¶ These also are the generations¹ of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spake² with Moses in mount Sinai.

³And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests⁴ which were anointed, whom he consecrated⁵ to minister in the priest's office.

And Nadab⁶ and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

⁷Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.

And they shall keep⁸ his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the⁹ service of the tabernacle.

¹⁰And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

¹¹And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.

¶ And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall¹² wait on their priest's office: and the stranger¹³ that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

¹⁴And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;

Because¹⁵ all the firstborn are mine; for on the day¹⁶ that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.

¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

¹⁷Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.

And Moses numbered them according to the word¹⁸ of the LORD, as he was commanded.

¹⁹And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon²⁰, and Kohath, and Merari.

²¹And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei.

²²And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

¶²³And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.

²⁴Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites.

Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old²⁵ and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.

²⁶The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.

And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael²⁷.

And the charge²⁸ of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and²⁹ the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging³⁰ for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

And the hangings³¹ of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords³² of it for all the service thereof.

³³And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.

In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand³⁴ and six hundred, keeping³⁵ the charge of the sanctuary.

³⁶The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward.

¶ And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan³⁷ the son of Uzziel.

And their charge shall be the ark³⁸, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars³⁹, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging⁴⁰, and all the service thereof.

⁴¹And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

⁴²Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.

⁴³And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.

And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall⁴⁴ pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward⁴⁵.

And under the custody and charge⁴⁶ of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,

And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.

But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward⁴⁷ the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping⁴⁸ the charge of the sanctuary for the charge⁴⁹ of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron⁵⁰ numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.

¶⁵¹And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

⁵²And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.

And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

⁵³And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

⁵⁴Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.

And for those that are to be redeemed⁵⁵ of the two hundred⁵⁶ and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are⁵⁷ more than the Levites;

Thou shalt even take five shekels⁵⁸ apiece by the poll, after the shekel⁵⁹ of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:)

And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons.

And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites:

¶⁶⁰Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:

And Moses⁶¹ gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD⁶² commanded Moses.