Numbers 4:1-26 ▼

1 And YHWH spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

2 “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from the midst of the sons of Levi, by their clans, by the house of their fathers,

3 from a son of thirty years and above, and to a son of fifty years, all who enter the service to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.

4 This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting: The holy of holies;

5 and Aaron and his sons shall come in the setting forth of the camp, and they shall take down the veil of the screen, and cover with it the ark of the Testimony.

6 And they shall put on it a covering of badger skins, and spread a cloth entirely of blue over it, and they shall insert its poles.

7 And on the table of the Presence they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put on it the dishes, and the pans, and the bowls, and the pitchers for the drink offering, and the bread shall continually be on it.

8 And they shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet yarn, and cover the same with a covering of badger skins, and they shall insert its poles.

9 And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the lampstand of the light, and its lamps, and its wick trimmers, and its firepans, and all its oil vessels with which they minister to it.

10 And they shall put it and all its vessels in a covering of badger skins, and put it on the carrying pole.

11 And over the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badger skins, and they shall insert its poles.

12 And they shall take all the vessels of service, with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badger skins, and put them on a carrying beam.

13 And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread over it a cloth of purple.

14 And they shall put on it all its implements with that they minister there, the firepans, the forks, and the shovels, and the basins, and all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of badger skins, and insert its poles.

15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when is set to go the camp, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; and they shall not touch unto any holy thing, lest they die. These are the things that are to carry the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting.

16 And the appointed duty of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest is the oil for the light, and the incense of spices, and the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil, the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings.”

17 And YHWH spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

18 “Do not cut off the tribe of the clans of the Kohathite from the midst of the Levites.

19 And this do in regard to them, that they may live and not die, when they approach the holy of holies: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint every man to his service and his task;

20 they shall not go in to watch the holy things being covered, lest they die.”

21 And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,

22 “Take a census of the sons of Gershon, even them, by the house of their fathers, by their clans.

23 From a son of thirty years and above, even to a son of fifty years you shall number them, all who enter to perform the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.

24 This is the service of the clans of the Gershonite in serving and carrying:

25 And they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle, and the Tent of Meeting with its covering, and the covering of badger skins that is on it, and the screen of the door of the Tent of Meeting,

26 and the hangings of the court, and the screen of the door of the gate of the court that is around the tabernacle, and the altar all around, and their cords, and all the furnishings for their service, and all that is made for these things; and they shall serve.