1These are the family records of Aaron and Moses, from the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed. He set them apart to serve as priests.
4But Nadab and Abihu died in front of the LORD when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the desert of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests while their father Aaron was alive.
5The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
7"They shall take care of his duties and the duties of the whole people in front of the tent of meeting, doing the work of the tabernacle."
8"They shall look after all the equipment of the tent of meeting, and carry out the duties of the people of Israel, doing the work of the tabernacle."
9"You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are given to him completely from among the people of Israel."
10"You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall carry out the work of the priests. Any stranger who comes near shall be put to death."
11The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
12"Look, I myself have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel in place of every firstborn son who is first to open the womb among the people of Israel. So the Levites shall be mine."
13"For every firstborn is mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, both people and animals. They shall be mine. I am the LORD."
14The LORD spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai and said,
15"Count the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses and by their families. Count every male who is a month old or more."
16So Moses counted them at the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.
17These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.
19The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites, by their fathers' houses.
21From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites. These are the families of the Gershonites.
22The number of them, counting all the males a month old and more, was seven thousand five hundred.
23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle, on the west side.
24The leader of the fathers' house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.
25The duty of the sons of Gershon at the tent of meeting was the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, and the screen for the door of the tent of meeting,
26the hangings of the courtyard, the curtain for the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and its ropes, with all the work that goes with them.
27From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izeharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites.
28Counting all the males a month old and more, there were eight thousand six hundred, who took care of the holy place.
29The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp at the south side of the tabernacle.
30The leader of the fathers' house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31Their duty was the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the holy place used in serving, the screen, and all the work that goes with them.
32Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was chief over the leaders of the Levites, and he watched over those who took care of the holy place.
33From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari.
34The number of them, counting all the males a month old and more, was six thousand two hundred.
35The leader of the fathers' house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp at the north side of the tabernacle.
36The sons of Merari were put in charge of the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its bases, all its equipment, and everything used with it,
37and the pillars all around the courtyard, with their bases, their pegs, and their ropes.
38Those who camped in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses, and Aaron and his sons. They took care of the holy place for the people of Israel. Any stranger who came near was to be put to death.
39All the Levites who were counted, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the command of the LORD, family by family, all the males a month old and more, came to twenty-two thousand.
40The LORD said to Moses, "Count all the firstborn males of the people of Israel a month old and more, and write down the number of their names."
41"You shall take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) in place of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the cattle of the people of Israel."
42So Moses counted all the firstborn among the people of Israel, as the LORD had commanded him.
43All the firstborn males, counted by name, a month old and more, came to twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
44The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
45"Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites in place of their cattle. The Levites shall be mine. I am the LORD."
46"And for the two hundred and seventy-three firstborn of the people of Israel who must be bought back, since they are more than the Levites,"
47"you shall take five shekels for each one. Take them by the shekel of the holy place (the shekel is twenty gerahs)."
48"You shall give the money, the price for buying back those who are more in number, to Aaron and his sons."
49So Moses took the money paid to buy back those who were more than the ones redeemed by the Levites.
50He took the money from the firstborn of the people of Israel: one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, by the shekel of the holy place.