Day 44 of 364

^3:1Now this is the history of the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai. ^3:2These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ^3:3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office. ^3:4Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered strange fire before the LORD 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. ^3:5The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ^3:6“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. ^3:7They shall keep his requirements, and the requirements of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. ^3:8They 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. ^3:9You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the behalf of the children of Israel. ^3:10You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood, but the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.” ^3:11The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ^3:12“Behold, 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, ^3:13for 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 the LORD.” ^3:14The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, ^3:15“Count the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families. You shall count every male from a month old and upward.” ^3:16Moses counted them according to the LORD’s word, as he was commanded. ^3:17These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ^3:18These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei. ^3:19The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ^3:20The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses. ^3:21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites. These are the families of the Gershonites. ^3:22Those 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. ^3:23The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward. ^3:24Eliasaph the son of Lael shall be the prince of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites. ^3:25The 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, ^3:26the 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. ^3:27Of 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. ^3:28According 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. ^3:29The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the south side of the tabernacle. ^3:30The prince of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. ^3:31Their 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. ^3:32Eleazar 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. ^3:33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari. ^3:34Those who were counted of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred. ^3:35The 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. ^3:36The 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, ^3:37the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, and their cords. ^3:38Those 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. ^3:39All who were counted of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the commandment of the LORD, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand. ^3:40The LORD 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. ^3:41You shall take the Levites for me—I am the LORD—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.” ^3:42Moses counted, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel. ^3:43All 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. ^3:44The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ^3:45“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 the LORD. ^3:46For the redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel who exceed the number of the Levites, ^3:47you shall take five shekels apiece for each one; according to the shekel of the sanctuary you shall take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs); ^3:48and you shall give the money, with which their remainder is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.” ^3:49Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites; ^3:50from the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; ^3:51and Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the LORD’s word, as the LORD commanded Moses. ^4:1The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, ^4:2“Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, ^4:3from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all who enter into the service to do the work in the Tent of Meeting. ^4:4“This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting, regarding the most holy things. ^4:5When the camp moves forward, Aaron shall go in with his sons; and they shall take down the veil of the screen, cover the ark of the Testimony with it, ^4:6put a covering of sealskin on it, spread a blue cloth over it, and put in its poles. ^4:7“On the table of show bread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the spoons, the bowls, and the cups with which to pour out; and the continual bread shall be on it. ^4:8They shall spread on them a scarlet cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles. ^4:9“They shall take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand of the light, its lamps, its snuffers, its snuff dishes, and all its oil vessels, with which they minister to it. ^4:10They shall put it and all its vessels within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it on the frame. ^4:11“On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles. ^4:12“They shall take all the vessels of ministry with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of sealskin, and shall put them on the frame. ^4:13“They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it. ^4:14They shall put on it all its vessels with which they minister about it, the fire pans, the meat hooks, the shovels, and the basins—all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of sealskin, and put in its poles. ^4:15“When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furniture of the sanctuary, as the camp moves forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it; but they shall not touch the sanctuary, lest they die. The sons of Kohath shall carry these things belonging to the Tent of Meeting. ^4:16“The duty of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the continual meal offering, and the anointing oil, the requirements of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, the sanctuary, and its furnishings.” ^4:17The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, ^4:18“Don’t cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites; ^4:19but do this to them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint everyone to his service and to his burden; ^4:20but they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die.” ^4:21The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ^4:22“Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ houses, by their families; ^4:23you shall count them from thirty years old and upward until fifty years old: all who enter in to wait on the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting. ^4:24“This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing burdens: ^4:25they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting, its covering, the covering of sealskin that is on it, the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting, ^4:26the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the gate of the court which is by the tabernacle and around the altar, their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and whatever shall be done with them. They shall serve in there. ^4:27At the commandment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burden and in all their service; and you shall appoint their duty to them in all their responsibilities. ^4:28This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting. Their duty shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. ^4:29“As for the sons of Merari, you shall count them by their families, by their fathers’ houses; ^4:30you shall count them from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old—everyone who enters on the service, to do the work of the Tent of Meeting. ^4:31This is the duty of their burden, according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting: the tabernacle’s boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, ^4:32the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service. You shall appoint the instruments of the duty of their burden to them by name. ^4:33This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.” ^4:34Moses and Aaron and the princes of the congregation counted the sons of the Kohathites by their families, and by their fathers’ houses, ^4:35from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting. ^4:36Those who were counted of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred fifty. ^4:37These are those who were counted of the families of the Kohathites, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses. ^4:38Those who were counted of the sons of Gershon, by their families, and by their fathers’ houses, ^4:39from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old—everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting, ^4:40even those who were counted of them, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, were two thousand six hundred thirty. ^4:41These are those who were counted of the families of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of the LORD. ^4:42Those who were counted of the families of the sons of Merari, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, ^4:43from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old—everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting, ^4:44even those who were counted of them by their families, were three thousand two hundred. ^4:45These are those who were counted of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses. ^4:46All those who were counted of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron and the princes of Israel counted, by their families and by their fathers’ houses, ^4:47from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered in to do the work of service and the work of bearing burdens in the Tent of Meeting, ^4:48even those who were counted of them, were eight thousand five hundred eighty. ^4:49According to the commandment of the LORD they were counted by Moses, everyone according to his service and according to his burden. Thus they were counted by him, as the LORD commanded Moses.