C.
The holy service
3:1—4:49
Num. 3
:1
3:1
Now these are the
agenerations of Aaron and Moses at the time when Jehovah spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
Num. 3
:2
3:2
And these are the names of the sons of Aaron:
aNadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar;
Num. 3
:3
3:3
These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the
aanointed priests,
1who were consecrated to serve as priests.
Num. 3
:4
3:4
But 1aNadab and Abihu died before Jehovah when they offered strange fire before Jehovah in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.
Num. 3
:5
3:5
And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
Num. 3
:6
3:6
aBring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.
Num. 3
:7
3:7
And they shall keep his charge and the charge of the whole assembly before the Tent of Meeting to do the service of the tabernacle.
Num. 3
:8
3:8
And they shall keep all the
1afurnishings of the Tent of Meeting and the charge of the children of Israel to do the service of the tabernacle.
Num. 3
:9
3:9
And you shall
agive the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the children of Israel.
Num. 3
:10
3:10
And you shall
1appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood; but the
2stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
Num. 3
:11
3:11
Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
Num. 3
:12
3:12
As for Me, I have now
ataken the
1Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine.
Num. 3
:13
3:13
For all the
afirstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine; I am Jehovah.
Num. 3
:14
3:14
Then Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
Num. 3
:15
3:15
Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a
amonth old and upward you shall number.
Num. 3
:16
3:16
And Moses numbered them according to the word of Jehovah, as he was commanded.
Num. 3
:17
3:17
And these were the
1sons of Levi by their names:
aGershon and Kohath and Merari.
Num. 3
:18
3:18
And these are the names of the
asons of Gershon according to their families: Libni and Shimei.
Num. 3
:19
3:19
And the sons of
aKohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
Num. 3
:20
3:20
And the sons of
aMerari according to their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.
Num. 3
:21
3:21
Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these are the families of the Gershonites.
Num. 3
:22
3:22
Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward,
even those who were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred.
Num. 3
:23
3:23
The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle on the west.
Num. 3
:24
3:24
And the leader of the father’s household of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.
Num. 3
:25
3:25
aAnd the charge of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting shall be the tabernacle and the
btent, its
ccovering and the
dscreen for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting,
Num. 3
:26
3:26
And the
ahangings of the court, and the
bscreen for the entrance of the court, which is around the tabernacle and around the altar, and its
ccords for all its service.
Num. 3
:27
3:27
And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites and the family of the Izharites and the family of the Hebronites and the family of the Uzzielites; these are the families of the Kohathites.
Num. 3
:28
3:28
According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
Num. 3
:29
3:29
The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the side of the tabernacle to the south.
Num. 3
:30
3:30
And the leader of the father’s household of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
Num. 3
:31
3:31
And their
1charge shall be the
aArk and the
btable and the
clampstand and the
daltars and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister and the
escreen and all its service.
Num. 3
:32
3:32
And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be leader of the leaders of the Levites
and have the oversight of those who keep the charge of the sanctuary.
Num. 3
:33
3:33
Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these are the families of Merari.
Num. 3
:34
3:34
And those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward: six thousand two hundred.
Num. 3
:35
3:35
And the leader of the father’s household of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the side of the tabernacle to the north.
Num. 3
:36
3:36
And the appointed charge of the sons of Merari shall be the
aboards of the tabernacle and its
bbars and its
cpillars and its
dsockets and all its equipment and all the service
pertaining to it,
Num. 3
:37
3:37
And the
apillars around the court and their sockets and their
bpegs and their cords.
Num. 3
:38
3:38
And those who encamp before the tabernacle to the east, before the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses and Aaron and his sons, keeping the
1charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
Num. 3
:39
3:39
All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of Jehovah, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward were twenty-two thousand.
Num. 3
:40
3:40
And Jehovah said to Moses, Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
Num. 3
:41
3:41
And you shall
atake the Levites for Me — I am Jehovah — instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the children of Israel.
Num. 3
:42
3:42
And Moses numbered, just as Jehovah commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
Num. 3
:43
3:43
And all the firstborn males according to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered of them were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.
Num. 3
:44
3:44
Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
Num. 3
:45
3:45
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 Jehovah.
Num. 3
:46
3:46
And for the
aredemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel over and above
the number of the Levites,
Num. 3
:47
3:47
You shall take
afive shekels apiece per head; according to the shekel of the sanctuary you shall take
them. (The shekel is twenty gerahs.)
Num. 3
:48
3:48
And you shall give the money, by which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.
Num. 3
:49
3:49
So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites;
Num. 3
:50
3:50
From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, a thousand three hundred sixty-five
shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
Num. 3
:51
3:51
And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of Jehovah, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
