Our Father Numbers His People
Forty years of wilderness wandering between Sinai and the Promised Land—a generation’s failures met by a Father’s patience. At its heart stands the blessing the priests were to speak over the people.
1 1Our Father spoke to Moses in the Sinai wilderness, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month of the second year after they left the land of Egypt. He said:
2"Count the whole community of Israel's people, by clans and fathers' houses — every male, by name, head by head. 3Register everyone in Israel twenty and older who can serve in the army—you and Aaron—by their divisions. 4A man from each tribe is to be with you, each one the head of his family.
5"Names of the men who will stand with you: from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur.
6"From Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;
7"From Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;
8"From Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;
9"From Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;
10"From the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;
11"From Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;
12"From Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;
13"From Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran;
14"From Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;
15"From Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.
16"These were the community's called ones, leaders of their ancestral tribes, heads of Israel's clans."
17So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, 18on the first day of the second month they gathered the whole community. The people registered their ancestry by clan and family—every male twenty years old and older, listed by name, one by one, 19as our Father had commanded Moses. So Moses counted them in the wilderness of Sinai.
20From Reuben's descendants, Israel's firstborn: recorded by clan and family, name by name, every male twenty years old and up, able to serve in war. 21Those counted from the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.
22Simeon's descendants, by clans and families, counted by name, head by head: every male twenty years old and up, fit for the army. 23Those counted from the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.
24From Gad's descendants: by clans, families, and names, every man twenty and older fit for military service. 25Those counted from the tribe of Gad were 45,650.
26Judah's descendants, listed by clans and families, by name, every man twenty and older able to serve in the army: 27those counted from the tribe of Judah were 74,600.
28Issachar's descendants, listed by clan and family, by name, every man twenty years and older fit for war: 29those counted from the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.
30Zebulun's descendants: registered by clan and family, by name, every man twenty years old or older fit for military service. 31Those counted from the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.
32Sons of Joseph, Ephraim's line: recorded by clan and family, by name, every man twenty and older fit for military service. 33Those counted from the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.
34Manasseh's descendants, listed by clans and families, by name, each man twenty years or older able to serve in the army: 35those counted from the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.
36From Benjamin's descendants, recorded by clan and family, by name, every man twenty years old and older, fit for military service: 37those counted from the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.
38From Dan's descendants, listed by clan and family, by name, every man twenty years old and older fit for war: 39those counted from the tribe of Dan were 62,700.
40Asher's descendants, listed by clan and family, by name: every man twenty years old and up, fit for military service. 41Those counted from the tribe of Asher were 41,500.
42Naphtali's descendants: by clan and family, counted by name, every man twenty and older fit for war. 43Those counted from the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.
44Moses, Aaron, and Israel's twelve leaders counted these men, each for his family. 45All Israel's people were counted by families, every man twenty years old and older, fit to serve in Israel's army. 46All those counted came to 603,550.
47But the Levites were not counted among them by their ancestral tribe. 48For our Father had said to Moses:
49"Do not count the tribe of Levi or list them among the Israelites. 50Instead, put the Levites in charge of the tabernacle of the testimony, all its furnishings, and everything belonging to it. They must carry the tabernacle and its furnishings, care for it, and camp around it. 51When the tabernacle sets out, Levites take it down; when it is pitched, Levites set it up. Any outsider who comes near is to be put to death. 52Israel's people shall camp, each by his own camp, each under his own banner, by their companies. 53The Levites must camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so no wrath falls on the Israelite community; the Levites are to guard the tabernacle of the testimony."
54The people of Israel did everything our Father had commanded Moses; that is exactly what they did.
