1These are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai. 2The names of the sons of Aaron are: Nadab, his firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed and consecrated to minister in the priest's office. 4Nadab and Abihu died, 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 with Aaron, their father.

5And the LORD said to Moses, 6“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron, the priest, that they may minister unto him. 7And they shall serve Aaron, and the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting. 8And they shall keep all the instruments and fulfill the duties and service of the tabernacle of meeting, on behalf of the Israelites. 9And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons: they are the Israelites that are wholly dedicated to him. 10And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to serve in their priest's office: and any stranger that comes near shall be put to death.”

11And the LORD also said to Moses, 12“And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of all the firstborn that open the womb among the Israelites; 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 Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast; Mine shall they be: I am the LORD.”

14And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15“Number the descendants of Levi, by their families of their fathers; you shall count every male from a month old and older.” 16And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.

17And these were the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18The names of the sons of Gershon by their families are: Libni, and Shimei. 19And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli, and Mushi. These are the Levite clans grouped by their families.

21To Gershon belonged the families of the Libnites, and of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites. 22The males who were numbered of them, from a month old and older, were seven thousand, five hundred. 23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward. 24And the head of the house of the father of the Gershonites was Eliasaph, son of Lael. 25And the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, and the hanging for the entrance of the tabernacle of meeting, 26The curtain hangings of the court, and the for the entrance to the court, which is by the tabernacle, and its altar, and its cords used for all its service.

27And to Kohath belonged the families of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and of the Uzzielites; these are the families of the Kohathites. 28The number of all the males, from a month old and older, were eight thousand, six hundred, who kept charge of the sanctuary. 29The families of the sons of Kohath shall camp on the side of the tabernacle southward. 30And the head of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan, son of Uzziel. 31And they shall be charge of the ark, table, lampstand, the altars, and the articles of the sanctuary that were used to minister, and the curtain, and all related to its service. 32And Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, shall be the leaders of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

33 And to Merari belonged the families of the Mahlites, and of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari. 34And those that were numbered of them, of all the males, from a month old and older, were six thousand, two hundred. 35And the head of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel, son of Abihail; these shall camp on the side of the tabernacle northward. 36And under their custody and charge shall be the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its vessels used in its service, 37The pillars of the court around it, their sockets, pegs, and their cords (ropes).

38But those who camp before the tabernacle toward the east, shall be Moses, Aaron and his sons, keeping the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites; and any stranger that comes near shall be put to death. 39All the males from a month old and older of the Levites, by their families, that were numbered by Moses and Aaron at the commandment of the LORD, were twenty-two thousand.

40And the LORD said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn of the males of the Israelites from a month old and older, and make a list of their names. 41And you shall take the Levites for Me instead of all the first-born among the Israelites; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the Israelites.” 42And so Moses numbered all the firstborn among the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him. 43And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and older, were twenty-two thousand, two hundred seventy-three. 44And the LORD spoke to Moses: 45“Take these Levites instead of all the first-born among the Israelites, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be Mine: I am the LORD. 46And for those two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the Israelites, that exceed the number of the Levites, and are to be redeemed; 47You shall collect five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shall you take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs); 48And you shall give the money, by which those additional Israelites are to be redeemed, to Aaron and his sons.” 49And Moses took the redemption money of those that were over and above those that were redeemed by the Levites; 50Of the firstborn of the Israelites took he the money - a thousand, three hundred sixty-five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, 51And Moses gave that money to Aaron and his sons, as the word of the LORD had directed Moses.