Priests and Levites

1Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when Yahweh spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2These then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he [†]ordained to minister as priests. 4But Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh when they offered strange fire before Yahweh in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests [†]in the lifetime of their father Aaron.

5Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Bring the tribe of Levi near and have them stand before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7And they shall keep his responsibility and the responsibility for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to perform the service of the tabernacle. 8They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the responsibility of the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the [†]tabernacle. 9You shall thus give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel. 10So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the [†]outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

11Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first offspring of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. 13For all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am Yahweh.”

14Then Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15“[†]Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall [†]number.” 16So Moses numbered them according to the [†]word of Yahweh, just as he had been commanded. 17These then are the sons of Levi by their names:

Gershon and Kohath and Merari.

18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families:

Libni and Shimei;

19and the sons of Kohath by their families:

Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel;

20and the sons of Merari by their families:

Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.

21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites. 22Their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, even their numbered men were 7,500. 23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward, 24and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.

Responsibilities of the Priests

25Now the responsibility of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting, 26and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the doorway of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords, according to all the service [†]concerning them.

27Of 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 were the families of the Kohathites. 28In the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary. 29The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the southward side of the tabernacle, 30and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families was [†]Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31Now their responsibility involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service [†]concerning them; 32and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the chief of the leaders of Levi and had the oversight of those who keep the responsibility of the sanctuary.

33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari. 34And their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200. 35And the leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the northward side of the tabernacle. 36Now the appointed responsibility of the sons of Merari involved the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its bases, all its equipment, and the service concerning them, 37and the pillars around the court with their bases and their pegs and their cords.

38Now those who were to camp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses and Aaron and his sons, keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary for the responsibility of the sons of Israel; but the [†]outsider coming near was to be put to death. 39All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the [†]command of Yahweh by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000.

Redemption of the Firstborn

40Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and [†]make a list of their names. 41And you shall take the Levites for Me, I am Yahweh, instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.” 42So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as Yahweh had commanded him; 43and all the firstborn males by the number of names from a month old and upward, for their numbered men were 22,273.

44Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 45“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am Yahweh. 46For the redemption price of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites, 47you shall take five [†]shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty [†]gerahs), 48and give the money, the redemption price of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons.” 49So Moses took the money of the redemption price from those who were in excess, beyond those redeemed by the Levites; 50from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365. 51Then Moses gave the money of the redemption price to Aaron and to his sons, at the [†]command of Yahweh, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.