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Numbers 3 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

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Levites Appointed for Service
(Lev 10:1–7 )
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:1 - This is the family line of Aaron and Moses as it was recorded when the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai:
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:2 - The names of Aaron’s sons were Nadab (the oldest), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:3 - These sons of Aaron were anointed and ordained to minister as priests.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:4 - 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:5 - Then the LORD said to Moses,
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:6 - “Call forward the tribe of Levi, and present them to Aaron the priest to serve as his assistants.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:7 - They will serve Aaron and the whole community, performing their sacred duties in and around the Tabernacle.[fn]
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:8 - They will also maintain all the furnishings of the sacred tent,[fn] serving in the Tabernacle on behalf of all the Israelites.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:9 - Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been given from among all the people of Israel to serve as their assistants.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:10 - 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.”
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:11 - And the LORD said to Moses,
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:12 - “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,
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:13 - 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.”
Registration of the Levites
(cf. Num 1:47–54 )
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:14 - The LORD spoke again to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. He said,
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:15 - “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.”
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:16 - So Moses listed them, just as the LORD had commanded.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:17 - Levi had three sons, whose names were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:18 - The clans descended from Gershon were named after two of his descendants, Libni and Shimei.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:19 - The clans descended from Kohath were named after four of his descendants, Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:20 - 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:21 - The descendants of Gershon were composed of the clans descended from Libni and Shimei.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:22 - There were 7,500 males one month old or older among these Gershonite clans.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:23 - They were assigned the area to the west of the Tabernacle for their camp.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:24 - The leader of the Gershonite clans was Eliasaph son of Lael.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:25 - These two clans were responsible to care for the Tabernacle, including the sacred tent with its layers of coverings, the curtain at its entrance,
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:26 - 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:27 - The descendants of Kohath were composed of the clans descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:28 - There were 8,600[fn] males one month old or older among these Kohathite clans. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary,
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:29 - and they were assigned the area south of the Tabernacle for their camp.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:30 - The leader of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:31 - 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:32 - Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, was the chief administrator over all the Levites, with special responsibility for the oversight of the sanctuary.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:33 - The descendants of Merari were composed of the clans descended from Mahli and Mushi.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:34 - There were 6,200 males one month old or older among these Merarite clans.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:35 - They were assigned the area north of the Tabernacle for their camp. The leader of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:36 - 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:37 - They were also responsible for the posts of the courtyard and all their bases, pegs, and ropes.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:38 - The area in front of the Tabernacle, in the east toward the sunrise,[fn] 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:39 - 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.
Redeeming the Firstborn Sons
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:40 - 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:41 - 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.”
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:42 - So Moses counted the firstborn sons of the people of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:43 - The number of firstborn sons who were one month old or older was 22,273.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:44 - Then the LORD said to Moses,
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:45 - “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.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:46 - There are 273 more firstborn sons of Israel than there are Levites. To redeem these extra firstborn sons,
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:47 - collect five pieces of silver[fn] for each of them (each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs).
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:48 - Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra firstborn sons.”
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:49 - So Moses collected the silver for redeeming the firstborn sons of Israel who exceeded the number of Levites.
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:50 - He collected 1,365 pieces of silver[fn] on behalf of these firstborn sons of Israel (each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel).
Unchecked Copy BoxNum 3:51 - And Moses gave the silver for the redemption to Aaron and his sons, just as the LORD had commanded.
NLT Footnotes
Hebrew around the Tent of Meeting, doing service at the Tabernacle.
Hebrew the Tent of Meeting; also in 3:25.
Some Greek manuscripts read 8,300; see total in 3:39.
Hebrew toward the sunrise, in front of the Tent of Meeting.
Hebrew 5 shekels [2 ounces or 57 grams].
Hebrew 1,365 shekels [34 pounds or 15.5 kilograms].
NLT

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Numbers Chapter 3 — Additional Translations: