The First Census of Israel
(Numbers 26:1–4)

1And the LORDE spake vnto Moses in ye wyldernesse of Sinai, in the Tabernacle of witnesse, the first daye of the secode moneth in the seconde yeare, wha they were gone out of the lade of Egipte, and sayde: 2Take ye summe of the whole congregacion of the children of Israel, after their kynredes & their fathers houses, with the nombre of the names, all that are males, heade by heade, 3fro twentye yeare and aboue, as many as are able to go forth in to ye warre in Israel. And ye shal nombre them acordinge to their armyes thou and Aaron, 4and of euery trybe ye shal take vnto you one captayne ouer his fathers house.

The Leaders of the Tribes

5These are the names of the captaynes that shal stonde with you. Of Ruben, Elizur the sonne of Sedeur. 6Of Simeon, Selumiel the sonne of Zuri Sadai. 7Of Iuda, Nahasson the sonne of Aminadab. 8Of Isachar, Nathaneel the sonne of Zuar. 9Of Zabulon, Eliab the sonne of Helon. 10Amonge the children of Ioseph: Of Ephraim, Elisama ye sonne of Amihud. Of Manasse, Gamaliel the sonne of Pedazur. 11Of Ben Iamin, Abidam ye sonne of Gedeoni. 12Of Dan, Ahieser the sonne of Ammi Sadai. 13Of Asser, Pagiel the sonne of Ochram. 14Of Gad, Eliasaph ye sonne of Deguel. 15Of Nephthali, Ahira the sonne of Enan. 16These are the awncient men of the congregacion, the captaynes amonge the trybes of their fathers, which were heades and prynces in Israel.

The Number of Every Tribe

17And Moses & Aaron toke them (like as they are there named by name) 18and gathered the whole cogregacion together also, ye first daye of the secode moneth, and rekened the after their byrth, acordinge to their kynreds and fathers houses by their names, fro twetye yeare and aboue, heade by heade, 19as the LORDE commaunded Moses, and nombred them in the wyldernes of Sinai.

20The children of Ruben Israels first sonne, their kynreds & generacions after their fathers houses, in ye nombre of their names heade by heade, all yt were males, from twentye yeare & aboue, and were able to go forth to the warre, 21were nombred to the trybe of Ruben, sixe and fourtye thousande, and fyue hundreth.

22The children of Simeon their kynreds & generacions after their fathers houses in the nombre of the names heade by heade, all that were males from twetye yeare and aboue, and were able to go forth to the warre, 23were nombred to the trybe of Symeon, nyne and fiftye thousande and thre hundreth.

24The children of Gad their kynreds and generacions after their fathers houses in ye nombre of the names, from twentye yeare and aboue, all that were able to go forth to the warre, 25were nombre to the trybe of Gad, fyue and fourtye thousande, sixe hundreth and fiftie.

26The children of Iuda their kynreds and generacions after their fathers houses in ye nombre of the names, from twentye yeare and aboue, all that were able to go forth to the warre, 27were nombred to the trybe of Iuda, foure and seuentye thousande, & sixe hundreth.

28The children of Isachar their kynreds & generacions, after their fathers houses in ye nombre of the names from twentye yeare & aboue, all that were able to go forth to the warre, 29were nombred to ye trybe of Isachar, foure and fiftye thousande and foure hundreth.

30The children of Zabulon their kynreds and generacions after their fathers houses in the nombre of the names from twentye yeare & aboue, all that were able to go forth to the warre, 31were nombred to the trybe of Zabulon, seuen and fiftye thousande and foure hundreth.

32Iosephs children of Ephraim, their kynreds & generacions after their fathers houses in ye nombre of the names, from twetye yeare and aboue, 33all yt were able to go forth to ye warre, were nobred to the trybe of Ephraim, fourtye thousande & fyue hundreth.

34The children of Manasse their kynreds & generacions, after their fathers houses in ye nombre of the names from twentye yeare & aboue, all yt were able to go forth to the warre, 35were nombred to the trybe of Manasse, two & thirtie thousande & two hundreth.

36The childre of Ben Iamin their kynreds and generacions, after their fathers houses, in the nombre of the names from twentye yeare & aboue, all that were able to go forth to the warre, 37were nombred to the trybe of Ben Iamin, fyue and thirtie thousande and foure hundreth.

38The children of Dan their kynreds and generacions after their fathers houses, in the nombre of the names, 39from twentye yeares and aboue, all that were able to go forth to the warre, were nombred to the trybe of Dan, two and thre score thousande, and seuen hundreth.

40The children of Asser their kynreds & generacions, after their fathers houses in the nombre of the names, from twentye yeare & aboue, all yt were able to go forth to ye warre, 41were nombred to the trybe of Asser, one & fourtye thousande and fyue hundreth.

42The childre of Nephthali, their kynreds and generacions after their fathers houses in the nombre of the names, from twentye yeare & aboue, all that were able to go forth vnto the warre, 43were nombred to the trybe of Nephthali, thre and fiftie thousande and foure hundreth.

44These are they whom Moses and Aaron nombred with ye twolue prynces of Israel, wherof euery one was ouer ye house of their fathers. 45And the summe of the children of Israel after their fathers houses, from twentye yeare and aboue (what so euer was able to go forth to the warre in Israel) 46was sixe C. thousande, thre thousande, fyue C. & fiftie.

The Exemption of the Levites

47But the Leuites after the trybe of their fathers, were not nombred amonge them. 48And the LORDE spake vnto Moses, and saide: 49The trybe of Leui shalt thou not nombre, ner take the summe of them amonge ye children of Israel: 50but shalt appoynte them to the Habitacion of wytnesse, and to all ye apparell therof, and to all that belongeth therto. And they shall beare the Tabernacle & all the ordinaunce therof, and shal wayte vpon it, and shal pitch their tentes rounde aboute it. 51And whan men shal go on their iourney, the Leuites shal take downe ye Tabernacle. And whan the hoost pitch their tetes, they shal set vp the Tabernacle. And yf a straunger preasse nye vnto it, he shall dye. 52The children of Israel shal pitch their tentes, euery one in his awne armye, and by the baner of his awne companye. 53But the Leuites shall pitch rounde aboute the Tabernacle of wytnesse, that there come no wrath vpon ye congregacion of the children of Israel: therfore shal the Leuites wayte vpon the Habitacion of wytnesse. 54And the children of Israel dyd all, as the LORDE commaunded Moses.