| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Now these are the records of Aaron and Moses when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. | 1This is the family line of Aaron and Moses as it was recorded when the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai: |
| 2These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. | 2The names of Aaron’s sons were Nadab (the oldest), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. |
| 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he consecrated to minister as priests. | 3These sons of Aaron were anointed and ordained to minister as priests. |
| 4Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of Aaron their father. | 4But Nadab and Abihu died in the LORD’s presence in the wilderness of Sinai when they burned before the LORD the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. Since they had no sons, this left only Eleazar and Ithamar to serve as priests with their father, Aaron. |
| 5The LORD spoke to Moses: | 5Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 6"Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. | 6“Call forward the tribe of Levi, and present them to Aaron the priest to serve as his assistants. |
| 7They are responsible for his needs and the needs of the whole community before the tent of meeting, by attending to the service of the tabernacle. | 7They will serve Aaron and the whole community, performing their sacred duties in and around the Tabernacle. |
| 8And they are responsible for all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and for the needs of the Israelites, as they serve in the tabernacle. | 8They will also maintain all the furnishings of the sacred tent, serving in the Tabernacle on behalf of all the Israelites. |
| 9You are to assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they will be assigned exclusively to him out of all the Israelites. | 9Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been given from among all the people of Israel to serve as their assistants. |
| 10So you are to appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will be responsible for their priesthood; but the unauthorized person who comes near must be put to death." | 10Appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the sanctuary must be put to death.” |
| 11Then the LORD spoke to Moses: | 11And the LORD said to Moses, |
| 12"Look, I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites. So the Levites belong to me, | 12“Look, I have chosen the Levites from among the Israelites to serve as substitutes for all the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me, |
| 13because all the firstborn are mine. When I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They belong to me. I am the LORD." | 13for all the firstborn males are mine. On the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both of people and of animals. They are mine; I am the LORD.” Registration of the Levites |
| 14Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai: | 14The LORD spoke again to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. He said, |
| 15"Number the Levites by their clans and their families; every male from a month old and upward you are to number." | 15“Record the names of the members of the tribe of Levi by their families and clans. List every male who is one month old or older.” |
| 16So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, just as he had been commanded. | 16So Moses listed them, just as the LORD had commanded. |
| 17These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. | 17Levi had three sons, whose names were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. |
| 18These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei. | 18The clans descended from Gershon were named after two of his descendants, Libni and Shimei. |
| 19The sons of Kohath by their families were: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. | 19The clans descended from Kohath were named after four of his descendants, Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. |
| 20The sons of Merari by their families were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their clans. | 20The clans descended from Merari were named after two of his descendants, Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans, listed according to their family groups. |
| 21From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites. | 21The descendants of Gershon were composed of the clans descended from Libni and Shimei. |
| 22Those of them who were numbered, counting every male from a month old and upward, were 7,500. | 22There were 7,500 males one month old or older among these Gershonite clans. |
| 23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle toward the west. | 23They were assigned the area to the west of the Tabernacle for their camp. |
| 24Now the leader of the clan of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael. | 24The leader of the Gershonite clans was Eliasaph son of Lael. |
| 25And the responsibilities of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the curtain at the entrance of the tent of meeting, | 25These two clans were responsible to care for the Tabernacle, including the sacred tent with its layers of coverings, the curtain at its entrance, |
| 26the hangings of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard that surrounded the tabernacle and the altar, and their ropes, plus all the service connected with these things. | 26the curtains of the courtyard that surrounded the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain at the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use. |
| 27From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites. | 27The descendants of Kohath were composed of the clans descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. |
| 28Counting every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary. | 28There were 8,600 males one month old or older among these Kohathite clans. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary, |
| 29The families of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. | 29and they were assigned the area south of the Tabernacle for their camp. |
| 30Now the leader of the clan of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. | 30The leader of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. |
| 31Their responsibilities included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the curtain, and all their service. | 31These four clans were responsible for the care of the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the various articles used in the sanctuary, the inner curtain, and all the equipment related to their use. |
| 32Now the head of all the Levitical leaders was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for the sanctuary. | 32Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, was the chief administrator over all the Levites, with special responsibility for the oversight of the sanctuary. |
| 33From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari. | 33The descendants of Merari were composed of the clans descended from Mahli and Mushi. |
| 34Those of them who were numbered, counting every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200. | 34There were 6,200 males one month old or older among these Merarite clans. |
| 35Now the leader of the clan of the families of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. | 35They were assigned the area north of the Tabernacle for their camp. The leader of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail. |
| 36The appointed responsibilities of the Merarites included the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, its posts, its sockets, its utensils, plus all the service connected with these things, | 36These two clans were responsible for the care of the frames supporting the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the pillars, the bases, and all the equipment related to their use. |
| 37and the pillars of the courtyard all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their ropes. | 37They were also responsible for the posts of the courtyard and all their bases, pegs, and ropes. |
| 38But those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons. They were responsible for the needs of the sanctuary and for the needs of the Israelites, but the unauthorized person who approached was to be put to death. | 38The area in front of the Tabernacle, in the east toward the sunrise, was reserved for the tents of Moses and of Aaron and his sons, who had the final responsibility for the sanctuary on behalf of the people of Israel. Anyone other than a priest or Levite who went too near the sanctuary was to be put to death. |
| 39All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered by the word of the LORD, according to their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000. | 39When Moses and Aaron counted the Levite clans at the LORD’s command, the total number was 22,000 males one month old or older. Redeeming the Firstborn Sons |
| 40Then the LORD said to Moses, "Number all the firstborn males of the Israelites from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. | 40Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now count all the firstborn sons in Israel who are one month old or older, and make a list of their names. |
| 41And take the Levites for me--I am the LORD--instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites." | 41The Levites must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn sons of Israel; I am the LORD. And the Levites’ livestock must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the whole nation of Israel.” |
| 42So Moses numbered all the firstborn males among the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him. | 42So Moses counted the firstborn sons of the people of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded. |
| 43And all the firstborn males, by the number of the names from a month old and upward, totaled 22,273. | 43The number of firstborn sons who were one month old or older was 22,273. |
| 44Then the LORD spoke to Moses: | 44Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 45"Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. And the Levites will be mine. I am the LORD. | 45“Take the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. And take the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me; I am the LORD. |
| 46And for the redemption of the 273 firstborn males of the Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, | 46There are 273 more firstborn sons of Israel than there are Levites. To redeem these extra firstborn sons, |
| 47collect five shekels for each one individually; you are to collect this amount in the currency of the sanctuary shekel (this shekel is twenty gerahs). | 47collect five pieces of silver for each of them (each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs). |
| 48And give the money for the redemption of the excess number of them to Aaron and his sons." | 48Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra firstborn sons.” |
| 49So Moses took the redemption money from those who were in excess of those redeemed by the Levites. | 49So Moses collected the silver for redeeming the firstborn sons of Israel who exceeded the number of Levites. |
| 50From the firstborn males of the Israelites he collected the money, 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. | 50He collected 1,365 pieces of silver on behalf of these firstborn sons of Israel (each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel). |
| 51Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. | 51And Moses gave the silver for the redemption to Aaron and his sons, just as the LORD had commanded. |
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