Numbers 3

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 These were the descendants of Aaron and Moses, at the time when Yahweh spoke to Moses onMount Sinai.	1 The following were the descendants of Aaron and Moses at the time that the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.
2 These were the names of Aaron's sons: Nadab the eldest, then Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.	2 The sons of Aaron were Nadab his first-born, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 Such were the names of Aaron's sons, priests anointed and invested with the powers of thepriesthood.	3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests who were ordained to exercise the priesthood.
4 Nadab and Abihu died in Yahweh's presence, in the desert of Sinai, when they offered unauthorisedfire before Yahweh. They left no children and so it fel to Eleazar and Ithamar to exercise the priesthood undertheir father Aaron.	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.
5 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:	5 Now the LORD said to Moses:
6 'Muster the tribe of Levi and put it at the disposal of the priest Aaron: they must be at his service.	6 "Summon the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest, as his assistants.
7 They wil undertake the duties incumbent on him and the whole community before the Tent of Meeting,in serving the Dwel ing,	7 They shall discharge his obligations and those of the whole community before the meeting tent by serving at the Dwelling.
8 and they will be in charge of al the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and undertake the dutiesincumbent on the Israelites in serving the Dwel ing.	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.
9 You wil present the Levites to Aaron and his sons as men dedicated; they wil be given to him by theIsraelites.	9 You shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been set aside from among the Israelites as dedicated to me.
10 'You will register Aaron and his sons, who wil carry out their priestly duty. But any unauthorisedperson who comes near must be put to death.'	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."
11 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:	11 The LORD said to Moses,
12 'Look, I myself have chosen the Levites from the Israelites instead of all the first-born, those whoemerge first from the womb in Israel; the Levites therefore belong to me.	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,
13 For every first-born belongs to me. On the day when I struck down al the first-born in Egypt, Iconsecrated al the first-born in Israel, human and animal, to be my own. They are mine, Yahweh's.'	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."
14 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai and said:	14 The LORD said to Moses in the desert of Sinai,
15 'You must take a census of Levi's descendants by families and clans; al the males of the age of onemonth and over wil be counted.'	15 "Take a census of the Levites by ancestral houses and clans, registering every male of a month or more."
16 At Yahweh's word Moses took a census of them, as Yahweh had ordered.	16 Moses, therefore, took their census in accordance with the command the LORD had given him.
17 These were the names of Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.	17 The sons of Levi were named Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
18 These were the names of Gershon's sons by their clans: Libni and Shimei;	18 The descendants of Gershon, by clans, were named Libni and Shimei.
19 Kohath's sons by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel;	19 The descendants of Kohath, by clans, were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
20 Merari's sons by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi, grouped by families.	20 The descendants of Merari, by clans, were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites by ancestral houses.
21 From Gershon were descended the Libnite and Shimeite clans; these were the Gershonite clans.	21 To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites.
22 Their ful number, counting the males of one month and over, came to seven thousand five hundred.	22 When all their males of a month or more were registered, they numbered seven thousand five hundred.
23 The Gershonite clans pitched their camp behind the Dwelling, on the west side.	23 The clans of the Gershonites camped behind the Dwelling, to the west.
24 The leader of the House of Gershon was Eliasaph son of Lael.	24 The prince of their ancestral house was Eliasaph, son of Lael.
25 As regards the Tent of Meeting, the Gershonites had charge of the Dwel ing, the Tent and itscovering, the screen for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,	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,
26 the curtaining of the court, the screen for the entrance to the court surrounding the Dwel ing and thealtar, and the cords required in dealing with al this.	26 the hangings of the court, the curtain at the entrance of the court enclosing both the Dwelling and the altar, and the ropes.
27 From Kohath were descended the Amramite, Izharite, Hebronite and Uzzielite clans; these were theKohathite clans.	27 To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these were the clans of the Kohathites.
28 Their ful number, counting the males of one month and over, came to eight thousand three hundred.They were in charge of the sanctuary.	28 When all their males of a month or more were registered, they numbered eight thousand three hundred. They had charge of the sanctuary.
29 The Kohathite clans pitched their camp on the south side of the Dwel ing.	29 The clans of the Kohathites camped at the south side of the Dwelling.
30 The leader of the house of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.	30 The prince of their ancestral house was Elizaphan, son of Uzziel.
31 They were in charge of the ark, the table, the lamp-stand, the altars, the sacred vessels used in theliturgy, and the curtain with al its fittings.	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.
32 The chief of the Levite leaders was Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest. He supervised the peopleresponsible for the sanctuary.	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.
33 From Merari were descended the Mahlite and Mushite clans; these were the Merarite clans.	33 To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the clans of Merari.
34 Their ful number, counting the males of one month and over, came to six thousand two hundred.	34 When all their males of a month or more were registered, they numbered six thousand two hundred.
35 The leader of the House of the Merarite clans was Zuriel, son of Abihail. They pitched their camp onthe north side of the Dwel ing.	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.
36 The Merarites were in charge of the framework of the Dwelling, with its crossbars, poles, sockets andal its accessories and fittings,	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,
37 and also the poles round the court, with their sockets, pegs and cords.	37 as well as the columns of the surrounding court with their pedestals, pegs and ropes.
38 Final y, on the east side, in front of the Dwel ing, in front of the Tent of Meeting, towards the east, wasthe camp of Moses and Aaron and his sons, who had charge of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyunauthorised person coming near was to be put to death.	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.
39 The total number of male Levites of the age of one month and over, whom Moses counted by clansas Yahweh had ordered, came to twenty-two thousand.	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.
40 Yahweh said to Moses: 'Take a census of al the first-born of the Israelites, al the males from the ageof one month and over; take a census of them by name.	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.
41 You will then present the Levites to me, Yahweh, instead of Israel, and similarly the Levites' cattleinstead of the first-born cattle of the Israelites.'	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."
42 As Yahweh ordered, Moses took a census of al the first-born of the Israelites.	42 So Moses took a census of all the first-born of the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him.
43 The total count, by name, of the first-born from the age of one month and over came to twenty-twothousand two hundred and seventy-three.	43 When all the first-born males of a month or more were registered, they numbered twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
44 Yahweh then spoke to Moses and said:	44 The LORD said to Moses:
45 'Take the Levites instead of al the first-born of the Israelites, and the Levites' cattle instead of theircattle; the Levites will be mine, Yahweh's.	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.
46 For the ransom of the two hundred and seventy-three first-born of the Israelites in excess of thenumber of Levites,	46 As ransom for the two hundred and seventy-three first-born of the Israelites who outnumber the Levites,
47 you wil take five shekels for each, by the sanctuary shekel, at twenty gerah to the shekel;	47 you shall take five shekels for each individual, according to the standard of the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel.
48 you wil then give this money to Aaron and his sons as the ransom for the extra number.'	48 Give this silver to Aaron and his sons as ransom for the extra number."
49 Moses took the ransom money for the extra ones unransomed by the Levites;	49 So Moses took the silver as ransom from those who were left when the rest had been redeemed by the Levites.
50 he took the money for the first-born of the Israelites: one thousand three hundred and sixty-fiveshekels, by the sanctuary shekel;	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.
51 and Moses then handed over their ransom money to Aaron and his sons, at Yahweh's bidding, asYahweh had ordered Moses.	51 He then gave this ransom silver to Aaron and his sons, as the LORD had commanded him.