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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:
The names of Aaron’s sons were Nadab (the oldest), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
And these 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.
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.
Nadab and Abihu had died before the Lord when they offered profane fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.
Then the LORD said to Moses,
The Levites Serve in the Tabernacle
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
“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 present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.
And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle.
Also they shall attend to all the furnishings of the tabernacle of meeting, and to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the work 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.
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, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider 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 Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore 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.”
because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and 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,
Census of the Levites Commanded
Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying:
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 children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families; you shall number every male from a month old and above.”
So Moses listed them, just as the LORD had commanded.
Levi had three sons, whose names were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
The clans descended from Gershon were named after two of his descendants, Libni and Shimei.
And 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, Izehar, 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 by their fathers’ houses.
The descendants of Gershon were composed of the clans descended from Libni and Shimei.
From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites; these were the families of the Gershonites.
There were 7,500 males one month old or older among these Gershonite clans.
Those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above — of those who were numbered there were seven thousand five hundred.
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 father’s house 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,
The duties of the children of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the door of the tabernacle 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.
the screen for the door of the court, the hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords, according to all the work relating to them.
The descendants of Kohath were composed of the clans descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites.
and they were assigned the area south of the Tabernacle for their camp.
The families of the children of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.
The leader of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
And the leader of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites 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.
Their duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to 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 to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, with oversight of those who kept charge of the sanctuary.
The descendants of Merari were composed of the clans descended from Mahli and Mushi.
From Merari came 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.
And those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above, were six thousand two hundred.
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’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north 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.
And the appointed duty of the children of Merari included the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, its utensils, all the work relating to them,
They were also responsible for the posts of the courtyard and all their bases, pegs, and ropes.
and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, 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.
Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary, to meet the needs of the children of Israel; but the outsider who came 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 who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and above, were twenty-two thousand.
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.
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.”
And you 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.”
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 children of Israel, as the Lord commanded him.
The number of firstborn sons who were one month old or older was 22,273.
And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names from a month old and above, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
“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 children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. 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,
And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the number of the Levites,
you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs.
Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra firstborn sons.”
And you shall give the money, with which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons.”
So Moses collected the silver for redeeming the firstborn sons of Israel who exceeded the number of Levites.
So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites.
From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.