The First Census of Israel
(Numbers 26:1–4)

1And the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the covenant, on the first day of the second month, in the year after their departure from Egypt, saying: 2“Take a total of the entire assembly of the sons of Israel, by their families and houses, and the names of each one, of whomever is of the male sex, 3from twenty years and above, of all the able-bodied men out of Israel, and you shall number them by their companies, you and Aaron. 4And there shall be with you the leaders of the tribes, as well as of the houses, in their kinships,

The Leaders of the Tribes

5the names of whom are these: of Ruben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; 6of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; 7of Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; 8of Issachar, Nathanael the son of Zuar; 9of Zebulon, Eliab the son of Helon. 10And from the sons of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; 11of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; 12of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; 13of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran; 14of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Reuel; 15of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.” 16These are the very noble leaders of the multitude, by their tribes and kinships, and the heads of the army of Israel.

The Number of Every Tribe

17Moses and Aaron took these, with all the multitude of the common people, 18and they gathered them together on the first day of the second month, taking a census of them by kinships, and houses, and families, and heads, and the names of each one from twenty years and above, 19just as the Lord had instructed Moses. And they were numbered in the desert of Sinai.

20Of Ruben, the firstborn of Israel, by their generations and families and houses, and the names of each head, of all who were of the male sex, from twenty years and above, capable of going to war, 21there were forty-six thousand five hundred.

22Of the sons of Simeon, by their generations and families, and the houses of their kinships, having been counted by the names and heads of each one, of all who were of the male sex, from twenty years and above, capable of going to war, 23there were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

24Of the sons of Gad, by their generations and families, and the houses of their kinships, having been counted by the names of each one, from twenty years and above, of all who could go forth to war, 25there were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.

26Of the sons of Judah, by their generations and families, and the houses of their kinships, by the names of each one, from twenty years and above, of all who were able to go forth to war, 27there were counted seventy-four thousand six hundred.

28Of the sons of Issachar, by their generations and families, and the houses of their kinships, by the names of each one, from twenty years and above, of all who could go forth to war, 29there were counted fifty-four thousand four hundred.

30Of the sons of Zebulon, by their generations and families, and the houses of their kinships, having been counted by the names of each one, from twenty years and above, of all who were able to go forth to war, 31there were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

32From the sons of Joseph, of the sons of Ephraim, by their generations and families, and the houses of their kinships, having been counted by the names of each one, from twenty years and above, of all who were able to go forth to war, 33there were forty thousand five hundred.

34Furthermore, of the sons of Manasseh, by their generations and families, and the houses of their kinships, having been counted by the names of each one, from twenty years and above, of all who were able to go forth to war, 35there were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

36Of the sons of Benjamin, by their generations and families, and the houses of their kinships, having been counted by the names of each one, from twenty years and above, of all who were able to go forth to war, 37there were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

38Of the sons of Dan, by their generations and families, and the houses of their kinships, having been counted by the names of each one, from twenty years and above, of all who were able to go forth to war, 39there were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

40Of the sons of Asher, by their generations and families, and the houses of their kinships, having been counted by the names of each one, from twenty years and above, of all who were able to go forth to war, 41there were forty thousand and one thousand five hundred.

42Of the sons of Naphtali, by their generations and families, and the houses of their kinships, having been counted by the names of each one, from twenty years and above, of all who were able to go forth to war, 43there were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

44These are the ones who were numbered by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one by the houses of their kinships. 45And the entire number of the sons of Israel by their houses and families, from twenty years and above, who were able to go forth to war, were 46six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty men.

The Exemption of the Levites

47But the Levites in the tribes of their families were not numbered with them. 48And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 49“Do not number the tribe of Levi, neither shall you take a total of them with the sons of Israel. 50But appoint them over the tabernacle of the testimony, and all its vessels, and whatever pertains to the ceremonies. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its articles. And they shall be for the ministry, and they shall encamp all around the tabernacle. 51When you would depart, the Levites shall take down the tabernacle. When you are to make camp, they shall set it up. Any outsider who will approach it shall be killed. 52Now the sons of Israel shall make camp, each one by his companies and bands, as well as his army. 53Moreover, the Levites shall fix their tents all around the tabernacle, lest there be an indignation over the multitude of the sons of Israel. And they shall stand watch as guardians over the tabernacle of the testimony.” 54Therefore, the sons of Israel acted according to everything that the Lord had instructed Moses.