Numbers 3 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Priests and Levites

(Lev 10:1–7 )

Now these^H428 are the generations^H8435 of Aaron^H175 and Moses^H4872 at the time^H3117 when Yahweh^H3068 spoke^H1696 with Moses^H4872 on Mount^H2022 Sinai^H5514.

Num 3:2

Num 3:2These then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

Num 3:3

Num 3:3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he [fn]ordained to minister as priests.

Num 3:4

Num 3:4But Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh when they offered strange fire before Yahweh in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests [fn]in the lifetime of their father Aaron.

Num 3:5

Then Yahweh^H3068 spoke^H1696 to Moses^H4872, saying^H559,

Num 3:6

Num 3:6“Bring the tribe of Levi near and have them stand before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.

Num 3:7

Num 3:7“And they shall keep his responsibility and the responsibility for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to perform the service of the tabernacle.

Num 3:8

Num 3:8“They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the responsibility of the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the [fn]tabernacle.

Num 3:9

Num 3:9“You shall thus give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel.

Num 3:10

Num 3:10“So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the [fn]outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

Num 3:11

Then Yahweh^H3068 spoke^H1696 to Moses^H4872, saying^H559,

Num 3:12

Num 3:12“Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first offspring of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine.

Num 3:13

Num 3:13“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 Yahweh.”

(cf. Num 1:47–54 )

Num 3:14

Then Yahweh^H3068 spoke^H1696 to Moses^H4872 in the wilderness^H4057 of Sinai^H5514, saying^H559,

Num 3:15

Num 3:15“[fn]Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall [fn]number.”

Num 3:16

Num 3:16So Moses numbered them according to the [fn]word of Yahweh, just as he had been commanded.

Num 3:17

Num 3:17These then are the sons of Levi by their names:

Gershon^H1648 and Kohath^H6955 and Merari^H4847.

Num 3:18

And these^H428 are the names^H8034 of the sons^H1121 of Gershon^H1648 by their families^H4940:

Libni^H3845 and Shimei^H8096;

Num 3:19

and the sons^H1121 of Kohath^H6955 by their families^H4940:

Amram^H6019 and Izhar^H3324, Hebron^H2275 and Uzziel^H5816;

Num 3:20

and the sons^H1121 of Merari^H4847 by their families^H4940:

Mahli^H4249 and Mushi^H4187. These^H428 are the families^H4940 of the Levites^H3881 according to their fathers’^H1 households^H1004.

Num 3:21

Of Gershon^H1648 was the family^H4940 of the Libnites^H3846 and the family^H4940 of the Shimeites^H8097; these^H428 were the families^H4940 of the Gershonites^H1649.

Num 3:22

Num 3:22Their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, even their numbered men were 7,500.

Num 3:23

Num 3:23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward,

Num 3:24

Num 3:24and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.

Responsibilities of the Priests

Num 3:25

Num 3:25Now the responsibility 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,

Num 3:26

Num 3:26and 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 [fn]concerning them.

Num 3:27

Of Kohath^H6955 was the family^H4940 of the Amramites^H6020 and the family^H4940 of the Izharites^H3325 and the family^H4940 of the Hebronites^H2276 and the family^H4940 of the Uzzielites^H5817; these^H428 were the families^H4940 of the Kohathites^H6956.

Num 3:28

Num 3:28In the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary.

Num 3:29

Num 3:29The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the southward side of the tabernacle,

Num 3:30

Num 3:30and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families was [fn]Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

Num 3:31

Num 3:31Now their responsibility 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 [fn]concerning them;

Num 3:32

Num 3:32and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the chief of the leaders of Levi and had the oversight of those who keep the responsibility of the sanctuary.

Num 3:33

Of Merari^H4847 was the family^H4940 of the Mahlites^H4250 and the family^H4940 of the Mushites^H4188; these^H428 were the families^H4940 of Merari^H4847.

Num 3:34

Num 3:34And their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200.

Num 3:35

Num 3:35And 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.

Num 3:36

Num 3:36Now the appointed responsibility of the sons of Merari involved the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its bases, all its equipment, and the service concerning them,

Num 3:37

Num 3:37and the pillars around the court with their bases and their pegs and their cords.

Num 3:38

Now those who were to camp^H2583 before^H6440 the tabernacle^H4908 eastward^H6924, before^H6440 the tent^H168 of meeting^H4150 toward the sunrise^H4217, are Moses^H4872 and Aaron^H175 and his sons^H1121, keeping^H8104 the responsibility^H4931 of the sanctuary^H4720 for the responsibility^H4931 of the sons^H1121 of Israel^H3478; but the [fn]outsider^H2114 coming^H7131 near^H7131 was to be put^H4191 to^H4191 death^H4191.

Num 3:39

Num 3:39All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the [fn]command of Yahweh by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000.

Redemption of the Firstborn

Num 3:40

Then Yahweh^H3068 said^H559 to Moses^H4872, “Number^H6485 every^H3605 firstborn^H1060 male^H2145 of the sons^H1121 of Israel^H3478 from a month^H2320 old^H1121 and upward^H4605, and [fn]make^H5375 a list^H4557 of their names^H8034.

Num 3:41

Num 3:41“And you shall take the Levites for Me, I am Yahweh, 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.”

Num 3:42

Num 3:42So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as Yahweh had commanded him;

Num 3:43

Num 3:43and all the firstborn males by the number of names from a month old and upward, for their numbered men were 22,273.

Num 3:44

Then Yahweh^H3068 spoke^H1696 to Moses^H4872, saying^H559,

Num 3:45

Num 3:45“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 Yahweh.

Num 3:46

Num 3:46“For the redemption price of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites,

Num 3:47

Num 3:47you shall take five [fn]shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty [fn]gerahs),

Num 3:48