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

1The Lorde spake againe vnto Moses in the wildernesse of Sinai, in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, in the first day of the second moneth, in the second yere after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2Take ye the summe of all the Congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, and housholdes of their fathers with the nomber of their names: to wit, all the males, man by man: 3From twentie yere olde and aboue, all that go forth to the warre in Israel, thou and Aaron shall number them, throughout their armies. 4And with you shalbe men of euery tribe, such as are the heads of the house of their fathers.

The Leaders of the Tribes

5And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you, of the tribe of Reuben, Elizur, the sonne of Shedeur: 6Of Simeon, Shelumiel the sonne of Zurishaddai: 7Of Iudah, Nahshon the sonne of Amminadab: 8Of Issachar, Nethaneel, the sonne of Zuar: 9Of Zebulun, Eliab, the sonne of Helon: 10Of the children of Ioseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the sonne of Ammihud: of Manasseh, Gamliel, the sonne of Pedahzur: 11Of Beiamin, Abida the sonne of Gideoni: 12Of Dan, Ahiezer, the sonne of Ammishaddai: 13Of Asher, Pagiel, the sonne of Ocran: 14Of Gad, Eliasaph, the sonne of Deuel: 15Of Naphtali, Ahira the sonne of Enan. 16These were famous in the Congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, and heads ouer thousands in Israel.

The Number of Every Tribe

17The Moses and Aaron tooke these men which are expressed by their names. 18And they called all the Congregation together, in the first day of the second moneth, who declared their kindreds by their families, and by the houses of their fathers, according to the nomber of their names, from twentie yere olde and aboue, man by man. 19As the Lord had commanded Moses, so he nombred them in the wildernesse of Sinai.

20So were the sonnes of Reuben Israels eldest sonne by their generations, by their families, and by the houses of their fathers, according to the nomber of their names, man by man euery male from twentie yere olde and aboue, as many as went forth to warre: 21The nomber of them, I say, of the tribe of Reuben, was sixe and fourtie thousande, and fiue hundreth.

22Of the sonnes of Simeon by their generatios, by their families, and by the houses of their fathers, the summe therof by the nomber of their names, man by man, euery male fro twentie yeere olde and aboue, all that went forth to warre: 23The summe of them, I say, of the tribe of Simeon was nine and fiftie thousande, and three hundreth.

24Of the sonnes of Gad by their generations, by their families, and by the houses of their fathers, according to the nomber of their names, from twentie yere olde and aboue, all that went forth to warre: 25The number of them, I say, of the tribe of Gad was fiue and fourtie thousand, and six hundreth and fiftie.

26Of the sonnes of Iudah by their generations, by their families, and by the houses of their fathers, according to the nomber of their names, from twentie yere olde and aboue, all that went forth to warre: 27The nomber of them, I say, of the tribe of Iudah was three score and fourteene thousande, and sixe hundreth.

28Of the sonnes of Issachar by their generations, by their families, and by the houses of their fathers, according to the nomber of their names, from twentie yeere olde and aboue, all that went forth to warre: 29The nomber of them also of the tribe of Issachar was foure and fiftie thousande and foure hundreth.

30Of the sonnes of Zebulun by their generations, by their families, and by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of their names, from twentie yeere olde and aboue, all that went foorth to warre: 31The nomber of them also of the tribe of Zebulun was seuen and fiftie thousand and foure hundreth.

32Of the sonnes of Ioseph, namely of the sonnes of Ephraim by their generations, by their families, and by the houses of their fathers, according to the nomber of their names, from twentie yeere olde and aboue, all that went foorth to warre: 33The nomber of them also of the tribe of Ephraim was fourtie thousande & fiue hundreth.

34Of the sonnes of Manasseh by their generations, by their families, and by the houses of their fathers, according to the nomber of their names, from twentie yeere olde and aboue, all that went foorth to warre: 35The nober of the also of ye tribe of Manasseh was two & thirtie thousand & two hundreth.

36Of the sonnes of Beniamin by their generations, by their families, and by the houses of their fathers, according to the nomber of their names, from twentie yeere olde and aboue, all that went foorth to warre: 37The nomber of them also of the tribe of Beniamin was fiue and thirtie thousande and foure hundreth.

38Of the sonnes of Dan by their generations, by their families, and by the houses of their fathers, according to the nomber of their names, from twentie yeere olde and aboue, all that went foorth to warre: 39The nomber of the also of ye tribe of Dan was three score & two thousand & seue hudreth.

40Of the sonnes of Asher by their generations, by their families, and by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of their names, from twentie yeere olde and aboue, all that went foorth to warre: 41The nomber of them also of ye tribe of Asher was one & fourtie thousand & fiue hudreth.

42Of the children of Naphtali, by their generations, by their families, and by the houses of their fathers, according to the nomber of their names, from twentie yeere olde and aboue, all that went to the warre: 43The nomber of them also of the tribe of Naphtali, was three and fiftie thousand, & foure hundreth.

44These are the summes which Moses, and Aaron nombred, and the Princes of Israel, the twelue men, which were euery one for the house of their fathers. 45So this was all the summe of the sonnes of Israel, by the houses of their fathers, from twenty yeere olde and aboue, all that went to the warre in Israel, 46And all they were in nomber sixe hudreth and three thousande, fiue hundreth and fiftie.

The Exemption of the Levites

47But the Leuites, after the tribes of their fathers were not nombred among them. 48For the Lord had spoken vnto Moses, and said, 49Onely thou shalt not number the tribe of Leui, neither take the summe of them among the children of Israel: 50But thou shalt appoynt the Leuites ouer the Tabernacle of the Testimonie, & ouer all the instruments thereof, and ouer all things that belong to it: they shall beare the Tabernacle, and all the instruments thereof, & shall minister in it, and shall dwell round about the Tabernacle. 51And when the Tabernacle goeth forth, the Leuites shall take it downe: and when the Tabernacle is to be pitched, ye Leuites shall set it vp: for the stranger that commeth nere, shalbe slaine. 52Also the children of Israel shal pitch their tentes, euery man in his campe, and euery man vnder his standerd throughout their armies. 53But the Leuites shall pitch rounde about the Tabernacle of the Testimonie, least vengeance come vpon the Congregation of the children of Israel, and the Leuites shall take the charge of the Tabernacle of the Testimonie. 54So the children of Israel did according to all that ye Lord had comanded Moses: so did they.