Numbers 3
Coverdale Bible of 1535 Par ▾ 

The Sons of Aaron
(Leviticus 10:1–7)

1These are the generacions of Aaron & Moses, whan ye LORDE spake vnto Moses at ye same tyme vpon mount Sinai. 2And these are ye names of the sonnes of Aron. The firstborne, Nadab: then Abihu, Eleasar & Ithamar. 3These are ye names of the sonnes of Aaron, which were anoynted to be prestes, & their handes fylled for ye presthode. 4But Nadab & Abihu dyed before ye LORDE, wha they offred strauge fyre before ye LORDE, in ye wildernesse of Sinai, & had no sonnes. But Eleasar and Ithamar executed ye prestes office wt their father Aaron.

The Duties of the Levites

5And the LORDE spake vnto Moses, & sayde: 6Bringe hither the trybe of Leui, and set them before Aaron the prest, yt they maye serue wt him, & wayte vpon him 7& vpo the whole congregacion before ye Tabernacle of witnesse, and execute the seruyce of the habitacion, 8and kepe all the apparell of the Tabernacle of wytnesse, and wayte vpon the children of Israel, to mynistre in the seruyce of the habitacion. 9And thou shalt geue ye Leuites vnto Aaron and his sonnes for a gift, vnto euery one his awne, from amonge the children of Israel. 10As for Aaron & his sonnes, thou shalt appoynte them to wayte on their prestes office. Yf another preasse therto, he shal dye.

11And the LORDE spake vnto Moses, and saide 12Beholde, I haue take the Leuites fro amonge the childre of Israel, for all the first borne that open the Matrix amonge the children of Israel, so that the Leuites shalbe myne. 13For the firstborne are myne, sence ye tyme that I smote all the first borne in ye lande of Egipte, wha I sanctified vnto me all the first borne in Israel, from me vnto catell, that they shulde be myne. I the LORDE.

The Numbering of the Levites

14And the LORDE spake vnto Moses in the wyldernesse of Sinai, and sayde: 15Nombre the children of Leui after their fathers houses and kynreds, all that are males of a moneth olde and aboue. 16So Moses nombred them acordinge to the worde of the LORDE, as he had commaunded. 17And these were the children of Leui with their names: Gerson, Rahath, Merari. 18The names of the children of Gerson in their kynreds, were: Libni and Semei. 19The childre of Rahath in their kynreds were, Amram, Iezehar, Hebron and Vsiel. 20The children of Merari in their kynreds, were Maheli and Musi. These are the kynreds of Leui after their fathers houses.

The Gershonites
(Numbers 4:21–28; 1 Chronicles 23:7–11)

21These are ye kynreds of Gerson: The Libnites and Semeites, 22the summe was founde in nombre, seuen thousande and fyue hundreth, of all that were males of a moneth olde and aboue. 23And the same kynreds of the Gersonites shal pitche behinde the Habitacion on the west syde: 24Let Eliasaph the sonne of Lael be their ruler.

25And they shal waite vpon the Tabernacle of wytnesse, of the habitacion, and of the tent, and couerynges therof, and the hangynge in the dore of the Tabernacle of wytnesse, 26the hangynge aboute the courte, & the hangynge in ye courtedore, which (courte) goeth aboute the habitacion and the altare, and the cordes of it, & all that belongeth to the seruyce therof.

The Kohathites
(Numbers 4:1–20; 1 Chronicles 23:12–20)

27These are the kynreds of Rahath: The Amramites, the Iezeharites, the Hebronites, and Vsielites, 28all that were males of a moneth olde & aboue, in nombre eight thousande and sixe hundreth, waytinge vpon the Tabernacle of the Sanctuary, 29& shal pitch on the south syde of ye Habitacion: 30Let Elisaphan the sonne of Vsiel be their ruler. 31And they shal kepe the Arke, the table, the candilsticke, the altare and all the vessels of the Sanctuary, to do seruyce in, and the vayle, and all that belongeth to the seruice therof. 32But the chefe of all the rulers of the Leuites, shalbe Eleasar the sonne of Aron the prest, ouer them that are apoynted to kepe the watch of the Sanctuary.

The Merarites
(Numbers 4:29–33; 1 Chronicles 23:21–23)

33These are ye kynreds of Merari: The Mabelites and Musites, 34which were in nombre sixe thousande and two hudreth, all that were males of a moneth olde and aboue: 35Let Zuriel ye sonne of Abihail be their ruler, and they shall pitche vpon the north syde of the Habitacion. 36And their office shalbe to kepe the bordes, and barres, and pilers, and sokettes of the Habitacion, and all the apparell therof and that serueth therto: 37ye pilers also aboute ye courte, with the sokettes, and nales, and cordes.

Moses and Aaron

38But before the Habitacion and before ye Tabernacle on the East syde shal Moses & Aaron & his sonnes pytche, that they maye wayte vpon the Sanctuary, & the children of Israel. Yf eny other preasse therto, he shal dye. 39All the Leuites in the summe, whom Moses and Aaron nombred after their kynreds, acordinge to the worde of the LORDE, all that were males, of a moneth olde and aboue, were two and twentye thousande.

The Redemption of the Firstborn

40And ye LORDE saide vnto Moses: Nombre all the first borne, that are males amonge the children of Israel, of a moneth olde and aboue, and take the nombre of their names. 41And ye Leuites shalt thou take out vnto me the LORDE, for all ye first borne of ye childre of Israel, & the catell of the Leuites for all the first borne amonge the catell of ye children of Israel. 42And Moses nombred all the first borne amoge the childre of Israel, as the LORDE commaunded him. 43And in the nombre of the names of all the first borne, that were males of a moneth olde & aboue, in their summe, there were foude two and twentye thousande, two hundreth, and thre and seuentye.

44And the LORDE spake vnto Moses, & sayde: 45Take the Leuites for all ye first borne amonge the childre of Israel, & the catell of ye Leuites for their catell, yt the Leuites maye be myne the LORDES. 46But the redempcion money of the two hundreth thre & seuentye yt remayne of the first borne of the children of Israel, 47aboue the nombre of the Leuites, shalt thou take, euen fyue Sycles of euery heade, after the Sycle of the Sanctuary (one Sycle is worth twentye Geras) 48& the money yt remayneth ouer their nobre, shalt thou geue vnto Aaron and his sonnes. 49Then toke Moses ye redempcion money (that remayned ouer aboue the nombre of the Leuites) 50from ye first borne of the childre of Israel, euen a thousande, thre hundreth, and fyue and thre score Sycles, after ye Sycle of the Sanctuary, 51& gaue it vnto Aaron and his sonnes, acordinge to the worde of the LORDE, as the LORDE commaunded Moses.


Coverdale Bible of 1535

Section Headings Courtesy Berean Bible

Numbers 2
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