Numbers 3

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 The following were the descendants of Aaron and Moses at the time that the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.	1 These are the generations of Aaron and Moses, in the day when the Lord spoke to Moses on mount Sinai.
2 The sons of Aaron were Nadab his first-born, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.	2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: his firstborn Nadab, then Abihu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests who were ordained to exercise the priesthood.	3 These the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed and whose hands were filled and consecrated in order to exercise the priesthood.
4 But when Nadab and Abihu offered profane fire before the LORD in the desert of Sinai, they met death in the presence of the LORD, and left no sons. Thereafter only Eleazar and Ithamar performed the priestly functions under the direction of their father Aaron.	4 For Nadab and Abihu died without children, when they offered, in the sight of the Lord, a strange fire, in the desert of Sinai. And so, Eleazar and Ithamar exercised the priesthood in the sight of Aaron, their father.
5 Now the LORD said to Moses:	5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
6 "Summon the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest, as his assistants.	6 “Bring forward the tribe of Levi, and cause them to stand in the sight of Aaron the priest, in order to minister to him. And let them keep watch outside,
7 They shall discharge his obligations and those of the whole community before the meeting tent by serving at the Dwelling.	7 and let them observe whatever pertains to the ritual for the multitude, in front of the tabernacle of the testimony,
8 They shall have custody of all the furnishings of the meeting tent and discharge the duties of the Israelites in the service of the Dwelling.	8 and let them take care of the vessels of the tabernacle, serving in its ministry.
9 You shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been set aside from among the Israelites as dedicated to me.	9 And you shall give the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons; for they have been delivered to them by the sons of Israel.
10 But only Aaron and his descendants shall you appoint to have charge of the priestly functions. Any layman who comes near shall be put to death."	10 But you shall appoint Aaron and his sons over the service of priesthood. The outsider who approaches to minister shall be put to death.”
11 The LORD said to Moses,	11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
12 "It is I who have chosen the Levites from the Israelites in place of every first-born that opens the womb among the Israelites. The Levites, therefore, are mine,	12 “I have taken the Levites from the sons of Israel. For the Levites, and all the firstborn who open the womb among the sons of Israel, shall be mine.
13 because every first-born is mine. When I slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, I made all the first-born in Israel sacred to me, both of man and of beast. They belong to me; I am the LORD."	13 For every firstborn is mine. From the time that I struck the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I have sanctified for myself whatever is born first in Israel. From man, even to beast, they are mine. I am the Lord.”
14 The LORD said to Moses in the desert of Sinai,	14 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying:
15 "Take a census of the Levites by ancestral houses and clans, registering every male of a month or more."	15 “Number the sons of Levi by the houses of their fathers and their families, every male from one month and above.”
16 Moses, therefore, took their census in accordance with the command the LORD had given him.	16 Moses numbered them, just as the Lord had instructed,
17 The sons of Levi were named Gershon, Kohath and Merari.	17 and there were found the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
18 The descendants of Gershon, by clans, were named Libni and Shimei.	18 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei.
19 The descendants of Kohath, by clans, were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.	19 The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
20 The descendants of Merari, by clans, were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites by ancestral houses.	20 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.
21 To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites.	21 From Gershon were two families: the Libnites, and the Shimeites.
22 When all their males of a month or more were registered, they numbered seven thousand five hundred.	22 The people of these were numbered, of the male sex, from one month and above: seven thousand five hundred.
23 The clans of the Gershonites camped behind the Dwelling, to the west.	23 These shall encamp behind the tabernacle, toward the west,
24 The prince of their ancestral house was Eliasaph, son of Lael.	24 under the leader Eliasaph the son of Lael.
25 At the meeting tent they had charge of whatever pertained to the Dwelling, the tent and its covering, the curtain at the entrance of the meeting tent,	25 And they shall keep watch over the tabernacle of the covenant:
26 the hangings of the court, the curtain at the entrance of the court enclosing both the Dwelling and the altar, and the ropes.	26 the tabernacle itself, and its covering; the tent that is drawn before the doors of the covering of the covenant; and the curtains of the atrium; likewise, the tent that is suspended at the entrance of the atrium of the tabernacle; and whatever pertains to the ritual of the altar; the cords of the tabernacle and all its implements.
27 To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these were the clans of the Kohathites.	27 The kinship of Kohath includes the peoples of the Amramites and Izharites and Hebronites and Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites, having been counted by their names,
28 When all their males of a month or more were registered, they numbered eight thousand three hundred. They had charge of the sanctuary.	28 all those of the male gender, from one month and above: eight thousand six hundred. They shall keep watch over the Sanctuary,
29 The clans of the Kohathites camped at the south side of the Dwelling.	29 and they shall encamp toward the south side.
30 The prince of their ancestral house was Elizaphan, son of Uzziel.	30 And their leader shall be Elisaphan the son of Uzziel.
31 They had charge of whatever pertained to the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils with which the ministry of the sanctuary was exercised, and the veil.	31 And they shall take care of the ark, and the table and the lampstand, the altars and the vessels of the Sanctuary, by which they minister, and the veil, and all the articles of this kind.
32 The chief prince of the Levites, however, was Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest; he was supervisor over those who had charge of the sanctuary.	32 But the leader of the leaders of the Levites, Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, shall be over those who watch over the care of the Sanctuary.
33 To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the clans of Merari.	33 And truly, from Merari are the peoples of the Mahlites and Mushites, having been counted by their names,
34 When all their males of a month or more were registered, they numbered six thousand two hundred.	34 all those of the male gender, from one month and above: six thousand two hundred.
35 The prince of the ancestral house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel, son of Abihail. They camped at the north side of the Dwelling.	35 Their leader is Suriel the son of Abihaiel. They shall make camp on the north side.
36 The Merarites were charged with the care of whatever pertained to the boards of the Dwelling, its bars, columns, pedestals, and all its fittings,	36 Under their care shall be the panels of the tabernacle, and the bars, and the columns with their bases, and all the things which pertain to service of this kind,
37 as well as the columns of the surrounding court with their pedestals, pegs and ropes.	37 and the columns of the surrounding atrium with their bases, and the tent pegs with their cords.
38 East of the Dwelling, that is, in front of the meeting tent, toward the sunrise, were camped Moses and Aaron and the latter's sons. They discharged the obligations of the sanctuary for the Israelites. Any layman who came near was to be put to death.	38 Moses and Aaron, with their sons, shall make camp before the tabernacle of the covenant, that is, on the east side, holding the custody of the Sanctuary in the midst of the sons of Israel. Whatever foreigner approaches it shall die.
39 The total number of male Levites a month old or more whom Moses had registered by clans in keeping with the LORD'S command, was twenty-two thousand.	39 All the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered by their families according to the precept of the Lord, of the male gender, from one month and above, were twenty-two thousand.
40 The LORD then said to Moses, "Take a census of all the first-born males of the Israelites a month old or more, and compute their total number.	40 And the Lord said to Moses: “Number the firstborn of the male sex from the sons of Israel, from one month and above, and you shall take their total.
41 Then assign the Levites to me, the LORD, in place of all the first-born of the Israelites, as well as their cattle in place of all the first-born among the cattle of the Israelites."	41 And you shall bring the Levites to me, in place of all the firstborn of the sons of Israel, and you shall bring their cattle to me, in place of all the firstborn of the cattle of the sons of Israel. I am the Lord.”
42 So Moses took a census of all the first-born of the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him.	42 Moses took a census, just as the Lord had instructed, of the firstborn of the sons of Israel.
43 When all the first-born males of a month or more were registered, they numbered twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.	43 And the males by their names, from one month and above, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.
44 The LORD said to Moses:	44 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
45 "Take the Levites in place of all the first-born of the Israelites, and the Levites' cattle in place of their cattle, that the Levites may belong to me. I am the LORD.	45 “Take the Levites, in place of the firstborn of the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites, in place of their cattle, and so the Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord.
46 As ransom for the two hundred and seventy-three first-born of the Israelites who outnumber the Levites,	46 But for the price of the two hundred and seventy-three, which exceed the number of the Levites compared to the number of firstborn of the sons of Israel,
47 you shall take five shekels for each individual, according to the standard of the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel.	47 you shall take five shekels for each head, by the measure of the Sanctuary. A shekel has twenty obols.
48 Give this silver to Aaron and his sons as ransom for the extra number."	48 And you shall give the money to Aaron and his sons as the price of those that are in excess.”
49 So Moses took the silver as ransom from those who were left when the rest had been redeemed by the Levites.	49 Therefore, Moses took the money for those that were in excess, and whom they had redeemed from the Levites
50 From the first-born of the Israelites he received in silver one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels according to the sanctuary standard.	50 in place of the firstborn of the sons of Israel: one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, according to the weight of the Sanctuary.
51 He then gave this ransom silver to Aaron and his sons, as the LORD had commanded him.	51 And he gave it to Aaron and his sons, according to the word by which the Lord had instructed him.