The Duties of the Kohathites
(Numbers 3:27–32; 1 Chronicles 23:12–20)

1And Jehovah will speak to Moses, and to Aaron, saying, 2Take the head of the sons of Kohath from the midst of the sons of Levi, according to their families, according to the house of their fathers: 3From the son of thirty years and above, and to the son of fifty years, all coming in to war to do the works of the tent of appointment. 4These the works of the sons of Kohath in the tent of appointment, the holy of holies.

5And Aaron came, and his sons, in the removing of the camp, and they took down the vail of the covering, and they covered with it the ark of the testimony. 6And they gave upon it a covering of tahash skins, and they spread over a garment wholly cerulean purple from above, and they put up its bars. 7And upon the table of the face they shall spread a garment cerulean purple, and they gave upon it the dishes, and the censers, and the bowls and the cups pouring out: and the continual bread shall be upon it. 8And they spread upon them a garment of double scarlet, and they covered it with a cover of tahash skins, and they put up the bars. 9And they took a garment cerulean purple, and covered the chandelier of the light, and its lamps and its tongs and its fire pans, and all the vessels of its oil, which they shall serve to it with them: 10And they gave it and all its vessels into a covering of tahash skins, and they gave upon the bar. 11And upon the altar of gold they will spread a garment cerulean purple, and they covered it with a tahash skin covering, and they set up its bars. 12And they shall take all the vessels of the service which they shall serve in them in the holy place, and they gave to the garment of cerulean purple, and they covered them in a tahash skin covering, and they gave upon the bar. 13And they shall anoint the altar, and spread upon it a purple garment: 14And they shall give upon it all its vessels which they shall serve upon it with them, the fire pans, and the flesh hooks, and the shovels and the vases, and all the vessels of the altar; and they covered over it a tahash skin covering, and they set up its bars. 15And Aaron and his sons finished to cover the holy place, and all the vessels of the holy place, in removing the camp; and after this the sons of Kohath shall come forth to lift up: and they shall not touch the holy place, and die. These the lifting up of the sons of Kohath in the tent of appointment.

16And the care of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, the oil of the light, and the incense of aromatics, and the continual gift, and the oil of anointing, and the care of all the dwelling and all which in it, in the holy place, and in its vessels.

17And Jehovah will speak to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 18Ye shall not cut off the tribe from the families of the Kohathites from the midst of the Levites. 19And this do ye to them, and they lived, and they shall not die, in their coming near the holy of holies: Aaron and his sons shall come in and set them a man, a man upon his works, and to his lifting up. 20And they shall not go in to see for a moment's time the holy place, and die.

The Duties of the Gershonites
(Numbers 3:21–26; 1 Chronicles 23:7–11)

21And Jehovah will speak to Moses, saying, 22Take the head of the sons of Gershon, them also according to the house of their fathers, according to their families; 23From the son of thirty years and above, even to the son of fifty years, thou shalt review them; all going, to war the warfare, to serve the service in the tent of appointment. 24This the service from the families of the Gershonites, for service, and for lifting up: 25And they lifted up the curtains of the dwelling and the tent of appointment, its covering, and the covering of tahash which is upon it from above, and the covering of the door of the tent of appointment. 26And the curtains of the enclosure, and the covering of the door of the gate of the enclosure which is by the dwelling and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the vessels of their service, and all which shall be made for them: and they shall serve. 27At the mouth of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites for all their lifting up and for all their service: and ye shall appoint upon them in their watches all their lifting up. 28This the service from the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of appointment: and their watches in the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.

The Duties of the Merarites
(Numbers 3:33–37; 1 Chronicles 23:21–23)

29The sons of Merari according to their families, according to the house of their fathers, thou shalt review them; 30From the son of thirty years and above, and even to the son of fifty years, thou shalt review them all going forth to war, to serve the service of the tent of appointment. 31And this the watches from their lifting up, for all their service in the tent of appointment; the boards of the dwelling, and its bars and its pillars, and its bases, 32And the pillars of the enclosure round about, and their bases, and their pegs, and their cords for all their vessels, and for all their service: and by name ye shall review the vessels of the watches of their lifting up. 33This the service from the families of the sons of Merari, for all their service in the tent of appointment, by the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.

The Numbering of the Levite Clans

34And Moses shall review, and Aaron, and the chiefs of the assembly, the sons of the Kohathites, according to their families, and according to the house of their fathers, 35From the son of thirty years and above, even to the son of fifty years, all going forth to war, to the service in the tent of appointment. 36And they being numbered according to their families shall be two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37These the reviews of the families of the Kohathites, all serving in the tent of appointment, whom Moses reviewed and Aaron, at the mouth of Jehovah by the hand of Moses.

38And they being reviewed of the sons of Gershon, according to their families, according to the house of their fathers, 39From the son of thirty years and above, even to the son of fifty years, all going forth to war, for the service in the tent of appointment, 40And they being reviewed according to their families, according to the house of their fathers, shall be two thousand six hundred and thirty. 41These the reviewings of the families of the sons of Gershon, all serving in the tent of appointment, whom Moses reviewed and Aaron, at the mouth of Jehovah.

42And they being reviewed of the families of the sons of Merari, according to their families, according to the house of their fathers, 43From the son of thirty years, even to the son of fifty years, all going forth to war, for the service in the tent of appointment; 44And they being reviewed according to their families, shall be three thousand and two hundred. 45These the reviewings of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses reviewed and Aaron, at the mouth of Jehovah, by the hand of Moses.

46All the reviewings which Moses reviewed, and Aaron, and the chiefs of Israel, the Levites, according to their families, and according to the house of their fathers, 47From the son of thirty years and above, and even to the son of fifty years, all going forth to serve the works of the service, and the works of lifting up in the tent of appointment; 48And they being reviewed shall be eight thousand and five hundred and eighty. 49At the mouth of Jehovah he reviewed them by the hand of Moses, a man, a man for his works and for his lifting up: and they were reviewed which Jehovah commanded Moses.