1These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spake with Moses in mount Sinai . 2And these are the names of the sons of Aaron ; Nadab the firstborn , and Abihu , Eleazar , and Ithamar . 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron , the priests which were anointed , whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office . 4And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD , when they offered strange fire before the LORD , in the wilderness of Sinai , and they had no children : and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the sight of Aaron their father . 5And the LORD spake unto Moses , saying , 6Bring the tribe of Levi near , and present them before Aaron the priest , that they may minister unto him. 7And they shall keep his charge , and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation , to do the service of the tabernacle . 8And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation , and the charge of the children of Israel , to do the service of the tabernacle . 9And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons : they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel . 10And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons , and they shall wait on their priest’s office : and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death .
The Census of the Levites
11And the LORD spake unto Moses , saying , 12And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel : therefore the Levites shall be mine; 13Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel , both man and beast : mine shall they be: I am the LORD . 14And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai , saying , 15Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers , by their families : every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them. 16And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD , as he was commanded . 17And these were the sons of Levi by their names ; Gershon , and Kohath , and Merari . 18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families ; Libni , and Shimei . 19And the sons of Kohath by their families ; Amram , and Izehar , Hebron , and Uzziel . 20And the sons of Merari by their families ; Mahli , and Mushi . These are families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers .
The Redemption of the Firstborn
21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites , and the family of the Shimites : these are the families of the Gershonites . 22Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males , from a month old and upward , even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred . 23The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward . 24And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael . 25And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle , and the tent , the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation , 26And the hangings of the court , and the curtain for the door of the court , which is by the tabernacle , and by the altar round about , and the cords of it for all the service thereof. 27And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites , and the family of the Izeharites , and the family of the Hebronites , and the family of the Uzzielites : these are the families of the Kohathites . 28In the number of all the males , from a month old and upward , were eight thousand and six hundred , keeping the charge of the sanctuary . 29The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward . 30And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel . 31And their charge shall be the ark , and the table , and the candlestick , and the altars , and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister , and the hanging , and all the service thereof. 32And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites , and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary . 33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites , and the family of the Mushites : these are the families of Merari . 34And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males , from a month old and upward , were six thousand and two hundred . 35And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail : these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward . 36And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle , and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto, 37And the pillars of the court round about , and their sockets , and their pins , and their cords . 38But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east , even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward , shall be Moses , and Aaron and his sons , keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel ; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death . 39All that were numbered of the Levites , which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD , throughout their families , all the males from a month old and upward , were twenty and two thousand .
The Duties of the Levites
40And the LORD said unto Moses , Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward , and take the number of their names . 41And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD ) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel ; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel . 42And Moses numbered , as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel . 43And all the firstborn males by the number of names , from a month old and upward , of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen . 44And the LORD spake unto Moses , saying , 45Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel , and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle ; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD . 46And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel , which are more than the Levites ; 47Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll , after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs :) 48And thou shalt give the money , wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed , unto Aaron and to his sons . 49And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites : 50Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money ; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels , after the shekel of the sanctuary : 51And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons , according to the word of the LORD , as the LORD commanded Moses .