(Leviticus 10:1–7)
1
These also were the generations of Aaron and Moses, in the day that the Lord spake with Moses in mount Sinai.
2
So these are the names of the sonnes of Aaron, Nadab the first borne, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3
These are the names of the sonnes of Aaron the anoynted Priests, whom Moses did consecrate to minister in the Priests office.
4
And Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord, when they offred strange fire before the Lord in the wildernesse of Sinai, and had no children: but Eleazar and Ithamar serued in ye Priestes office in the sight of Aaron their father.
The Duties of the Levites
5
Then the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,
6
Bring the tribe of Leui, and set the before Aaron the Priest that they may serue him,
7
And take the charge with him, euen the charge of the whole Congregation before the Tabernacle of the Congregation to doe the seruice of the Tabernacle.
8
They shall also keepe all the instruments of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and haue the charge of the children of Israel to doe the seruice of the Tabernacle.
9
And thou shalt giue the Leuites vnto Aaron and to his sonnes: for they are giuen him freely from among the children of Israel.
10
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sonnes to execute their Priestes office: and the stranger that commeth neere, shalbe slayne.
11
Also the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,
12
Beholde, I haue euen taken the Leuites from among the childre of Israel: for al the first borne that openeth the matrice among the children of Israel, and the Leuites shalbe mine,
13
Because all the first borne are mine: for the same day, that I smote all the first borne in the land of Egypt, I sanctified vnto me all the first borne in Israel, both man and beast: mine they shalbe: I am the Lord.
The Numbering of the Levites
14
Moreouer, the Lord spake vnto Moses in the wildernesse of Sinai, saying,
15
Nomber the children of Leui after the houses of their fathers, in their families: euery male from a moneth olde and aboue shalt thou nomber.
16
Then Moses nombred them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded.
17
And these are the sonnes of Leui by their names, Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.
18
Also these are the names of the sonnes of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.
19
The sonnes also of Kohath by their families: Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Vzziel.
20
And the sonnes of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of Leui, according to the houses of their fathers.
The Gershonites
(Numbers 4:21–28; 1 Chronicles 23:7–11)
21
Of Gershon came the familie of the Libnites, and the familie of the Shimeites: these are the families of the Gershonites.
22
The summe whereof (after the nomber of all the males from a moneth olde and aboue) was counted seuen thousand and fiue hundreth.
23
The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the Tabernacle westward.
24
The captaine and auncient of the house of the Gershonites shalbe Eliasaph the sonne of Lael.
25
And the charge of the sonnes of Gershon in the Tabernacle of the Congregation shall be the Tabernacle, and the pauilion, the couering thereof, and the vaile of the dore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation,
26
And the hanging of the court, and the vaile of the doore of the court, which is neere the Tabernacle, and neere ye Altar round about, and the cordes of it for all the seruice thereof.
The Kohathites
(Numbers 4:1–20; 1 Chronicles 23:12–20)
27
And of Kohath came the familie of the Amramites, and the familie of the Izeharites, and the familie of the Hebronites, and the familie of the Vzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.
28
The nomber of all the males from a moneth olde and aboue was eight thousand and sixe hundreth, hauing the charge of the Sanctuarie.
29
The families of the sonnes of Kohath shall pitch on the Southside of the Tabernacle.
30
The captaine and auncient of the house, and families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the sonne of Vzziel:
31
And their charge shalbe the Arke, and the Table, and the Candlesticke, and the altars, and the instruments of the Sanctuarie that they minister with, and the vaile, and all that serueth thereto.
32
And Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest shalbe chiefe captaine of the Leuites, hauing the ouersight of them that haue the charge of the Sanctuarie.
The Merarites
(Numbers 4:29–33; 1 Chronicles 23:21–23)
33
Of Merari came the familie of the Mahlites, and the familie of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.
34
And the summe of them, according to the nomber of all the males, from a moneth olde and aboue was sixe thousand and two hundreth.
35
The captaine and the ancient of the house of the families of Merari shalbe Zuriel the sonne of Abihail: they shall pitche on the Northside of the Tabernacle.
36
And in ye charge and custodie of the sonnes of Merari shall be the boardes of the Tabernacle, and the barres thereof, and his pillars, and his sockets, and al the instruments therof, and al that serueth thereto,
37
With the pillars of the court round about, with their sockets, and their pins and their coardes.
Moses and Aaron
38
Also on the forefront of the Tabernacle toward the East, before the Tabernacle, I say, of the Congregation Eastwarde shall Moses and Aaron and his sonnes pitch, hauing the charge of the Sanctuarie, and the charge of the children of Israel: but the stranger that commeth neere, shall be slayne.
39
The wholesumme of ye Leuites, which Moses and Aaron nombred at the commandement of the Lord throughout their families, euen al the males from a moneth olde and aboue, was two and twentie thousand.
The Redemption of the Firstborn
40
And the Lord said vnto Moses, Nomber all the first borne that are Males among the children of Israel, from a moneth old and aboue, and take the nomber of their names.
41
And thou shalt take ye Leuites to me for all the first borne of the children of Israel (I am the Lord) and the cattell of the Leuites for all the first borne of the cattell of the children of Israel.
42
And Moses nombred, as the Lord commanded him, all the first borne of the children of Israel.
43
And all the first borne males rehearsed by name (from a moneth olde and aboue) according to their nomber were two and twentie thousand, two hundreth seuentie and three.
44
And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,
45
Take the Leuites for all the first borne of the children of Israel, and the cattell of the Leuites for their cattel, and the Leuites shalbe mine, (I am the Lord)
46
And for the redeeming of the two hundreth seuentie and three, (which are moe then the Leuites) of the first borne of the children of of Israel,
47
Thou shalt also take fiue shekels for euery person: after the weight of the Sanctuarie shalt thou take it: ye shekel conteineth twenty gerahs.
48
And thou shalt giue the money, wherwith the odde nomber of them is redeemed, vnto Aaron and to his sonnes.
49
Thus Moses tooke the redemption of the that were redeemed, being more then the Leuites:
50
Of the first borne of the children of Israel tooke he the mony: eue a thousand three hundreth three score and fiue shekels after the shekel of the Sanctuarie.
51
And Moses gaue the money of them that were redeemed, vnto Aaron and to his sonnes according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.