Numbers 4

4 ¹Our Father spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

²"Count the Kohathites among the Levites, by clan and ancestral house. ³From thirty to fifty years old, all who enter the service to work in the tent of meeting.

⁴"This is the service of Kohath's sons in the tent of meeting: the most holy things. ⁵When the camp moves, Aaron and his sons take down the screening curtain and cover the ark of the testimony with it. ⁶They are to cover it with fine leather, spread an all-blue cloth over that, and set its poles.

⁷"On the table of the Presence they'll spread a blue cloth, put the plates, dishes, bowls, and pouring jars on it; the regular bread stays on it. ⁸They are to spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover it with fine leather, and fit its poles.

⁹"They will take a blue cloth, cover the lampstand of light, its lamps, tongs, trays, and all its oil vessels used to service it. ¹⁰They are to wrap it and all its vessels in fine leather and set it on the carrying frame.

¹¹"Over the golden altar they are to spread blue cloth, cover it with fine leather, and insert its poles. ¹²They must take all the service utensils used in the sanctuary, put them in blue cloth, cover with fine leather, and place them on the pole.

¹³"They are to remove the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. ¹⁴On it they are to put all its serving vessels—firepans, forks, shovels, basins, all the altar's vessels—then spread over it a fine leather covering and insert its poles.

¹⁵"When Aaron and his sons finish covering the holy things and all vessels of the holy place, and the camp sets out, Kohath's sons come to carry them, but they must not touch the holy things or die. These are Kohath's sons' burdens in the tent of meeting.

¹⁶"Eleazar son of Aaron the priest is responsible for the lamp oil, fragrant incense, daily grain offering, and anointing oil—responsible for the whole tabernacle, everything in it, the sanctuary and its furnishings."

¹⁷Our Father spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

¹⁸"Do not let the tribe of the Kohathite clans be cut off from among the Levites. ¹⁹Do this for them so they live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons must enter, assigning each his task and burden. ²⁰But they must not go in and look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die."

The Gershonites' Assignment

²¹Our Father spoke to Moses, saying:

²²"Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers' houses and their clans. ²³Count those thirty to fifty years old who serve, doing work at the tent of meeting.

²⁴"This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and in carrying: ²⁵They carry the tabernacle's curtains, the tent of meeting, its covering, the fine-leather covering over it, and the screen for the tent of meeting's entrance, ²⁶the courtyard curtains, the entrance screen for the courtyard gate, surrounding tabernacle and altar, their cords, and all their service equipment—they are to do whatever these need. ²⁷Aaron and his sons direct all the Gershonites' service—their carrying and duties; assign them all they must carry. ²⁸This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the tent of meeting, their duty under Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

Sons of Merari

²⁹"As for the sons of Merari, you are to count them by their clans and their fathers' houses. ³⁰Count everyone thirty to fifty years old who enters the service to work at the tent of meeting. ³¹This is their task, their service at the meeting tent: the frames, bars, posts, and bases of the tabernacle. ³²The courtyard's pillars all around, with their bases, pegs, and cords, all their equipment and service—assign by name what each must carry. ³³This is the Merarite clans' service in the Tent of Meeting, under Ithamar son of Aaron the priest."

Everyone Counted by Name

³⁴So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation counted the sons of the Kohathites by their clans and their families, ³⁵thirty to fifty years old, all who joined the service for work in the tent of meeting. ³⁶Those counted by their clans were 2,750. ³⁷The count of Kohathite clans, all who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted at our Father's command through Moses.

³⁸Those counted of the sons of Gershon, by their clans and their fathers' houses, ³⁹from thirty to fifty years old, all who entered service work at the tent of meeting. ⁴⁰Those counted by their clans and their fathers' houses were 2,630. ⁴¹These were counted from the Gershonite clans, all who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted at our Father's command.

⁴²Those counted of the clans of the sons of Merari, by their clans and their fathers' houses, ⁴³from age thirty to fifty, all who entered service for work in the tent of meeting, ⁴⁴those counted by their clans were 3,200. ⁴⁵These were counted of the clans of Merari's sons, whom Moses and Aaron counted at our Father's command through Moses.

⁴⁶All those whom Moses, Aaron, and Israel's leaders counted among the Levites, by clans and ancestral houses. ⁴⁷From thirty to fifty years old, everyone who served and carried loads in the tent of meeting. ⁴⁸Those counted were 8,580. ⁴⁹By our Father's command, Moses appointed each to his service and burden, and counted them, as our Father commanded Moses.