The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

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- Chapter 4 -

(Numbers 3:27–32; 1 Chronicles 23:12–20)

Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

“Take a census of the Kohathites among the Levites by their clans and families,

men from thirty to fifty years old—everyone who is qualified to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

This service of the Kohathites at the Tent of Meeting regards the most holy things.

Whenever the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons are to go in, take down the veil of the curtain, and cover the ark of the Testimony

(a)

with it.

They are to place over this a covering of fine leather,(b) spread a solid blue cloth over it, and insert its poles.

Over the table of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and place the plates and cups on it, along with the bowls and pitchers for the drink offering. The regular bread offering is to remain on it.

And they shall spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover them with fine leather, and insert the poles.

They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand used for light, together with its lamps, wick trimmers, and trays, as well as the jars of oil with which to supply it.

Then they shall wrap it and all its utensils inside a covering of fine leather and put it on the carrying frame.

Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with fine leather, and insert the poles.

They are to take all the utensils for serving in the sanctuary, place them in a blue cloth, cover them with fine leather, and put them on the carrying frame.

Then they shall remove the ashes from the bronze altar, spread a purple cloth over it,

and place on it all the vessels used to serve there: the firepans, meat forks, shovels, and sprinkling bowls—all the equipment of the altar. They are to spread over it a covering of fine leather and insert the poles.

When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy objects, or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the Tent of Meeting.

Eleazar son of Aaron the priest shall oversee the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He has oversight of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, including the holy objects and their utensils.”

Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

“Do not allow the Kohathite tribal clans to be cut off from among the Levites.

In order that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go in and assign each man his task and what he is to carry.

But the Kohathites are not to go in and look at the holy objects, even for a moment, or they will die.”

The Duties of the Gershonites

(Numbers 3:21–26; 1 Chronicles 23:7–11)

And the LORD said to Moses,

“Take a census of the Gershonites as well, by their families and clans,

from thirty to fifty years old, counting everyone who comes to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

This is the service of the Gershonite clans regarding work and transport:

They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting with the covering of fine leather over it, the curtains for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,

the curtains of the courtyard, and the curtains for the entrance at the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and altar, along with their ropes and all the equipment for their service. The Gershonites will do all that needs to be done with these items.

All the service of the Gershonites—all their transport duties and other work—is to be done at the direction of Aaron and his sons; you are to assign to them all that they are responsible to carry.

This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the Tent of Meeting, and their duties shall be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

The Duties of the Merarites

(Numbers 3:33–37; 1 Chronicles 23:21–23)

As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their clans and families,

from thirty to fifty years old, counting everyone who comes to serve in the work of the Tent of Meeting.

This is the duty for all their service at the Tent of Meeting: to carry the frames of the tabernacle with its crossbars, posts, and bases,

and the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes, including all their equipment and everything related to their use. You shall assign by name the items that they are responsible to carry.

This is the service of the Merarite clans according to all their work at the Tent of Meeting, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”

The Numbering of the Levite Clans

So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation numbered the Kohathites by their clans and families,

everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

And those numbered by their clans totaled 2,750.

These were counted from the Kohathite clans, everyone who could serve at the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron numbered them according to the command of the LORD through Moses.

Then the Gershonites were numbered by their clans and families,

everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

And those numbered by their clans and families totaled 2,630.

These were counted from the Gershonite clans who served at the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the LORD’s command.

And the Merarites were numbered by their clans and families,

everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

The men registered by their clans numbered 3,200.

These were counted from the Merarite clans, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the LORD’s command through Moses.

So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered by their clans and families all the Levites

from thirty to fifty years old who came to do the work of serving and carrying the Tent of Meeting.

And the number of men was 8,580.

At the LORD’s command they were numbered through Moses and each one was assigned his work and burden, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Footnotes

(a)4:5 That is, the ark of the covenant

(b)4:6 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals; also in verses 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 25; see Exodus 25:5.

(Numbers 3:27–32; 1 Chronicles 23:12–20)

The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

“Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ houses,

from 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.

“This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting, regarding the most holy things.

When 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,

put a covering of sealskin on it, spread a blue cloth over it, and put in its poles.

“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.

They shall spread on them a scarlet cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.

“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.

They shall put it and all its vessels within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it on the frame.

“On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.

“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.

“They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it.

They 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.

“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.

“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.”

The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

“Don’t cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites;

but 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;

but they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die.”

The Duties of the Gershonites

(Numbers 3:21–26; 1 Chronicles 23:7–11)

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ houses, by their families;

you 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.

“This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing burdens:

they 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,

the 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.

At 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.

This 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.

The Duties of the Merarites

(Numbers 3:33–37; 1 Chronicles 23:21–23)

“As for the sons of Merari, you shall count them by their families, by their fathers’ houses;

you 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.

This 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,

the 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.

This 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.”

The Numbering of the Levite Clans

Moses and Aaron and the princes of the congregation counted the sons of the Kohathites by their families, and by their fathers’ houses,

from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting.

Those who were counted of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred fifty.

These 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.

Those who were counted of the sons of Gershon, by their families, and by their fathers’ houses,

from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old—everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting,

even those who were counted of them, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, were two thousand six hundred thirty.

These 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.

Those who were counted of the families of the sons of Merari, by their families, by their fathers’ houses,

from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old—everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting,

even those who were counted of them by their families, were three thousand two hundred.

These 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.

All 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,

from 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,

even those who were counted of them, were eight thousand five hundred eighty.

According 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.