Numbers 3:1-28 ▼

1 Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in mount Sinai.

2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the first-born, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests that 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 spoke 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 from the children of Israel.

10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, that they may keep their priesthood; and the common man that draweth nigh shall be put to death.'

11 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every first-born that openeth the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be Mine;

13 for all the first-born are Mine: on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast, Mine they shall be: I am the LORD.'

14 And the LORD spoke 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 were to pitch behind the tabernacle westward;

24 the prince of the fathers' house of the Gershonites being Eliasaph the son of Lael,

25 and the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting 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, even whatsoever pertaineth to 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, eight thousand and six hundred, keepers of the charge of the sanctuary.