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Numbers 3:1-51 — The Levites

Num.3.1-51

¹Now these are the records of Aaron and Moses on the day the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. ²These 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 anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests. ⁴But Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the presence of Aaron their father. ⁵The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ⁶Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. ⁷They shall keep his requirements, and the requirements of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the Tabernacle. ⁸They shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, and the requirements of the children of Israel, to do the service of the Tabernacle. ⁹You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the children of Israel. ¹⁰You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death. ¹¹The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ¹²Behold, I myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. ¹³For all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be mine; I am the LORD. ¹⁴The LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying, ¹⁵Number the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their clans; you shall number every male from a month old and upward. ¹⁶So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded. ¹⁷These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ¹⁸These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei. ¹⁹The sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁰The sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites by their fathers' houses. ²¹To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites. ²²Those numbered of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, those numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred. ²³The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the Tabernacle, to the west. ²⁴The leader of the father's house for the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael. ²⁵The duties of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting involved the Tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, ²⁶and the hangings of the courtyard , and the screen for the entrance of the courtyard which is around the Tabernacle and the altar, and its cords for all its service. ²⁷To Kohath belonged the clan of the Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan of the Uzzielites; these were the clans of the Kohathites. ²⁸According to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the requirements of the sanctuary. ²⁹The clans of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the Tabernacle. ³⁰The leader of the father's house for the clans of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. ³¹Their duties involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all its service. ³²The chief of the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, having the oversight of those who keep the requirements of the sanctuary. ³³To Merari belonged the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites; these were the clans of Merari. ³⁴Those numbered of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred. ³⁵The leader of the father's house for the clans of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the Tabernacle. ³⁶The appointed duties of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the Tabernacle, its crossbars, its pillars, its bases, all its equipment, and all its service, ³⁷as well as the pillars of the surrounding courtyard, their bases, their pegs, and their cords. ³⁸Those who were to camp before the Tabernacle to the east, before the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the requirements of the sanctuary for the requirements of the children of Israel; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death. ³⁹All those numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the LORD, by their clans, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand. ⁴⁰The LORD said to Moses, 'Number every firstborn male of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. ⁴¹You shall take the Levites for me—I am the LORD—instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel.' ⁴²So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded him. ⁴³And all the firstborn males according to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three. ⁴⁴The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ⁴⁵Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites shall be mine; I am the LORD. ⁴⁶And for the redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel who exceed the number of the Levites, ⁴⁷you shall take five shekel s apiece for each one; according to the sanctuary shekel you shall take them—the shekel is twenty gerahs. ⁴⁸And you shall give the money to Aaron and to his sons for the redemption of those who exceed their number. ⁴⁹So Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of those redeemed by the Levites. ⁵⁰From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money: one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. ⁵¹And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons according to the word of the LORD , as the LORD commanded Moses.

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4/11/2026

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