1. Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spake with Moses in mount Sinai.
2. And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3. These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest�s office.
4. And Nadab 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 presence of Aaron their father.
5. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
6. Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.
7. And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.
8. And they shall keep all the furniture of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
9. And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him on the behalf of the children of Israel.
10. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
11. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
12. And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine:
13. for all the firstborn are mine; on the day 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 they shall be; I am the LORD.
14. And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15. Number the children of Levi by their fathers� houses, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
16. And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.
17. And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.
18. And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni and Shimei.
19. And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20. And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers� houses.
21. Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites: these are the families of the Gershonites.
22. Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.
23. The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.
24. And the prince of the fathers� house of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.
25. And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting shall be the tabernacle, and the Tent, the covering thereof, and the screen for the door of the tent of meeting,
26. and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.
27. And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.
28. According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
29. The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward.
30. And the prince of the fathers� house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31. And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the screen, and all the service thereof.
32. And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, {cf15i and have} the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.
33. Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.
34. And 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.
35. And the prince of the fathers� house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: they shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward.
36. And the appointed charge 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 instruments thereof, and all the service thereof;
37. and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.
38. And those that pitch before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
39. All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.
40. And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
41. And 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.
42. And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
43. And all the firstborn males according to 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.
44. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
45. Take 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.
46. And for the redemption of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are over and above {cf15i the number of} the Levites,
47. thou shalt take five shekels apiece by the poll; after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs):
48. and thou shalt give the money wherewith the odd number of them is redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons.
49. And Moses took the redemption�money from them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites:
50. from the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five {cf15i shekels}, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
51. and Moses gave the redemption�money unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.