Aaron’s Sons
1 These [are] the genealogies of Aaron and Moses {at the time} when Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.
2
These [are] the names of the descendants of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3
These [are] the names of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, the anointed ones whom {he consecrated as priests}.
4
Nadab and Abihu died {before Yahweh} when they presented a strange fire {before Yahweh} in the desert of Sinai, and {they had no children}. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priest during the presence of Aaron their father.
5
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
6
"Bring near the tribe of Levi, and {set the tribe} {before Aaron} the priest, and they will minister to him.
7
They shall observe his duties and the duties of the entire community before the tent of assembly, to do the work of the tabernacle.
8
And they will keep all the vessels of the tent of assembly and the responsibilities of the {Israelites}, to do the work of the tabernacle.
9
You will give the Levites to Aaron and to his descendants; they [are] surely assigned to him from among the {Israelites}.
10
But you will count Aaron and his descendants; they will keep their priesthood, and the stranger who approaches will be put to death."
11
Yahweh spoke to Moses saying,
12
"I [myself] receive the Levites from the midst of the {Israelites} in the place of all [the] firstborn of [the] offspring of the womb from the {Israelites}. The Levites will be mine
13
because all [the] firstborn [are] mine; on the day of my killing all [the] firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for myself all [the] firstborn in Israel, {both humankind and animal}; they will be mine. I am Yahweh."
14
Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying,
15
"Muster the descendants of Levi according to {their families}, according to their clans. You will count every male from {one month} and above."
16
So Moses mustered them according to the {command of Yahweh}, just as he commanded.
17
These were the sons of Levi according to their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18
And these [are] the names of the sons of Gershon according to their clans: Libni and Shimei.
19
And the sons of Kohath according to their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20
The sons of Merari according to their tribes: Mahli and Mushi. These [are] the clans of the Levites according to {their families}.
21
{To Gershon belonged} the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these [are] the clans of the Gershonites.
22
The {ones counted} according to the number of every male from {one month} and above [were] seven thousand five hundred.
23
The clans of the Gershonites will camp behind the tabernacle to the west,
24
and the leader of {the family} of the Gershonites is Eliasaph son of Lael.
25
And the responsibility of the descendants of Gershon in the tent of assembly [is] the tabernacle, and the tent covering it and the curtain of the doorway of the tent of the assembly,
26
and the hangings of the courtyard and the curtain of the doorway of the courtyard that [is] around the tabernacle and the altar, and its ten cords, all of its use.
27
{To Kohath belonged} the clan of Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan [of] the Uzzielites; these [were] the clans of the Kohathites.
28
According to [the] number of every male from {one month} and above [there were] eight thousand six hundred keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary.
29
The clan of the descendants of Kohath will encamp on the side of the tabernacle to the south.
30
The leader of {his family} according to the clans of the Kohathites [is] Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31
Their responsibility [was] the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altar, and the vessels of the sanctuary, with which they ministered, and the curtain, and all of its use.
32
The {chief of the leaders} of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest [who had] oversight of those keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary.
33
{To Merari belonged} the clan of Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites: these [are] the clans of Merari.
34
The {ones counted} according to the number of every male from {one month} and above [were] six thousand two hundred.
35
[The] leader of {the family} according to the clans of Merari [is] Zuriel son of Abihail; they will encamp of the side of the tabernacle to the north.
36
The responsibility of the sons of Merari [was] the supervision of the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, pillars, bases, and all its vessels and all its service,
37
and the pillars around the courtyard, and their bases, pegs, and cords.
38
Those encamped before the tabernacle to the east--before the tent of assembly to the east--[were] Moses and Aaron and his sons; they will keep the responsibility of the sanctuary {for the Israelites}; and the stranger who approaches will be put to death.
39
All those counted from the Levites whom Moses and Aaron mustered according to {the word of Yahweh}, according to their clans, every male from {one month} and above [were] twenty-two thousand.
40
And Yahweh said to Moses, "Muster every firstborn male from the {Israelites} from {one month} and above and {count} their names.
41
And you will receive the Levites for me--I [am] Yahweh--in the place of all [the] firstborn among the {Israelites}, and the animals of the Levites in the place of all [the] firstborn among the animals among the {Israelites}."
42
So Moses mustered all the firstborn among the {Israelites} just as Yahweh commanded him.
43
And all [the] firstborn males among the number of names from {one month} and above, the {ones counted}, [were] twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
44
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
45
"Receive the Levites in the place of all [the] firstborn among the {Israelites}, and the animals of the Levites in the place of their animals; the Levites will be mine. I [am] Yahweh.
46
And the ransom of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the {Israelites} who are excessive over the Levites,
47
you will receive five shekels a person, in the sanctuary shekel; you will collect twenty gerahs [per] shekel.
48
You will give the money to Aaron, and to his sons the ransom of the ones who are excessive among them."
49
And Moses received the money of the redemption from the ones who were excessive from those redeemed of the Levites.
50
From the firstborn of the {Israelites} he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, in the sanctuary shekel.
51
And Moses gave the money of the ransom to Aaron and to his sons according to the {word} of Yahweh just as Yahweh commanded Moses.