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The Book of Numbers 3

3 When Yahweh spoke with Moses on the top of Mount Sinai, these are the descendants of Moses and Aaron. 2 The names of Aaron’s descendants are Nadab, Aaron’s oldest son, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These men are the descendants of Aaron whom Moses anointed and authorized to serve as priests. 4 However, Nadab and Abihu died in front of Yahweh because they offered unacceptable incense in front of Yahweh when the Israelites were in the desert of Sinai. Nadab and Abihu did not have any descendants. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests with Aaron, their father.

5 Yahweh said to Moses, 6 “Summon the tribe of Levi and order them to stand in front of Aaron the priest. They shall help him. 7 They shall help Aaron manage the sacred tent and everything in it and shall help the Israelite community with any need they have in front of the sacred tent. They shall help by performing the duties associated with the sacred tent. 8 They shall manage all the objects of the sacred tent and shall help the Israelites by performing the duties associated with the sacred tent. 9 You shall order the tribe of Levi to serve Aaron and his descendants. Of all the Israelites, the tribe of Levi will alone serve Aaron. 10 You shall appoint Aaron and his descendants as priests, and they shall serve the priesthood. If a person who is not an Israelite approaches the sacred tent, they shall kill him.”

11 Yahweh said to Moses, 12 “I have appointed the tribe of Levi to serve the priesthood from all the Israelite tribes instead of appointing every family’s oldest male, the male who is born first to an Israelite family. The Levites are consecrated to serve me in the sacred tent. 13 I have consecrated every Israelite family’s oldest male: when I killed the oldest male of every Egyptian family and of all Egyptian farm animal, I consecrated every Israelite family’s oldest male and every Israelite farm animal’s oldest offspring. I have consecrated them for me. I am Yahweh.”

14 Yahweh said to Moses in the desert of Sinai, 15 “Count the descendants of Levi by their ancestral families and tribal groups. You shall count every male who is at least one month old.” 16 So, Moses counted them. He did exactly what Yahweh said to do, exactly what Yahweh ordered. 17 The names of Levi’s descendants were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18 The names of Gershon’s descendants by their tribal groups were Libni and Shimei. 19 The names of Kohath’s descendants by their tribal groups were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 The names of Merari’s descendants by their tribal groups were Mahli and Mushi, which are two tribal groups of the Levites by their families. 21 The tribal groups of Gershon were the Libnites and the Shimeites. These two are the tribal groups of the Gershonites. 22 Moses counted every male descendant who was at least one month old, and their number was 7,500. 23 The tribal groups of the Gershonites will camp behind the sacred tent on the western side. 24 Eliasaph, the descendant of Lael, led the Gershonite family. 25-26 25-26In the sacred tent, the Gershonite family managed the sacred tent and the various coverings and curtains, including the material that covers the sacred tent, the curtains at the entrance of the sacred tent, the curtains around the courtyard, the curtains at the entrance of the courtyard, and all the braided cords that they needed for these coverings and curtains. 27 The tribal groups of Kohath were the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites. These four are the tribal groups of the Kohathites. 28 The total number of every Kohathite male who was at least one month old was 8,600. They were responsible for managing the Holy Place. 29 The tribal groups of Kohath’s descendants will camp on the southern side of the sacred tent. 30 Elizaphan, the descendant of Uzziel, led all the Kohathite families and tribal groups. 31 The Kohathite families managed the sacred chest, the table, the lampstands, the altar, the articles of the Holy Place that they needed to perform their duties, and the curtain at the entrance of the Holy Place. The Kohathites performed every duty associated with these items. 32 Eleazar was the descendant of Aaron the priest and was the highest leader. He led the tribal groups of Levi and managed every Levite as he performed his duties in the Holy Place. 33 The tribal groups of Merari were the Mahlites and the Mushites. These two are the tribal groups of Merari. 34 Moses listed every Merarite male descendant who was at least one month old, and their number was 6,200. 35 Zuriel, the descendant of Abihail, led all the Merarite families and tribal groups. These families will camp on the northern side of the sacred tent. 36 In the sacred tent, the Merarites managed the wooden planks, the wooden poles, the wooden beams, the bases, and every article they needed to perform their duties. The Merarites performed every duty associated with these items. 37 In the courtyard, the Merarites also managed the wooden beams, their bases, their bronze pins, and their braided cords. 38 Moses, Aaron, and his descendant would camp in front of the sacred tent on its eastern border, in front of the sacred tent toward the direction of the sunrise. They managed everything in the Holy Place. In this way, they would protect the Israelites. If a person who is not an Israelite approaches the sacred tent, he should die. 39 Thus, Moses and Aaron counted every male descendant of Levi by their tribal groups who was at least one month old just as Yahweh ordered them to do. The total number was 22,000 males.

40 Yahweh said to Moses, “List every Israelite male who is the oldest in his family and who is at least one month old. Count them by name. 41 From all the tribes of Israel, you shall consecrate the tribe of Levi to serve me instead of consecrating every Israelite family’s oldest male. Consecrate the farm animals of the Levite tribe instead of every Israelite farm animal’s oldest offspring. You shall do this because I am Yahweh.” 42 So, Moses numbered every Israelite family’s oldest male. He did exactly what Yahweh ordered him to do. 43 Moses counted one by one the number of each Israelite family’s oldest male who was at least one month old. The total number was 22,273.

44 Yahweh said to Moses, 45 “From all the tribes of Israel, consecrate the tribe of Levi instead of the oldest son of every Israelite family, and consecrate the farm animals of the tribe of Levi instead of the oldest offspring of every Israelite family’s farm animals. The tribe of Levi shall serve me in my sacred tent. I am Yahweh. 46 Also, because there are more males from the other Israelite tribes than he did from the tribe of Levi, you shall pay a price to me to save the lives of 273 Israelite males. 47 The price for each of these Israelite males shall be five pieces of silver. (Use the official tabernacle weight standard, which is about 11 grams.) 48 Give these pieces of silver to Aaron and his descendants. and they will be payment for the price to save the lives of the 273 Israelite males who were more than the males of the Levite tribe when Moses counted them.” 49 Moses received the pieces of silver from 273 Israelites which was the payment to save the lives of the Israelites who were more than the tribe of Levi when Moses counted them. 50 From the Israelites who were the oldest males in their families, Moses received a total of 1,365 pieces of silver according to the official tabernacle weight standard. 51 Moses gave the pieces of silver which were the payment to save the lives of the Israelites to Aaron and his descendants. Moses did exactly what Yahweh said to do, exactly what Yahweh ordered him to do.

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