The Sons of Aaron

(Leviticus 10:1-7)

1These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses, in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in mount Sinai. 2And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the first-born, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office. 4And 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 sight of Aaron their father.

Duties of the Levites

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 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 thou shalt give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given to him out of the children of Israel. 10And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

11And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel, instead of all the first-born that openeth the matrix 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 hallowed to me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast: mine they shall be: I am the LORD.

Registration of the Levites

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 shalt thou number them. 16And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded. 17And these 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 Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi: these are the families of the Levites, according to the house of their fathers.

The Gershonites

(Numbers 4:21-28; Numbers 4:38-41; 1 Chronicles 23:7-11)

21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites. 22Those 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. 23The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward. 24And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.

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 hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 26And the hangings of the court, and the curtain 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 of it.

The Kohathites

(Numbers 4:1-20; Numbers 4:34-37; 1 Chronicles 23:12-20)

27And 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. 28In the number of all the males from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary. 29The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward. 30And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan 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 hanging, and all the service of it. 32And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

The Merarites

(Numbers 4:29-33; Numbers 4:42-49; 1 Chronicles 23:21-23)

33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari. 34And 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. 35And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch 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 its vessels, and all that serveth to it. 37And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.

Moses and Aaron

38But those that encamp before the tabernacle towards the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward 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. 39All that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.

Firstborn Sons Redeemed

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 thou shalt take 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, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and seventy and three.

44And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45Take 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 those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and seventy and three, of the first-born of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites: 47Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: the shekel is twenty gerahs. 48And thou shalt give to Aaron and to his sons the money, with which the odd number of them is to be redeemed. 49And Moses took the redemption-money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites: 50Of the first-born of the children of Israel he took the money; a thousand three hundred and sixty and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 51And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed to Aaron, and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.