1 AEx 6:20-27Now these are the records of the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Loʀᴅ spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 AEx 6:23; Num 26:60These then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the AEx 28:41anointed priests, whom he 1Lit filled their handordained to serve as priests. 4 ALev 10:1, 2; Num 26:61But Nadab and Abihu died before the Loʀᴅ when they offered strange fire before the Loʀᴅ in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests 1Lit before the facein the lifetime of their father Aaron.

5 Then the Loʀᴅ spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “ANum 8:6-22; 18:1-7; Deut 10:8Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. 7  “They shall perform the duties for 1Lit him and the duties of the whole congregationhim and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the ANum 1:50service of the tabernacle. 8  “They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9  “You shall thus ANum 18:6give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel. 10  “So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that AEx 29:9they may keep their priesthood, but BNum 1:51the 1Lit strangerlayman who comes near shall be put to death.”

11 Again the Loʀᴅ spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Now, behold, I ANum 3:45; 8:14have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every BEx 13:2firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. 13  “For AEx 13:2; Lev 27:26; Neh 10:36all 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 the Loʀᴅ.”

14 Then the Loʀᴅ spoke to Moses AEx 19:1in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15 “1Lit muster, and so throughout the chANum 1:47Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number.” 16 So Moses numbered them according to the 1Lit mouthword of the Loʀᴅ, just as he had been commanded. 17 AEx 6:16-22These then are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. 18 These are the names of the AEx 6:17sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei; 19 and the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel; 20 and the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.

21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites. 22 Their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, even their numbered men were 7,500. 23 The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the 1Lit dwelling place, and so throughout the chtabernacle westward, 24 and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25 Now ANum 4:24-26the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle and BEx 26:1, 7, 14the tent, its covering, and CEx 26:36the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting, 26 and AEx 27:9, 12, 14, 15the hangings of the court, and BEx 27:16the screen for the doorway of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords, according to all the service 1Lit of itconcerning them.

27 Of 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. 28 In the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, performing the duties of the sanctuary. 29 The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the southward side of the tabernacle, 30 and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families was 1In Ex 6:22, ElzaphanElizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31 Now ANum 4:15their duties involved BEx 25:10-22the ark, CEx 25:23-28the table, DEx 25:31-40the lampstand, EEx 27:1, 2; 30:1-5the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service 1Lit of itconcerning them; 32 and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the chief of the leaders of Levi, and had the oversight of those who perform the duties of the sanctuary.

33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari. 34 Their numbered men in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200. 35 The leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to ANum 1:53; 2:25camp on the northward side of the tabernacle. 36 Now the appointed duties of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its equipment, and the service concerning them, 37 and the pillars around the court with their sockets and their pegs and their cords.

38 Now those who were to ANum 1:53; 2:3camp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for the obligation of the sons of Israel; but BNum 1:51the 1Lit strangerlayman coming near was to be put to death. 39 All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the 1Lit wordcommand of the Loʀᴅ by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were ANum 3:43; 4:48; 26:6222,000.

40 Then the Loʀᴅ said to Moses, “ANum 3:15Number every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and 1Lit take the numbermake a list of their names. 41  “You ANum 3:12, 45shall take the Levites for Me, I am the Loʀᴅ, 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.” 42 So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the Loʀᴅ had commanded him; 43 and all the firstborn males by the number of names from a month old and upward, for their numbered men were ANum 3:3922,273.

44 Then the Loʀᴅ spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “ANum 3:12Take 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 the Loʀᴅ. 46  “AEx 13:13, 15; Num 18:15, 16For the ransom of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites, 47 you shall take ALev 27:6; Num 18:16five shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in BEx 30:13terms of the shekel of the sanctuary (CLev 27:25; Ezek 45:12the shekel is twenty 1I.e. A gerah equals approx one-fortieth ozgerahs), 48 and give the money, the ransom of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons.” 49 So Moses took the ransom money from those who were in excess, beyond those ransomed by the Levites; 50 from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365. 51 Then Moses gave the ransom money to Aaron and to his sons, at the 1Lit mouthcommand of the Loʀᴅ, just as the Loʀᴅ had commanded Moses.