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 livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock 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 livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock; 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 .