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Now this is the history of the generations of Aharon and Moshe in the day that the LORD spoke with Moshe in Mount Sinai.
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These are the names of the sons of Aharon: Nadav the firstborn, and Avihu, El`azar, and Itamar.
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These are the names of the sons of Aharon, the Kohanim who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the Kohen's office.
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Nadav and Avihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. El`azar and Itamar ministered in the Kohen's office in the presence of Aharon their father.
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The LORD spoke to Moshe, saying,
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"Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aharon the Kohen, that they may minister to him.
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They shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.
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They shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, and the obligations of the children of Yisra'el, to do the service of the tabernacle.
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You shall give the Levites to Aharon and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the behalf of the children of Yisra'el.
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You shall appoint Aharon and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death."
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The LORD spoke to Moshe, saying,
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"Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Yisra'el instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Yisra'el; and the Levites shall be mine:
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for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Mitzrayim I made holy to me all the firstborn in Yisra'el, both man and animal. They shall be mine. I am the LORD."
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The LORD spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
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"Number the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shall you number."
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Moshe numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.
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These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kehat, and Merari.
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These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Livni and Shim`i.
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The sons of Kehat by their families: `Amram, and Yitzhar, Hevron, and `Uzzi'el.
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The sons of Merari by their families: Machli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' houses.
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Of Gershon was the family of the Livni, and the family of the Shim`i: these are the families of the Gershoni.
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Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those who were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred.
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The families of the Gershoni shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.
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The prince of the fathers' house of the Gershoni shall be Elyasaf the son of La'el.
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The charge of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting,
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and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and around the altar, and its cords for all of its service.
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Of Kehat was the family of the `Amrami, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hevroni, and the family of the `Uzzi'eli: these are the families of the Kehati.
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According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
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The families of the sons of Kehat shall encamp on the south side of the tabernacle.
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The prince of the fathers' house of the families of the Kehati shall be Elitzafan the son of `Uzzi'el.
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Their charge shall be the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all its service.
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El`azar the son of Aharon the Kohen shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, with the oversight of those who keep the charge of the sanctuary.
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Of Merari was the family of the Machli, and the family of the Mushi. These are the families of Merari.
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Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred.
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The prince of the fathers' house of the families of Merari was Tzuri'el the son of Avichayil. They shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.
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The appointed charge of the sons of Merari shall be the tabernacle's boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its instruments, all its service,
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the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, and their cords.
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Those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, in front of the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moshe, and Aharon and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Yisra'el. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
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All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moshe and Aharon numbered at the mitzvah of the LORD, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.
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The LORD said to Moshe, "Number all the firstborn males of the children of Yisra'el from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
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You shall take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Yisra'el; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the children of Yisra'el."
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Moshe numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Yisra'el.
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All the firstborn males according to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.
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The LORD spoke to Moshe, saying,
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"Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Yisra'el, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine. I am the LORD.
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For the redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Yisra'el, who exceed the number of the Levites,
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you shall take five shekels apiece for each one; after the shekel of the sanctuary you shall take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs):
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and you shall give the money, with which the remainder of them is redeemed, to Aharon and to his sons."
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Moshe took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites;
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from the firstborn of the children of Yisra'el he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
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and Moshe gave the redemption money to Aharon and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moshe.