CHAPTER 3
Nadab
and Abihu, however,
died
in the presence
of the LORD
when they offered
strange
fire
before
the LORD
in the Wilderness
of Sinai.
And since they had
no
sons,
only Eleazar
and Ithamar
served as priests
during
the lifetime
of their father
Aaron.
They are to perform
duties for him
and for the whole
congregation
before
the Tent
of Meeting,
attending
to the service
of the tabernacle.
They shall take care of
all
the furnishings
of the Tent
of Meeting
and
fulfill obligations
for the Israelites
by attending
to the service
of the tabernacle.
Assign
the Levites
to Aaron
and his sons;
they
have been given exclusively
to him
from among
the Israelites.
So
you shall appoint
Aaron
and his sons
to carry out
the duties of the priesthood;
but any layman
who approaches the tabernacle
must be put to death.”
“Behold,
I
have taken
the Levites
from among
the children
of Israel
in place of
every
firstborn
Israelite
from the womb.
The Levites
belong
to Me,
because
all
the firstborn
are Mine.
On the day
I struck down
every
firstborn
in the land
of Egypt,
I consecrated
to Myself
all
the firstborn
in Israel,
both man
and
beast.
They are Mine;
I
am the LORD.”
“Register
the Levites
by their families
and clans.
You are to count
every
male
a month old
or more.”
And the sons
of Merari
by their clans
were Mahli
and Mushi.
These
were
the clans
of the Levites,
according to their families.
The duties
of the Gershonites
at the Tent
of Meeting
were the tabernacle
and tent,
its covering,
the curtain
for the entrance
to the Tent
of Meeting,
the curtains
of the courtyard,
the curtain
for the entrance
to the courtyard
that
surrounds
the tabernacle
and altar,
and the cords—
all
the service for these items.
From Kohath came
the clans
of the Amramites,
the Izharites,
the Hebronites,
and the Uzzielites;
these
were the clans
of the Kohathites.
The number
of all
the males
a month old
or more
was 8,600.
They were responsible for
the duties
of the sanctuary.
Their duties
were the ark,
the table,
the lampstand,
the altars,
the articles
of the sanctuary
used with them,
and the curtain—
all
the service for these items.
The chief
of the leaders
of the Levites
was Eleazar
son
of Aaron
the priest;
he oversaw
those responsible for
the duties
of the sanctuary.
The leader
of the families
of the Merarites
was Zuriel
son
of Abihail;
they were to camp
on
the north
side
of the tabernacle.
The duties
assigned
to the sons
of Merari
were the tabernacle’s
frames,
crossbars,
posts,
bases,
all
its equipment,
and all
the service of these items,
Moses,
Aaron,
and Aaron's sons
were to camp
to the east
of the tabernacle,
toward the sunrise,
before
the Tent
of Meeting.
They were to perform
the duties
of the sanctuary
as a service
on behalf of the Israelites;
but any outsider
who approached the sanctuary
was to be put to death.
The total
number
of Levites
that
Moses
and Aaron
registered
by their clans
at
the LORD’s
command,
including all
the males
a month old
or more,
was 22,000.
Then the LORD
said
to Moses,
“Number
every
firstborn
male
of the Israelites
a month old
or more,
and list
their names.
You are to take
the Levites
for Me—
I
am the LORD—
in place of
all
the firstborn
of Israel,
and the livestock
of the Levites
in place of
all
the firstborn
of the livestock
of the Israelites.”
“Take
the Levites
in place
of all
the firstborn
of Israel,
and the cattle
of the Levites
in place of
their cattle.
The Levites
belong to Me;
I
am the LORD.
you are to collect
five
shekels
for each one,
according to the sanctuary
shekel
of twenty
gerahs.
Give
the money
to Aaron
and his sons
as the redemption price
for the excess
among the Israelites.”
So Moses
collected
the redemption
money
from those in excess
of
the number redeemed
by the Levites.
He collected
the money
from the firstborn
of the Israelites,
1,365
shekels,
according to the sanctuary shekel.
And Moses
gave
the redemption
money
to Aaron
and his sons
in obedience to
the word
of the LORD,
just as
the LORD
had commanded
him.