Numbers 3

Chapter 3.

3 ¹ This is the family line of Aaron and Moses on the day our Father spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

Levi Given to the Priests

² These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, then Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ³ These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests. ⁴ But Nadab and Abihu died before our Father when they offered unauthorized fire before him in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.

Duties of the Levites

⁵ Then our Father said to Moses:

⁶ "Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them before Aaron the priest, so that they may serve him. ⁷ They shall carry out his duties and the duties of the whole assembly before the tent of meeting, doing the work of the tabernacle. ⁸ They shall care for all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and fulfill the obligations of the people of Israel, doing the work of the tabernacle. ⁹ You shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel. ¹⁰ You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood; but any unauthorized person who comes near shall be put to death."

¹¹ Then our Father said to Moses:

¹² "Look, I myself have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel in place of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, ¹ 1 v12 The Levites take the place of Israel's firstborn sons, who were originally set apart for God when he struck down Egypt's firstborn at the Exodus (see Exodus 13:2). ¹³ for every firstborn is mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be mine. I am your Father.

Our Father Commands the Count

¹⁴ Then our Father spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai:

The Levite Clans Registered

¹⁵ "Count the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses and their clans; count every male a month old or older."

¹⁶ So Moses counted them at the word of our Father, just as he had been commanded.

¹⁷ These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ¹⁸ These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei. ¹⁹ The sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁰ The sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites by their fathers' houses.

The Gershonites

²¹ From Gershon came the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these are the clans of the Gershonites. ²² The number of males counted, a month old or older, was seven thousand five hundred.

²³ The clans of the Gershonites camped behind the tabernacle on the west. ²⁴ The leader of the fathers' house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael. ²⁵ The sons of Gershon at the tent of meeting were responsible for the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, ²⁶ the curtains of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords for all its service.

The Kohathites

²⁷ From Kohath came the clan of the Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan of the Uzzielites; these are the clans of the Kohathites. ²⁸ The number of males a month old or older was eight thousand six hundred, and they were responsible for the sanctuary.

²⁹ The clans of the sons of Kohath camped on the south side of the tabernacle. ³⁰ The leader of the fathers' house of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. ³¹ They were responsible for the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary used in ministry, the screen, and all its service. ³² Eleazar son of Aaron the priest was chief leader of the Levites, overseeing those who were responsible for the sanctuary.

The Merarites

³³ From Merari came the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites; these are the clans of Merari. ³⁴ The number of males counted, a month old or older, was six thousand two hundred.

³⁵ The leader of the fathers' house of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they camped on the north side of the tabernacle. ³⁶ The sons of Merari were responsible for the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, its posts, its bases, all its equipment, and all its service, ³⁷ as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, pegs, and cords.

Moses, Aaron, and His Sons

³⁸ Those who camped before the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, who were responsible for the sanctuary on behalf of the people of Israel; and any unauthorized person who came near was to be put to death. ³⁹ All the Levites whom Moses and Aaron counted at the command of our Father, by their clans, every male a month old or older, numbered twenty-two thousand.

Redeeming the Firstborn

⁴⁰ Then our Father said to Moses, "Count every firstborn male of the people of Israel a month old or older, and record the number of their names.

The Exchange — Levites for Firstborn

⁴¹ Take the Levites for me — I am your Father — in place of every firstborn among the people of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of every firstborn among the livestock of the people of Israel.

⁴² So Moses counted every firstborn among the people of Israel, just as our Father had commanded him. ⁴³ Every firstborn male counted by name, a month old or older, numbered twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

⁴⁴ Then our Father spoke to Moses:

⁴⁵ "Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the people of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock; the Levites shall be mine. I am your Father. ⁴⁶ To redeem the two hundred and seventy-three firstborn of the people of Israel who exceeded the number of the Levites, ⁴⁷ collect five shekels per person, weighed to the sanctuary standard (each shekel about half an ounce of silver). ⁴⁸ Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra firstborn sons.

⁴⁹ So Moses collected the redemption money from the firstborn sons who exceeded the number of the Levites; ⁵⁰ from the firstborn of the people of Israel he collected one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, weighed to the sanctuary standard. ⁵¹ And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons at the word of our Father, just as our Father had commanded Moses.