The Sons of Aaron
1This is the account of Aaron and Moses at the time Yahweh 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, ordained to serve as priests. 4But Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh when they offered unauthorized fire before Yahweh in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.
The Levites Given to Aaron
5Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said, 6“Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, so that they may serve him. 7They shall keep his charge and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, doing the service of the tabernacle. 8They shall care for all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and keep charge of the Israelites, doing the service of the tabernacle. 9You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are given to him, wholly given, from among the Israelites. 10You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood. Any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.” 11Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said, 12“Behold, I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites. The Levites shall be mine, 13for every firstborn is mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to myself every firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They are mine; I am Yahweh.”
The Levite Clans Numbered
14Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. He said, 15“Number the sons of Levi by their ancestral houses, by their clans. You shall number every male one month old or older.” 16So Moses numbered them at Yahweh’s command, just 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 ancestral houses. 21From Gershon came the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these are the clans of the Gershonites. 22Those registered, counting every male one month old or older — those registered numbered seven thousand, five hundred. 23The clans of the Gershonites camped behind the tabernacle, to the west. 24The leader of the ancestral house of the Gershonites is Eliasaph son of Lael. 25The charge of the descendants of Gershon at the tent of meeting is the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26the hangings of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords — all the work connected with them.
The Kohathites and the Merarites
27From Kohath came the clan of the Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan of the Uzzielites; these are the clans of the Kohathites. 28Counting every male one month old or older, they numbered eight thousand, six hundred, those keeping charge of the sanctuary. 29The clans of the sons of Kohath camped on the south side of the tabernacle. 30The leader of the ancestral house of the clans of the Kohathites is Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31Their charge is the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, the screen, and all the work connected with them. 32Eleazar son of Aaron the priest is the chief leader of the Levites, in charge of those who keep watch over the sanctuary. 33From Merari came the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites; these are the clans of Merari. 34Those registered, counting every male one month old or older, numbered six thousand, two hundred. 35The leader of the ancestral house of the clans of Merari is Zuriel son of Abihail. They camped on the north side of the tabernacle. 36The Merarites were given charge of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, its posts, its bases, and all its furnishings — all the work connected with them, 37as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard, their bases, their pegs, and their cords. 38Those who camped before the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in front of the tent of meeting, on the east, were Moses and Aaron and his sons. They kept charge of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Any outsider who came near was to be put to death. 39All those numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at Yahweh’s command, by their clans, every male one month old or older, numbered twenty-two thousand.
Redeeming the Firstborn
40Yahweh said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the Israelites one month old or older, and take the count of their names. 41Take the Levites for me — I am Yahweh — in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of every firstborn among the livestock of the Israelites.” 42So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the Israelites, just as Yahweh had commanded him. 43All the firstborn males, counted by name, one month old or older, according to their number, were twenty-two thousand, two hundred and seventy-three. 44Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said, 45“Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites shall be mine; I am Yahweh. 46As for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three who are over and above the number of the Levites, from among the firstborn of the Israelites, 47you shall collect five shekels per head, reckoned by the sanctuary shekel — twenty gerahs to the shekel — 48and you shall give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are over the number.” 49So Moses collected the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites. 50From the firstborn of the Israelites he collected the money — one thousand, three hundred and sixty-five shekels, by the sanctuary shekel. 51Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons at Yahweh’s command, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
