Numbers 3
World English Bible
3 Now this is the history of the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that Yahweh spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai. 2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office. 4 Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh when they offered strange fire before Yahweh in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the presence of Aaron their father.
5 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7 They shall keep his requirements, and the requirements of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8 They shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, and the obligations of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9 You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the behalf of the children of Israel. 10 You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood, but the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.”
11 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Behold,[a] I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine, 13 for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I made holy to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be mine. I am Yahweh.”
14 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15 “Count the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families. You shall count every male from a month old and upward.”
16 Moses counted them according to Yahweh’s word, as he was commanded.
17 These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18 These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.
19 The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20 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 who were counted of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, even those who were counted of them were seven thousand five hundred.
23 The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.
24 Eliasaph the son of Lael shall be the prince of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites. 25 The duty of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting shall be the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting, 26 the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court which is by the tabernacle and around the altar, and its cords for all of its service.
27 Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, 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, there were eight thousand six hundred keeping the requirements of the sanctuary.
29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the south side of the tabernacle. 30 The prince of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31 Their duty shall be the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, the screen, and all its service. 32 Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, with the oversight of those who keep the requirements of the sanctuary.
33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari. 34 Those who were counted of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred.[b]
35 The prince of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 The appointed duty of the sons of Merari shall be the tabernacle’s boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its instruments, all its service, 37 the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, and their cords.
38 Those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, in front of the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses, with Aaron and his sons, keeping the requirements of the sanctuary for the duty of the children of Israel. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death. 39 All who were counted of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the commandment of Yahweh, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.
40 Yahweh said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. 41 You shall take the Levites for me—I am Yahweh—instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel.”
42 Moses counted, as Yahweh commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel. 43 All the firstborn males according to the number of names from a month old and upward, of those who were counted of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.
44 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock; and the Levites shall be mine. I am Yahweh. 46 For the redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel who exceed the number of the Levites, 47 you shall take five shekels apiece for each one; according to the shekel[c] of the sanctuary you shall take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs[d]); 48 and you shall give the money, with which their remainder is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.”
49 Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites; 50 from the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels,[e] according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 51 and Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, according to Yahweh’s word, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
Footnotes
- 3:12 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
- 3:34 + 22,000 is the sum rounded to 2 significant digits. The sum of the Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites given above is 22,300, but the traditional Hebrew text has the number rounded to 2 significant digits, not 3 significant digits.
- 3:47 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces.
- 3:47 A gerah is about 0.5 grams or about 7.7 grains.
- 3:50 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, so 1365 shekels is about 13.65 kilograms or about 30 pounds.
Bamidbar 3
Orthodox Jewish Bible
3 These also are the toldot of Aharon and Moshe in the yom that Hashem spoke with Moshe in Mt. Sinai.
2 And these are the shmot of the Bnei Aharon: Nadav the bechor, and Avihu, Eleazar, and Itamar [Vayikra 10].
3 These are the shmot of the Bnei Aharon, the kohanim hameshuchim whose hand he filled [i.e., ordained] to be kohen [Shemot 29; Vayikra 8].
4 And Nadav and Avihu died before Hashem, when they offered eish zarah (unauthorized fire) before Hashem, in the midbar of Sinai, and they had no children; and Eleazar and Itamar ministered in the kohen’s office in the sight of Aharon their av [Vayikra 10].
5 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
6 Bring the tribe of Levi near [i.e., present them as offerings are presented], and present them before Aharon HaKohen, that they may minister unto him [i.e., help, be of service to him].
7 And they [the Levi’im] shall be shomer mishmeret (watch the watch, keep the guard duty) for him and for the mishmeret kol HaEdah (duty of the whole Congregation) before the Ohel Mo’ed, to do avodat HaMishkan (the work, service of the Mishkan).
8 And they shall be shomer mishmeret over kol klei Ohel Mo’ed (all the vessels, furnishings of the Ohel Mo’ed) for the Bnei Yisroel, doing the avodat HaMishkan (work of the Mishkan).
9 And thou shalt give the Levi’im unto Aharon and to his banim; they are wholly given unto him from among the Bnei Yisroel.
10 And thou shalt appoint Aharon and his banim; they shall be shomer to watch over their kehunah; the zar that encroach shall be put to death.
11 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
12 And I, hinei, I have taken the Levi’im from among the Bnei Yisroel instead of all the bechor that openeth the womb among the Bnei Yisroel; therefore the Levi’im shall be Mine;
13 Because all the bechor are Mine; for on the yom that I struck down all the bechor in Eretz Mitzrayim I set apart as kodesh unto Me all the bechor in Yisroel, both man and beast: Mine shall they be: I am Hashem.
14 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe in the midbar of Sinai, saying,
15 Count the Bnei Levi by the bais of their avot, by their mishpekhot; every zachar from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
16 And Moshe numbered them according to the command of Hashem, as he had been commanded.
17 And these were the Bnei Levi by their shmot: Gershon, Kehat, and Merari.
18 And these are the shmot of the Bnei Gershon by their mishpekhot: Livni, and Shimei.
19 And the Bnei Kehat by their mishpekhot: Amram, Yitzhar, Chevron, and Uzziel.
20 And the Bnei Merari by their mishpekhot: Machli and Mushi. These are the mishpekhot of the Levi’im according to the bais of their avot.
21 To Gershon belonged the mishpakhat of the Livni and the mishpakhat of the Shimi: these are the mishpekhot of the Gershoni.
22 Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of kol zachar (all the males), from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.
23 The mishpekhot of the Gershoni shall encamp behind the Mishkan westward.
24 And the Nasi of the bais av of the Gershoni shall be Elyasaph ben Lael.
25 And the mishmeret of the Bnei Gershon in the Ohel Mo’ed is as follows: the Mishkan, and the Ohel, the covering thereof, and the curtain at the entrance of the Ohel Mo’ed,
26 And the curtains of the khatzer, and the curtain for the entrance of the khatzer, which is around the Mishkan, and around the mizbe’ach; and the cords of it for kol avodah thereof.
27 And to Kehat belonged the mishpakhat of the Amrami, and the mishpakhat of the Yitzhari, and the mishpakhat of the Chevroni, and the mishpakhat of the Uzzieli: these are the mishpekhot of the Kehati.
28 In the number of all the zachar, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, shomrei mishmeret haKodesh.
29 The mishpekhot of the Bnei Kehat shall encamp on the southward side of the Mishkan.
30 And the Nasi bais av of the mishpekhot of the Kehati shall be Elitzaphan ben Uzziel.
31 And their guard duty shall be: the Aron and the Shulchan, and the Menorah, and the Mizbechot, and the vessels of HaKodesh (the Holy Place) wherewith they minister, and the curtain, and all the avodah thereof.
32 And Eleazar ben Aharon HaKohen shall be Nasi over the Nasi’ei HaLevi’im, and have the oversight of them that do guard duty over HaKodesh (the Holy Place).
33 To Merari belonged the mishpakhat of the Mahli, and the mishpakhat of the Mushi: these are the mishpekhot of Merari.
34 And those that were counted of them, according to the number of all the zachar, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.
35 And the Nasi bais av of the mishpekhot of Merari was Tzuriel ben Avichayil; these shall encamp on the side of the Mishkan northward.
36 And under the guard duty charge of the Bnei Merari shall be: the frames of the Mishkan, and the crossbars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the bases thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,
37 And the pillars of the khatzer round about, and their bases, and their pegs, and their cords.
38 And those that encamp in front of the Mishkan toward the east, even in front of the Ohel Mo’ed eastward, shall be Moshe, and Aharon and his banim, shomrim mishmeret HaMikdash (standing guard duty over the holy area) on behalf of the Bnei Yisroel; and the zar that shall encroach shall be put to death.
39 All that were counted of the Levi’im, which Moshe and Aharon numbered at the command of Hashem, by their mishpekhot, all the zakhar from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.
40 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Count all the bechor of the zakhar of the Bnei Yisroel from a month old and upward, and calculate the total by their shmot.
41 And thou shalt take the Levi’im for Me—I am Hashem—instead of all the bechor among the Bnei Yisroel; and the cattle of the Levi’im instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the Bnei Yisroel.
42 And Moshe counted, as Hashem commanded him, all the bechor among the Bnei Yisroel.
43 And it came about that all the bechor zakhar by the number of shmot, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.
44 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
45 Take the Levi’im instead of all the bechor among the Bnei Yisroel, and the cattle of the Levi’im instead of their cattle; and the Levi’im shall be Mine: I am Hashem.
46 And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the bechor of the Bnei Yisroel, which are more than the Levi’im;
47 Thou shalt even take five shekels for each one individually, after the shekel of HaKodesh shalt thou take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs) [Vayikra 27:6];
48 And thou shalt give the kesef, wherewith those over and above them [the Levi’im] is to be redeemed, unto Aharon and to his banim.
49 And Moshe took the kesef hapidyom of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levi’im;
50 Of the bechor of the Bnei Yisroel collected he the kesef; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of HaKodesh;
51 And Moshe gave the kesef hapidyom unto Aharon and to his banim, according to the command of Hashem, as Hashem commanded Moshe.
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