1. יהוה spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
2. “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, every male, one by one;
3. From twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go out to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their divisions.
4. With you there shall be a man of every tribe; everyone the head of his fathers’ house.
5. These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: Of Reuben : Elizur, the son of Shedeur.
6. Of Simeon : Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai.
7. Of Judah : Nahshon , the son of Amminadab .
8. Of Issachar : Nethanel, the son of Zuar.
9. Of Zebulun : Eliab, the son of Helon.
10. Of the children of Joseph :
Of Ephraim : Elishama , the son of Ammihud . Of Manasseh : Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur.
11. Of Benjamin : Abidan, the son of Gideoni.
12. Of Dan : Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai.
13. Of Asher : Pagiel, the son of Ochran.
14. Of Gad : Eliasaph, the son of Deuel.
15. Of Naphtali : Ahira, the son of Enan.”
16. These are those who were called of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.
17. Moses and Aaron took these men who are mentioned by name.
18. They assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they declared their ancestry by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, one by one.
19. As יהוה commanded Moses , so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.
20. The children of Reuben , Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;
21. Those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben , were forty-six thousand five hundred.
22. Of the children of Simeon , their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, those who were numbered of it, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;
23. Those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Simeon , were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.
24. Of the children of Gad , their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;
25. Those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Gad , were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.
26. Of the children of Judah , their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;
27. Those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Judah , were seventy-four thousand six hundred.
28. Of the children of Issachar , their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;
29. Those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Issachar , were fifty-four thousand four hundred.
30. Of the children of Zebulun , their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;
31. Those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Zebulun , were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
32. Of the children of Joseph , of the children of Ephraim , their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;
33. Those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Ephraim , were forty thousand five hundred.
34. Of the children of Manasseh , their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;
35. Those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Manasseh , were thirty-two thousand two hundred.
36. Of the children of Benjamin , their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;
37. Those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Benjamin , were thirty-five thousand four hundred.
38. Of the children of Dan , their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war;
39. Those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Dan , were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
40. Of the children of Asher , their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war;
41.Those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Asher , were forty-one thousand five hundred.
42. Of the children of Naphtali , their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war;
43. Those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Naphtali , were fifty-three thousand four hundred.
44. These are those who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: they were each one for his fathers’ house.
45. So all those who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war in Israel;
46. Even all those who were numbered were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.
47. But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.
48. For יהוה spoke to Moses , saying,
49. “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, neither shall you take a census of them among the children of Israel;
50. But appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle, and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it.
51. When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
52. The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their divisions.
53. But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony.”
54. Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that יהוה commanded Moses , so they did.
Chapter 2
1. יהוה spoke to Moses and to Aaron , saying,
2. “The children of Israel shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses: at a distance from the tent of meeting shall they encamp around it.”
3. Those who encamp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah , according to their divisions: and the prince of the children of Judah shall be Nahshon , the son of Amminadab .
4. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.
5. Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar : and the prince of the children of Issachar shall be Nethanel, the son of Zuar.
6. His division, and those who were numbered of it, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.
7. The tribe of Zebulun : and the prince of the children of Zebulun shall be Eliab, the son of Helon.
8. His division, and those who were numbered of it, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
9. All who were numbered of the camp of Judah were one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out first.
10. “On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur, the son of Shedeur.
11. His division, and those who were numbered of it, were forty-six thousand five hundred.
12. “Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon . The prince of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai.
13. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.
14. “The tribe of Gad : and the prince of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph, the son of Reuel .
15. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.
16. “All those who were numbered of the camp of Reuben were one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty, according to their armies. They shall set out second.
17. “Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set out, every man in his place, by their standards.
18. “On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their divisions: and the prince of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama , the son of Ammihud .
19. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were forty thousand five hundred.
20. “Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh : and the prince of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur.
21. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.
22. “The tribe of Benjamin : and the prince of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan, the son of Gideoni.
23. His host, and those who were numbered of them, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.
24. “All who were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were one hundred eight thousand one hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out third.
25. “On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan according to their divisions: and the prince of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai.
26. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
27. “Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher : and the prince of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel, the son of Ochran.
28. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were forty-one thousand and five hundred.
29. “The tribe of Naphtali : and the prince of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira, the son of Enan.
30. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.
31. “All who were numbered of the camp of Dan were one hundred fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall set out last by their standards.”
32. These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were numbered of the camps according to their hosts were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.
33. But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel; as יהוה commanded Moses .
34. Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that יהוה commanded Moses , so they encamped by their standards, and so they set out, everyone by their families, according to their fathers’ houses.
Chapter 3
1. Now this is the history of the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that יהוה spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai.
2. These are the names of the sons of Aaron : Nadab , the firstborn, and Abihu , Eleazar , and Ithamar .
3. These are the names of the sons of Aaron , the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office.
4. Nadab and Abihu died before יהוה, when they offered strange fire before יהוה, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the presence of Aaron , their father.
5. יהוה spoke to Moses , saying,
6. “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron , the priest, that they may minister to him.
7. They shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.
8. They shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, and the obligations of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
9. You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the behalf of the children of Israel.
10. You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.”
11. יהוה spoke to Moses , saying,
12. “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine:
13. For all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I made holy to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be mine. I am יהוה.”
14. יהוה spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15. “Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shall you number.”
16. Moses numbered them according to the word of יהוה, as he was commanded.
17. These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon , and Kohath , and Merari .
18. These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei .
19. The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram , and Izhar , Hebron , and Uzziel .
20. The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi .
These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses.
21. Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites: these are the families of the Gershonites.
22. Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those who were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred.
23. The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.
24. The prince of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph, the son of Lael.
25. The charge of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting,
26. And the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and around the altar, and its cords for all of its service.
27. Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.
28. According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
29. The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the south side of the tabernacle.
30. The prince of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan, the son of Uzziel .
31. Their charge shall be the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all its service.
32. Eleazar , the son of Aaron , the priest, shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, with the oversight of those who keep the charge of the sanctuary.
33. Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari .
34. Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred.
35. The prince of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel, the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36. The appointed charge of the sons of Merari shall be the tabernacle’s boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its instruments, all its service,
37. The pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, and their cords.
38. Those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, in front of the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses , and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
39. All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of יהוה, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.
40. יהוה said to Moses , “Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
41. You shall take the Levites for me (I am יהוה) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the children of Israel.”
42. Moses numbered, as יהוה commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
43. All the firstborn males according to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.
44. יהוה spoke to Moses , saying,
45. “Take 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 יהוה.
46. For the redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who exceed the number of the Levites,
47. You shall take five shekels apiece for each one; after the shekel of the sanctuary you shall take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs):
48. And you shall give the money, with which the remainder of them is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.”
49. Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites;
50. From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
51. And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of יהוה, as יהוה commanded Moses .
Chapter 4
1. יהוה spoke to Moses and to Aaron , saying,
2. Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi , by their families, by their fathers’ houses,
3. From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all who enter into the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.
4. This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting, the most holy things.
5. When the camp moves forward, Aaron shall go in, and his sons, and they shall take down the veil of the screen, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it,
6. And shall put a covering of sealskin on it, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles.
7. On the table of show bread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the spoons, the bowls, and the cups with which to pour out; and the continual bread shall be on it.
8. They shall spread on them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.
9. They shall take a blue cloth, and cover the lampstand of the light, and its lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff dishes, and all its oil vessels, with which they minister to it.
10. They shall put it and all its vessels within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it on the frame.
11. On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.
12. They shall take all the vessels of ministry, with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth, and cover them with a covering of sealskin, and shall put them on the frame.
13. They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it.
14. They shall put on it all its vessels, with which they minister about it, the fire pans, the flesh hooks, the shovels, and the basins; all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of sealskin, and put in its poles.
15. “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the furniture of the sanctuary, as the camp moves forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it: but they shall not touch the sanctuary, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting.
16. “The charge of Eleazar , the son of Aaron . the priest shall be the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the continual meal offering, and the anointing oil, the charge of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, the sanctuary, and its furnishings.”
17. יהוה spoke to Moses and to Aaron , saying,
18. “Don’t cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites;
19. But thus do to them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach to the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them everyone to his service and to his burden;
20. But they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die.”
Haftarah - Hosea 2:1-2:22
1.“Say to your brothers, ‘My people!’ and to your sisters, ‘My loved one!’
2. Contend with your mother! Contend, for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband; and let her put away her prostitution from her face, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
3. Lest I strip her naked, and make her bare as in the day that she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and kill her with thirst.
4. Indeed, on her children I will have no mercy; for they are children of unfaithfulness;
5. For their mother has played the prostitute. She who conceived them has done shamefully; for she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’
6. Therefore behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, that she can’t find her way.
7. She will follow after her lovers, but she won’t overtake them; and she will seek them, but won’t find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.’
8. For she did not know that I gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil, and multiplied to her silver and gold, which they used for Baal.
9. Therefore I will take back my grain in its time, and my new wine in its season, and will pluck away my wool and my flax which should have covered her nakedness.
10. Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and no one will deliver her out of my hand.
11. I will also cause all her celebrations to cease: her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her solemn assemblies.
12. I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, about which she has said, ‘These are my wages that my lovers have given me; and I will make them a forest,’ and the animals of the field shall eat them.
13. I will visit on her the days of the Baals, to which she burned incense, when she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and went after her lovers, and forgot me,” says יהוה .
14. “Therefore behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.
15. I will give her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she will respond there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
16. It will be in that day,” says יהוה , “that you will call me ‘my husband,’ and no longer call me ‘my master.’
17. For I will take away the names of the Baals out of her mouth, and they will no longer be mentioned by name.
18. In that day I will make a covenant for them with the animals of the field, and with the birds of the sky, and with the creeping things of the ground. I will break the bow, the sword, and the battle out of the land, and will make them lie down safely.
19. I will betroth you to me forever. Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness, and in compassion.
20. I will even betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know יהוה .
21. It will happen in that day, I will respond,” says יהוה , “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth;
22. And the earth will respond to the grain, and the new wine, and the oil; and they will respond to Jezreel.
Etz Chaim
It is a tree of life for those who cling to it,
and those who uphold it are happy.
Its ways are pleasant and all of its paths peaceful.
Return us to You, Lord, so that we shall return,
Renew our days, as of old.