1 In April of the year after the Israeli people escaped from Egypt (Heb. Mitsrayim), Yahweh spoke to Mosheh (Moses) in the Sinai wilderness in the sacred tent, saying,[ref] 2 “Count all the men who are Yisrael’s descendants by their clans and families, being sure to list all their names. 3 Only include those who are twenty or older and able to be recruited as soldiers. You and Aharon must enrol them into military divisions. 4 The leader of each tribe will accompany you.

5 These are the names of the men who will assist you:

• Elitsur (Shedeyur’s son) from Reuven,
• 6 Shelumiel (Tsuri-Shaddai’s son) from Shimeon (Simeon),
• 7 Nahshon (Amminadav’s son) from Yehudah (Judah),
• 8 Netanel (Tsuar’s son) from Yissakar (Issachar),
• 9 Eliav (Helon’s son) from Zevulun,
• 10 Elishama (Ammihud’s son) from Yosef’s son Efrayim,
• Gamliel (Pedahtsur’s son) from Yosef’s son Menashsheh (Manasseh),
• 11 Avidan (Gideoni’s son) from Benyamin,
• 12 Ahiezer (Ammishaddai’s son) from Dan,
• 13 Pagiel (Okran’s son) from Asher,
• 14 Elyasaf (Reuel’s son) from Gad,
• 15 Ahira (Enan’s son) from Naftali. 16 They were the leaders of their tribes—chosen out of their communities, and leaders of units of one thousand soldiers.

17 Mosheh and Aharon took those men whose names had been given 18 and they assembled the entire community that April. For each tribe, they recorded their ancestry by clan, counting the names of those men who were twenty or over, 19 just as Yahweh had commanded Mosheh. So he counted them there in the Sinai wilderness,20-21 20-21individually counting those in each tribe below by their clan, and only including males who were twenty or older and able to fight in battle:

• 46,500 men from the tribe of Reuven,
• 22-23 22-2359,300 men from the tribe of Shimeon (Simeon),
• 24-25 24-2545,560 men from the tribe of Gad,
• 26-27 26-2774,600 men from the tribe of Yehudah (Judah),
• 28-29 28-2954,400 men from the tribe of Yissakar (Issachar),
• 30-31 30-3157,400 men from the tribe of Zevulun,
• 32-33 32-3340,500 men from the tribe of Efrayim,
• 34-35 34-3532,200 men from the tribe of Menashsheh (Manasseh),
• 36-37 36-3735,400 men from the tribe of Benyamin,
• 38-39 38-3962,700 men from the tribe of Dan,
• 40-41 40-4141,500 men from the tribe of Asher,
• 42-43 42-4353,400 men from the tribe of Naftali.

44 Those were the ones that Mosheh and Aharon and the twelve Israeli leaders (one from each tribe) listed. 45 They were all the Israelis who were counted according to their ancestry, being men who were twenty or older, and capable of going off to battle—46 603,550 of them in total. 47 However, the Levites weren’t listed along with the other tribes 48 because Yahweh had told Mosheh, 49 “Don’t list the Levites or count them with the other Israelis. 50 Instead, appoint them to manage the tent where the copy of the agreement is kept, along with all its equipment. They must serve inside it as required, and they should set their tents up around it. 51 When it’s time to leave that place, the Levites must take the tent down and when camp is set up, they must erect it again, but any stranger who approaches it must be executed. 52 When the other Israelis set up camp, each man must set up with his army division by their banner, 53 but the Levites will camp there around the sacred tent and look after it. That way, the Israeli community won’t make Yahweh angry. 54 So the Israelis did everything that Yahweh had instructed Mosheh.