Number and Duties of the Levites

1These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in mount Sinai.

2And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.

4And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered unholy fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father.

5And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

6Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.

7And they shall perform his duties, and the duties of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle.

8And they shall keep all the furnishings of the tabernacle of meeting, and serve the children of Israel, to do the work of the tabernacle.

9And you shall give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.

10And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.

11And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

12And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that opens the womb among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;

13Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.

14And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

15Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shall you number them.

16And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.

17And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei.

19And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.

21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites.

22Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.

23The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle on the west.

24And the head of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

26And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.

27And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.

28In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping charge of the sanctuary.

29The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the side of the tabernacle to the south.

30And the head of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

31And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the lampstand, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.

32And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be head over the leaders of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.

34And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.

35And the head of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall encamp on the side of the tabernacle to the north.

36And under the appointed duty of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the utensils thereof, and all that pertains to them,

37And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.

38But those that encamp before the tabernacle on the east, even before the tabernacle of meeting eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary to meet the needs of the children of Israel; and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.

39All that were numbered of the Levites, who Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.

Redemption of the Firstborn

40And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

41And you shall take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.

42And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

43And all the firstborn males according to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.

44And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

45Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.

46And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the Levites;

47You shall even take five shekels apiece individually, after the shekel of the sanctuary shall you take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:)

48And you shall give the money, with which the excess number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons.

49And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites:

50Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary:

51And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.