| King James Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spake with Moses in mount Sinai. | 1This is the family line of Aaron and Moses as it was recorded when the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai: |
| 2And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. | 2The names of Aaron’s sons were Nadab (the oldest), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. |
| 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office. | 3These sons of Aaron were anointed and ordained to minister as priests. |
| 4And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange 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. | 4But Nadab and Abihu died in the LORD’s presence in the wilderness of Sinai when they burned before the LORD the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. Since they had no sons, this left only Eleazar and Ithamar to serve as priests with their father, Aaron. |
| 5And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, | 5Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 6Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. | 6“Call forward the tribe of Levi, and present them to Aaron the priest to serve as his assistants. |
| 7And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. | 7They will serve Aaron and the whole community, performing their sacred duties in and around the Tabernacle. |
| 8And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. | 8They will also maintain all the furnishings of the sacred tent, serving in the Tabernacle on behalf of all the Israelites. |
| 9And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. | 9Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been given from among all the people of Israel to serve as their assistants. |
| 10And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. | 10Appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the sanctuary must be put to death.” |
| 11And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, | 11And the LORD said to Moses, |
| 12And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; | 12“Look, I have chosen the Levites from among the Israelites to serve as substitutes for all the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me, |
| 13Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD. | 13for all the firstborn males are mine. On the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both of people and of animals. They are mine; I am the LORD.” Registration of the Levites |
| 14And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, | 14The LORD spoke again to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. He said, |
| 15Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them. | 15“Record the names of the members of the tribe of Levi by their families and clans. List every male who is one month old or older.” |
| 16And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded. | 16So Moses listed them, just as the LORD had commanded. |
| 17And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. | 17Levi had three sons, whose names were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. |
| 18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei. | 18The clans descended from Gershon were named after two of his descendants, Libni and Shimei. |
| 19And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel. | 19The clans descended from Kohath were named after four of his descendants, Amram, Izhar, 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. | 20The clans descended from Merari were named after two of his descendants, Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans, listed according to their family groups. |
| 21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites. | 21The descendants of Gershon were composed of the clans descended from Libni and Shimei. |
| 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. | 22There were 7,500 males one month old or older among these Gershonite clans. |
| 23The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward. | 23They were assigned the area to the west of the Tabernacle for their camp. |
| 24And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael. | 24The leader of the Gershonite clans was Eliasaph son of Lael. |
| 25And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, | 25These two clans were responsible to care for the Tabernacle, including the sacred tent with its layers of coverings, the curtain at its entrance, |
| 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. | 26the curtains of the courtyard that surrounded the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain at the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use. |
| 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. | 27The descendants of Kohath were composed of the clans descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. |
| 28In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary. | 28There were 8,600 males one month old or older among these Kohathite clans. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary, |
| 29The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward. | 29and they were assigned the area south of the Tabernacle for their camp. |
| 30And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. | 30The leader of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. |
| 31And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof. | 31These four clans were responsible for the care of the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the various articles used in the sanctuary, the inner curtain, and all the equipment related to their use. |
| 32And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary. | 32Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, was the chief administrator over all the Levites, with special responsibility for the oversight of the sanctuary. |
| 33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari. | 33The descendants of Merari were composed of the clans descended from Mahli and Mushi. |
| 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. | 34There were 6,200 males one month old or older among these Merarite clans. |
| 35And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward. | 35They were assigned the area north of the Tabernacle for their camp. The leader of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail. |
| 36And under the custody and charge 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 vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto, | 36These two clans were responsible for the care of the frames supporting the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the pillars, the bases, and all the equipment related to their use. |
| 37And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords. | 37They were also responsible for the posts of the courtyard and all their bases, pegs, and ropes. |
| 38But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. | 38The area in front of the Tabernacle, in the east toward the sunrise, was reserved for the tents of Moses and of Aaron and his sons, who had the final responsibility for the sanctuary on behalf of the people of Israel. Anyone other than a priest or Levite who went too near the sanctuary was to be put to death. |
| 39All that were numbered of the Levites, which 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. | 39When Moses and Aaron counted the Levite clans at the LORD’s command, the total number was 22,000 males one month old or older. Redeeming the Firstborn Sons |
| 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. | 40Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now count all the firstborn sons in Israel who are one month old or older, and make a list of their names. |
| 41And thou shalt 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. | 41The Levites must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn sons of Israel; I am the LORD. And the Levites’ livestock must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the whole nation of Israel.” |
| 42And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel. | 42So Moses counted the firstborn sons of the people of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded. |
| 43And all the firstborn males by 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. | 43The number of firstborn sons who were one month old or older was 22,273. |
| 44And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, | 44Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 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. | 45“Take the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. And take the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me; 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, which are more than the Levites; | 46There are 273 more firstborn sons of Israel than there are Levites. To redeem these extra firstborn sons, |
| 47Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:) | 47collect five pieces of silver for each of them (each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs). |
| 48And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons. | 48Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra firstborn sons.” |
| 49And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites: | 49So Moses collected the silver for redeeming the firstborn sons of Israel who exceeded the number of Levites. |
| 50Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: | 50He collected 1,365 pieces of silver on behalf of these firstborn sons of Israel (each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel). |
| 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. | 51And Moses gave the silver for the redemption to Aaron and his sons, just as the LORD had commanded. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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