1And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai , in the tabernacle of the congregation , on the first day of the second month , in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt , saying , 2Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel , after their families , by the house of their fathers , with the number of their names , every male by their polls ; 3From twenty years old and upward , all that are able to go forth to war in Israel : thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies . 4And with you there shall be a man of every tribe ; every one head of the house of his fathers . 5And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben ; Elizur the son of Shedeur . 6Of Simeon ; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai . 7Of Judah ; Nahshon the son of Amminadab . 8Of Issachar ; Nethaneel the son of Zuar . 9Of Zebulun ; Eliab the son of Helon . 10Of the children of Joseph : of Ephraim ; Elishama the son of Ammihud : of Manasseh ; Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur . 11Of Benjamin ; Abidan the son of Gideoni . 12Of Dan ; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai . 13Of Asher ; Pagiel the son of Ocran . 14Of Gad ; Eliasaph the son of Deuel . 15Of Naphtali ; Ahira the son of Enan . 16These were renowned of the congregation , princes of the tribes of their fathers , heads of thousands in Israel . 17And Moses and Aaron took these men which are expressed by their names : 18And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month , and they declared their pedigrees after their families , by the house of their fathers , according to the number of the names , from twenty years old and upward , by their polls . 19As the LORD commanded Moses , so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai .
The Tribal Leaders and Their Responsibilities
20And the children of Reuben , Israel’s eldest son , by their generations , after their families , by the house of their fathers , according to the number of the names , by their polls , every male from twenty years old and upward , all that were able to go forth to war ; 21Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben , were forty and six thousand and five hundred . 22Of the children of Simeon , by their generations , after their families , by the house of their fathers , those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names , by their polls , every male from twenty years old and upward , all that were able to go forth to war ; 23Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Simeon , were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred . 24Of the children of Gad , by their generations , after their families , by the house of their fathers , according to the number of the names , from twenty years old and upward , all that were able to go forth to war ; 25Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Gad , were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty . 26Of the children of Judah , by their generations , after their families , by the house of their fathers , according to the number of the names , from twenty years old and upward , all that were able to go forth to war ; 27Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah , were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred . 28Of the children of Issachar , by their generations , after their families , by the house of their fathers , according to the number of the names , from twenty years old and upward , all that were able to go forth to war ; 29Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar , were fifty and four thousand and four hundred . 30Of the children of Zebulun , by their generations , after their families , by the house of their fathers , according to the number of the names , from twenty years old and upward , all that were able to go forth to war ; 31Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Zebulun , were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred . 32Of the children of Joseph , namely , of the children of Ephraim , by their generations , after their families , by the house of their fathers , according to the number of the names , from twenty years old and upward , all that were able to go forth to war ; 33Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim , were forty thousand and five hundred . 34Of the children of Manasseh , by their generations , after their families , by the house of their fathers , according to the number of the names , from twenty years old and upward , all that were able to go forth to war ; 35Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Manasseh , were thirty and two thousand and two hundred . 36Of the children of Benjamin , by their generations , after their families , by the house of their fathers , according to the number of the names , from twenty years old and upward , all that were able to go forth to war ; 37Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Benjamin , were thirty and five thousand and four hundred . 38Of the children of Dan , by their generations , after their families , by the house of their fathers , according to the number of the names , from twenty years old and upward , all that were able to go forth to war ; 39Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Dan , were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred . 40Of the children of Asher , by their generations , after their families , by the house of their fathers , according to the number of the names , from twenty years old and upward , all that were able to go forth to war ; 41Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Asher , were forty and one thousand and five hundred . 42Of the children of Naphtali , throughout their generations , after their families , by the house of their fathers , according to the number of the names , from twenty years old and upward , all that were able to go forth to war ; 43Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Naphtali , were fifty and three thousand and four hundred . 44These are those that were numbered , which Moses and Aaron numbered , and the princes of Israel , being twelve men : each one was for the house of his fathers . 45So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel , by the house of their fathers , from twenty years old and upward , all that were able to go forth to war in Israel ; 46Even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty .
The Levites' Unique Role
47But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them. 48For the LORD had spoken unto Moses , saying , 49Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi , neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel : 50But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony , and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle , and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle . 51And when the tabernacle setteth forward , the Levites shall take it down : and when the tabernacle is to be pitched , the Levites shall set it up : and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death . 52And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents , every man by his own camp , and every man by his own standard , throughout their hosts . 53But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony , that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel : and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony . 54And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses , so did they.