Welcome to our website where we explore the Bible! Pleasure to meet you here!
May your journey into the world of the Holy Scriptures be engaging and inspiring!
You can change reading language: uk ru
Parallel
New Living Translation
New American Standard Bible
Levites Appointed for Service
This is the family line of Aaron and Moses as it was recorded when the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai:
This is the family line of Aaron and Moses as it was recorded when the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai:
Levites to Be Priesthood
Now these are the records of the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
Now these are the records of the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
The names of Aaron’s sons were Nadab (the oldest), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
These then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
These sons of Aaron were anointed and ordained to minister as priests.
These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests.
But Nadab and Abihu died in the LORD’s presence in the wilderness of Sinai when they burned before the LORD the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. Since they had no sons, this left only Eleazar and Ithamar to serve as priests with their father, Aaron.
But 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. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of their father Aaron.
“Call forward the tribe of Levi, and present them to Aaron the priest to serve as his assistants.
“Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.
“They shall perform the duties for him and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.
“They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been given from among all the people of Israel to serve as their assistants.
“You shall thus give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel.
Appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the sanctuary must be put to death.”
“So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death.”
“Look, I have chosen the Levites from among the Israelites to serve as substitutes for all the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me,
“Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine.
for all the firstborn males are mine. On the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both of people and of animals. They are mine; I am the LORD.”
“For all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am the LORD.”
Registration of the Levites
The LORD spoke again to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. He said,
Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
“Record the names of the members of the tribe of Levi by their families and clans. List every male who is one month old or older.”
“Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number.”
So Moses listed them, just as the LORD had commanded.
So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, just as he had been commanded.
Levi had three sons, whose names were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
These then are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
The clans descended from Gershon were named after two of his descendants, Libni and Shimei.
These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei;
The clans descended from Kohath were named after four of his descendants, Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
and the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel;
The clans descended from Merari were named after two of his descendants, Mahli and Mushi.
These were the Levite clans, listed according to their family groups.
These were the Levite clans, listed according to their family groups.
and the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.
The descendants of Gershon were composed of the clans descended from Libni and Shimei.
Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites.
There were 7,500 males one month old or older among these Gershonite clans.
Their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, even their numbered men were 7,500.
They were assigned the area to the west of the Tabernacle for their camp.
The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward,
The leader of the Gershonite clans was Eliasaph son of Lael.
and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.
These two clans were responsible to care for the Tabernacle, including the sacred tent with its layers of coverings, the curtain at its entrance,
Duties of the Priests
Now the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting,
the curtains of the courtyard that surrounded the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain at the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use.
and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the doorway of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords, according to all the service concerning them.
The descendants of Kohath were composed of the clans descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
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 were the families of the Kohathites.
In the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, performing the duties of the sanctuary.
and they were assigned the area south of the Tabernacle for their camp.
The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the southward side of the tabernacle,
The leader of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
These four clans were responsible for the care of the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the various articles used in the sanctuary, the inner curtain, and all the equipment related to their use.
Now their duties involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service concerning them;
Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, was the chief administrator over all the Levites, with special responsibility for the oversight of the sanctuary.
and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the chief of the leaders of Levi, and had the oversight of those who perform the duties of the sanctuary.
The descendants of Merari were composed of the clans descended from Mahli and Mushi.
Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari.
There were 6,200 males one month old or older among these Merarite clans.
Their numbered men in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200.
They were assigned the area north of the Tabernacle for their camp. The leader of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail.
The leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the northward side of the tabernacle.
These two clans were responsible for the care of the frames supporting the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the pillars, the bases, and all the equipment related to their use.
Now the appointed duties of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its equipment, and the service concerning them,
They were also responsible for the posts of the courtyard and all their bases, pegs, and ropes.
and the pillars around the court with their sockets and their pegs and their cords.
The area in front of the Tabernacle, in the east toward the sunrise,d was reserved for the tents of Moses and of Aaron and his sons, who had the final responsibility for the sanctuary on behalf of the people of Israel. Anyone other than a priest or Levite who went too near the sanctuary was to be put to death.
Now those who were to camp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for the obligation of the sons of Israel; but the layman coming near was to be put to death.
When Moses and Aaron counted the Levite clans at the LORD’s command, the total number was 22,000 males one month old or older.
All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the command of the LORD by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000.
Redeeming the Firstborn Sons
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now count all the firstborn sons in Israel who are one month old or older, and make a list of their names.
Firstborn Redeemed
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and make a list of their names.
The Levites must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn sons of Israel; I am the LORD. And the Levites’ livestock must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the whole nation of Israel.”
“You shall take the Levites for Me, I am the LORD, instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.”
So Moses counted the firstborn sons of the people of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded.
So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded him;
The number of firstborn sons who were one month old or older was 22,273.
and all the firstborn males by the number of names from a month old and upward, for their numbered men were 22,273.
“Take the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. And take the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me; I am the LORD.
“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am the LORD.
There are 273 more firstborn sons of Israel than there are Levites. To redeem these extra firstborn sons,
“For the ransom of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites,
you shall take five shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs),
Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra firstborn sons.”
and give the money, the ransom of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons.”
So Moses collected the silver for redeeming the firstborn sons of Israel who exceeded the number of Levites.
So Moses took the ransom money from those who were in excess, beyond those ransomed by the Levites;
from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365.