1THESE are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses on mount Sinai. 2And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab, his first-born, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron the priest, who were anointed and consecrated to minister in the priest's office. 4But 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 during the lifetime of Aaron their father.

5And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7And they shall keep his charge and the charge of the whole congregation in the presence of the LORD before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8And 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. 9And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him as a gift out of the children of Israel. 10And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office; and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.

11And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12Behold I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the first-born that open the womb among the children of Israel; therefore the Levites shall be mine; 13Because all the first-born are mine; for on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast; they shall be mine; I am the LORD.

14And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families; every male from a month old and upward, you shall number them. 16So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded. 17These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. 18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei. 19And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 20And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahali and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.

21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites; these are the families of the Gershonites. 22Their number, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was seven thousand and five hundred. 23The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward. 24And the chief of the house of the fathers of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Eliab.

25And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle and the tent, its covering and the curtains for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation 26And the curtains of the court and the covering for the door of the court which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and the cords of it, and all the instruments thereof.

27And 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. 28Their number according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, was eight thousand and six hundred, looking after the sanctuary. 29The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the side of the tabernacle southward. 30And the chief of the house of the fathers of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizphan the son of Uzziel. 31And their charge shall be the ark and the table and the candlestick and the altars and the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister and the curtain of the door and all the service thereof. 32And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be the chief over the chiefs of the Levites and have the oversight over those who have charge of the sanctuary.

33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these are the families of Merari. 34Their number according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, was six thousand and two hundred. 35And the chief of the house of the fathers of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail; they shall encamp on the side of the tabernacle northward. 36And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle and its bars and its pillars and its sockets and all the vessels thereof and all that pertains to it 37And the pillars of the court round about and their sockets and their pins and their cords.

38But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary in addition to the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death. 39All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses numbered at the commandment of the LORD, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.

40And the LORD said to Moses, Number all the first-born of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. 41And you shall present the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel. 42And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the first-born among the children of Israel, 43And all the first-born males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, and their number was twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

44And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45Present the Levites instead of all the first-born 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. 46And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the first-born of the children of Israel, that are above the number of the Levites, 47You shall take five shekels apiece by the poll, by the shekel of the sanctuary shall you take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs). 48And you shall give the money wherewith the excess number of them is to be redeemed to Aaron and to his sons. 49So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites; 50From the first-born of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary: 51And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.