﻿Numbers.
Chapter 4.
The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, 
“Take a census of the descendants of Kohath from among the descendants of Levi, by their clans and their ancestral households, 
from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who enter the service company to do the work in the Tent of Meeting. 
This is the service of the descendants of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting: the most holy things. 
When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons shall go in, take down the screening veil, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it. 
They shall put a covering of fine leather over it, spread a cloth entirely of blue over that, and put its poles in place. 
Over the table of the Presence they shall spread a blue cloth and put on it the dishes, the ladles, the bowls, and the pitchers for the drink offerings. The regular bread shall remain on it. 
They shall spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover it with a covering of fine leather, and put its poles in place. 
They shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand for the light, its lamps, its tongs, its trays, and all the oil vessels used in its service. 
They shall put it and all its furnishings into a covering of fine leather and put it on a carrying bar. 
Over the gold altar they shall spread a blue cloth, cover it with a covering of fine leather, and put its poles in place. 
They shall take all the service utensils used in the sanctuary, put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of fine leather, and put them on a carrying bar. 
They shall remove the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. 
They shall put on it all the utensils used in its service: the firepans, the forks, the shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar. They shall spread a covering of fine leather over it and put its poles in place. 
When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy things and all the sanctuary furnishings as the camp sets out, then the descendants of Kohath shall come to carry them. But they must not touch the holy things, or they will die. These are the loads of the descendants of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting. 
Eleazar son of Aaron the priest shall have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering, and the anointing oil. He shall have oversight of the whole tabernacle and everything in it, the sanctuary and its furnishings.” 
The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, 
“Do not let the branch of the Kohathite clans be cut off from among the Levites. 
Do this for them, so that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each man his service and his load. 
But they must not go in to look at the holy things even for an instant, or they will die.” 
The LORD spoke to Moses and said, 
“Take a census of the descendants of Gershon also, by their ancestral households and their clans. 
From thirty years old and upward to fifty years old you shall register them, all who enter the service company to perform service in the Tent of Meeting. 
This is the service of the Gershonite clans, in serving and in carrying loads: 
they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, its covering, the covering of fine leather above it, and the screen at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting; 
the hangings of the courtyard, the screen at the entrance of the courtyard gate surrounding the tabernacle and the altar, their cords, and all the utensils of their service. They shall perform all the work that is to be done with them. 
All the service of the descendants of the Gershonites shall be at the command of Aaron and his sons, all their loads and all their service. You shall assign to their care all that they must carry. 
This is the service of the clans of the descendants of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting. Their charge shall be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. 
You shall register the descendants of Merari by their clans and their ancestral households. 
From thirty years old and upward to fifty years old you shall register them, all who enter the service company to perform the service of the Tent of Meeting. 
This is what they are charged to carry in all their service in the Tent of Meeting: the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 
the pillars around the courtyard, their bases, their pegs, and their cords, with all their utensils and all their service. You shall assign by name the items they are charged to carry. 
This is the service of the clans of the descendants of Merari, all their service in the Tent of Meeting, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.” 
Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation registered the descendants of the Kohathites by their clans and their ancestral households, 
from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who entered the service company for work in the Tent of Meeting. 
Those registered by their clans were two thousand seven hundred fifty. 
These were those registered from the Kohathite clans, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron registered at the LORD's command through Moses. 
Those registered from the descendants of Gershon by their clans and their ancestral households, 
from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who entered the service company for work in the Tent of Meeting, 
those registered by their clans and their ancestral households were two thousand six hundred thirty. 
These were those registered from the clans of the descendants of Gershon, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron registered at the LORD's command. 
Those registered from the clans of the descendants of Merari by their clans and their ancestral households, 
from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who entered the service company for work in the Tent of Meeting, 
those registered by their clans were three thousand two hundred. 
These were those registered from the clans of the descendants of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron registered at the LORD's command through Moses. 
All the Levites registered by Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel, by their clans and their ancestral households, 
from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who came to perform the service work and the work of carrying loads in the Tent of Meeting, 
those registered were eight thousand five hundred eighty. 
At the LORD's command they were registered through Moses, each according to his service and his load. So they were registered as the LORD had commanded Moses. 
