aharon just as Yahweh had instructed Mosheh. 42 They counted the Merarites by their clans and families, 43 counting the men from thirty to fifty years old who go into the sacred tent to minister, 44 and the total for all the clans was 3,200. 45 That was from the Merarite clans who ministered at the sacred tent and were listed by Mosheh and Aharon just as Yahweh had instructed Mosheh. 46 So Mosheh, Aharon, and the Israeli leaders counted all the Levites by their clans and families, 47 counting the men from thirty to fifty years old who go into the sacred tent to minister and also help with carrying it, 48 and the total came to 8,580. 49 Those were the ones counted by Mosheh following Yahweh’s instructions. Each man’s name was listed by Mosheh, along with his duties and what was his responsibility to carry.