The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 These are the descendants of Aharon and Moshe as of the day when ADONAI spoke with Moshe on Mount Sinai.
1
This is the list of Aaron and Moses' descendants at the time when the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.
2 The names of the sons of Aharon are: Nadav the firstborn, Avihu, El'azar and Itamar.
2
The names of Aaron's sons are Nadab (the firstborn), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 These were the names of the sons of Aharon the cohen, whom he anointed and ordained as cohanim.
3
These are the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests.
4 But Nadav and Avihu died in the presence of ADONAI when they offered unauthorized fire before ADONAI in the Sinai Desert, and they had no children; El'azar and Itamar served as cohanim in the presence of Aharon their father.
4
Nadab and Abihu died in the LORD's presence because they offered unauthorized fire in his presence in the Desert of Sinai. They had no children. So only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
5 ADONAI said to Moshe,
5
The LORD said to Moses,
6 "Summon the tribe of Levi, and assign them to Aharon the cohen, so that they can help him.
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"Bring the tribe of Levi, and have them stand in front of the priest Aaron to assist him.
7 They are to carry out his duties and the duties of the whole community before the tent of meeting in performing the service of the tabernacle.
7
They will work for him and the whole community in front of the tent of meeting, doing what needs to be done for the inner tent.
8 They are to be in charge of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and to carry out all the duties of the people of Isra'el connected with the service of the tabernacle.
8
They will take care of all the furnishings in the tent of meeting and work for the Israelites, doing what needs to be done for the inner tent.
9 Assign the L'vi'im to Aharon and his sons; their one responsibility in regard to the people of Isra'el is to serve him.
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Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. The Levites will be the only Israelites given to them.
10 You are to appoint Aharon and his sons to carry out the duties of cohanim; anyone else who involves himself is to be put to death."
10
Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. Anyone else who tries to do the priests' duties must be put to death."
11 ADONAI said to Moshe,
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The LORD said to Moses,
12 "I have taken the L'vi'im from among the people of Isra'el in lieu of every firstborn male that is first from the womb among the people of Isra'el; the L'vi'im are to be mine.
12
"Out of all the Israelites, I have taken the Levites to be substitutes for every firstborn male offspring among them. The Levites are mine,
13 All the firstborn males belong to me, because on the day that I killed all the firstborn males in the land of Egypt, I separated for myself all the firstborn males in Isra'el, both human and animal. They are mine; I am ADONAI."
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because every firstborn is mine. The day I killed every firstborn male in Egypt, I set apart as holy every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They will be mine. I am the LORD."
14 ADONAI said to Moshe in the Sinai Desert,
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The LORD said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai,
15 "Take a census of the tribe of Levi by clans and families. Count every male a month old or over."
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"Count the Levites by households and families. Count every male who is at least one month old."
16 Moshe counted them in the manner ADONAI had said, as he had been ordered.
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So Moses did what the LORD said and registered them as he had been commanded.
17 The names of the sons of Levi were Gershon, K'hat and M'rari.
17
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari were the sons of Levi.
18 The names of the sons of Gershon were Livni and Shim'i; they fathered their respective clans;
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Libni and Shimei were the sons of Gershon. Their families were named after them.
19 likewise the sons of K'hat -'Amram,Yitz'har, Hevron and 'Uzi'el -
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Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel were the sons of Kohath. Their families were named after them.
20 and the sons of M'rari -Machli and Mushi. These fathered the clans of the L'vi'im.
20
Mahli and Mushi were the sons of Merari. Their families were named after them. These were the households of Levite families.
21 Gershon fathered the clans of Livni and Shim'i; these were the Gershon clans.
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To Gershon belonged the families descended from Libni and Shimei. These were the families descended from Gershon.
22 Of them, 7,500 males a month old and over were counted.
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The total number of all the males at least one month old was 7,500.
23 The Gershon clans were to camp behind the tabernacle, toward the west.
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The families descended from Gershon put up their tents on the west side behind the tent of meeting.
24 The chief of the Gershon clan was Elyasaf, the son of La'el.
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The leader of the Gershonite households was Eliasaph, son of Lael.
25 In connection with the tent of meeting, the descendants of Gershon were to be in charge of the following: the tabernacle itself, its inner and outer coverings, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting,
25
At the tent of meeting the Gershonites were in charge of the inner tent, the outer tent and cover, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting,
26 the curtains surrounding the courtyard, the screen for the entrance of the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and the altar, all the fixtures and ropes for these items, and their maintenance.
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the curtains for the courtyard, the screen for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the inner tent and the altar, and the ropes. They took care of all these things.
27 K'hat fathered the clans of 'Amram, Yitz'har, Hevron and 'Uzi'el; these were the K'hat clans.
27
To Kohath belonged the families descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. These were the families descended from Kohath.
28 Of them, 8,600 males a month old and over were counted; they were in charge of the Holy Place.
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The number of all the males at least one month old was 8,600. They were in charge of the holy place.
29 The K'hat clans were to camp next to the tabernacle, toward the south.
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The families descended from Kohath put up their tents on the south side of the tent of meeting.
30 The chief of the K'hat clan was Elitzafan the son of 'Uzi'el.
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The leader of the Kohathite families and households was Elizaphan, son of Uzziel.
31 They were responsible for the ark, the table, the menorah, the altars, the utensils the cohanim use when they serve in the Holy Place, the curtain, and everything involved with the maintenance of these things.
31
They were in charge of the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the utensils used in the holy place, and the screen. They took care of all these things.
32 El'azar the son of Aharon the cohen was first among the chiefs of the L'vi'im and supervised those in charge of the Holy Place.
32
The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron. It was Eleazar's duty to supervise those who were in charge of the holy place.
33 M'rari fathered the clans of Machli and Mushi; these were the M'rari clans.
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To Merari belonged the families descended from Mahli and Mushi. These were the families descended from Merari.
34 Of them, 6,200 males a month old and over were counted.
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The total number of all the males at least one month old was 6,200.
35 The chief of the M'rari clan was Tzuri'el the son of Avichayil. They were to camp next to the tabernacle, toward the north.
35
The leader of the Merarite families and households was Zuriel, son of Abihail. They put up their tents on the north side of the tent of meeting.
36 The M'rari clans were assigned responsibility for the frames of the tabernacle, along with its crossbars, posts, sockets and fittings, together with their maintenance;
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It was the duty of the Merarites to be in charge of the framework of the inner tent, the crossbars, posts, sockets, and all the equipment. They took care of all these things.
37 also the posts of the surrounding courtyard, with their sockets, pegs and ropes.
37
They also took care of the posts for the surrounding courtyard, the bases, pegs, and ropes.
38 Those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moshe, Aharon and his sons who were in charge of the Holy Place. They carried out their responsibility on behalf of the people of Isra'el, and anyone else who involved himself was to be put to death.
38
Moses, Aaron, and his sons put up their tents on the east side in front of the tent of meeting. They were in charge of the holy place on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who tried to do the Levites' duties had to be put to death.
39 The total number of L'vi'im whom Moshe and Aharon counted by their clans, all the males a month old and over, was 22,000.
39
The grand total of Levites that Moses and Aaron counted at the LORD's command, by families, every male who was at least one month old, was 22,000.
40 ADONAI said to Moshe, "Register all the firstborn males of the people of Isra'el a month old and over, and determine how many there are.
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The LORD said to Moses, "Register every firstborn male of the Israelites who is at least one month old, and make a list of their names.
41 Then you are to take the L'vi'im for me, ADONAI, in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el, and the cattle of the L'vi'im in place of the firstborn of the cattle belonging to the people of Isra'el."
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I am the LORD. Take the Levites for me to be substitutes for all firstborn Israelites. Also take the animals of the Levites to be substitutes for all firstborn animals of the Israelites."
42 Moshe counted, as ADONAI had ordered him, all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el.
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So Moses registered all the firstborn Israelites as the LORD commanded him.
43 The total number of firstborn males registered, a month old and over, of those who were counted, was 22,273.
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The total of all the firstborn males at least one month old was 22,273. They were listed by name.
44 ADONAI said to Moshe,
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The LORD said to Moses,
45 "Take the L'vi'im in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el, and the cattle of the L'vi'im in place of their cattle; the L'vi'im are to belong to me, ADONAI.
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"Take the Levites to be substitutes for all the firstborn Israelites and the animals of the Levites to be substitutes for their animals. The Levites will be mine. I am the LORD.
46 Since there were 273 more firstborn males from Isra'el than male L'vi'im, in order to redeem them,
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There are 273 more firstborn male Israelites than there are Levites.
47 you are to take five shekels [two ounces] for each of these (use the sanctuary shekel, which is equal to twenty gerahs).
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It will cost you two ounces of silver per person (using the standard weight of the holy place) to buy them back.
48 Give the redemption money for these extra people to Aharon and his sons."
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Give the silver to Aaron and his sons. It will buy back those Israelites who outnumber the Levites."
49 Moshe took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the L'vi'im;
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So Moses took this ransom money from the Israelites who outnumbered the Levites.
50 the amount of money he took from the firstborn of the people of Isra'el was 1,365 shekels, using the sanctuary shekel.
50
The silver Moses collected for the firstborn Israelites weighed 34 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place.
51 Moshe gave the redemption-money to Aharon and his sons, in keeping with what ADONAI had said, as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.
51
Then Moses did what the LORD said and gave Aaron and his sons this ransom money as he had been commanded.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.