Numbers 3

3 ¹This is the family line of Aaron and Moses, when our Father spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. ²These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, then Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ³These are the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests whom Moses ordained to serve as priests. ⁴Nadab and Abihu died before our Father in the wilderness of Sinai when they offered unauthorized fire before him; they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests before Aaron their father.

⁵Then our Father said to Moses:

⁶"Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, to serve him. ⁷They are to keep his duties and those of the whole community before the tent of meeting, performing the tabernacle's service. ⁸They are to guard all the tent of meeting's equipment and the Israelites' duty, doing the tabernacle's service. ⁹Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are given entirely to him from among Israel's people. ¹⁰Appoint Aaron and his sons to guard their priesthood; any outsider who comes near must die."

¹¹Then our Father said to Moses:

¹²"Look, I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of every firstborn that opens the womb among the Israelites. The Levites are mine. ^a a v12 The Levites take the place of Israel's firstborn sons, who were originally set apart for God when he struck down Egypt's firstborn at the Exodus (see Exodus 13:2). ¹³Every firstborn is mine. The day I struck down every firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel—both man and animal. They will be mine. I am your Father."

¹⁴Then our Father spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai:

¹⁵"Count Levi's sons by fathers' houses and clans; count every male a month old and up."

¹⁶So Moses counted them at the word of our Father, just as he had been commanded.

¹⁷These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ¹⁸These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei. ¹⁹The sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁰Merari's sons by clan: Mahli and Mushi. These are the Levite clans by fathers' houses.

²¹From Gershon: the Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan—these are the Gershonite clans. ²²The number of males counted, a month old or older, was 7,500.

²³The clans of the Gershonites camped behind the tabernacle on the west. ²⁴The leader of the fathers' house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael. ²⁵Gershon's sons at the tent of meeting cared for the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, and the entrance screen of the tent of meeting. ²⁶The courtyard's curtains and its entrance screen, surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and its cords for all its service.

²⁷From Kohath came the Amramite clan, the Izharite clan, the Hebronite clan, and the Uzzielite clan; these are the clans of the Kohathites. ²⁸Males a month old and up numbered 8,600, in charge of the sanctuary.

²⁹The clans of the sons of Kohath camped on the south side of the tabernacle. ³⁰The leader of the fathers' house of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. ³¹They cared for the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the sanctuary vessels used in service, the screen, and all its work. ³²Eleazar son of Aaron the priest was chief leader of the Levites, in charge of those guarding the sanctuary.

³³From Merari: the Mahlite clan and the Mushite clan—these are Merari's clans. ³⁴The number of males counted, a month old or older, was 6,200.

³⁵Leader of Merarite clans' ancestral house: Zuriel son of Abihail; they camped on the tabernacle's north side. ³⁶Merari's sons were charged with the tabernacle's frames, crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and all its service, ³⁷as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, pegs, and cords.

³⁸Camped east of the tabernacle, in front of the tent of meeting toward sunrise, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, who kept charge of the sanctuary for the Israelites; any outsider who approached was to be put to death. ³⁹All the Levites whom Moses and Aaron counted at our Father's command, by their clans, every male a month old and up: 22,000.

Redeeming the Firstborn

⁴⁰Then our Father said to Moses, "Count every firstborn male of Israel a month old or older, and record the number of their names. ⁴¹Take the Levites for me—I am your Father—in place of every firstborn among the people of Israel, and the Levites' livestock in place of every firstborn among Israel's livestock."

⁴²So Moses counted every firstborn among the people of Israel, just as our Father had commanded him. ⁴³All firstborn males, a month or older, listed by name: 22,273.

⁴⁴Then our Father spoke to Moses:

⁴⁵"Take the Levites instead of every firstborn among Israel's people, and the Levites' livestock instead of theirs. The Levites will be mine. I am your Father. ⁴⁶To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites exceeding the Levites' count. ⁴⁷Collect about 2 ounces per person, by sanctuary standard (each measure about half an ounce of silver). ⁴⁸Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra firstborn sons."

⁴⁹So Moses collected the redemption money from the firstborn sons who exceeded the number of the Levites; ⁵⁰from Israel's firstborn sons he took 1,365—about 2 ounces, by the sanctuary standard. ⁵¹Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, by our Father's word, just as our Father commanded Moses.