Numbers 3

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 These were the descendants of Aaron and Moses, at the time when Yahweh spoke to Moses onMount Sinai.	1 These are the generations of Aaron and Moses, in the day when 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 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: his firstborn Nadab, then Abihu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 Such were the names of Aaron's sons, priests anointed and invested with the powers of thepriesthood.	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 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 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 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:	5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
6 'Muster the tribe of Levi and put it at the disposal of the priest Aaron: they must be at his service.	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 wil undertake the duties incumbent on him and the whole community before the Tent of Meeting,in serving the Dwel ing,	7 and let them observe whatever pertains to the ritual for the multitude, in front of the tabernacle of the testimony,
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 and let them take care of the vessels of the tabernacle, serving in its ministry.
9 You wil present the Levites to Aaron and his sons as men dedicated; they wil be given to him by theIsraelites.	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 '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 you shall appoint Aaron and his sons over the service of priesthood. The outsider who approaches to minister shall be put to death.”
11 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:	11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
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 “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 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 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 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai and said:	14 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying:
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 “Number the sons of Levi by the houses of their fathers and their families, every male from one month and above.”
16 At Yahweh's word Moses took a census of them, as Yahweh had ordered.	16 Moses numbered them, just as the Lord had instructed,
17 These were the names of Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.	17 and there were found the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
18 These were the names of Gershon's sons by their clans: Libni and Shimei;	18 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei.
19 Kohath's sons by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel;	19 The sons of Kohath: Amram, and 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 sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.
21 From Gershon were descended the Libnite and Shimeite clans; these were the Gershonite clans.	21 From Gershon were two families: the Libnites, and the Shimeites.
22 Their ful number, counting the males of one month and over, came to 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 Gershonite clans pitched their camp behind the Dwelling, on the west side.	23 These shall encamp behind the tabernacle, toward the west,
24 The leader of the House of Gershon was Eliasaph son of Lael.	24 under the leader Eliasaph the 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 And they shall keep watch over the tabernacle of the covenant:
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 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 From Kohath were descended the Amramite, Izharite, Hebronite and Uzzielite clans; these were theKohathite clans.	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 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 all those of the male gender, from one month and above: eight thousand six hundred. They shall keep watch over the Sanctuary,
29 The Kohathite clans pitched their camp on the south side of the Dwel ing.	29 and they shall encamp toward the south side.
30 The leader of the house of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.	30 And their leader shall be Elisaphan the 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 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 of the Levite leaders was Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest. He supervised the peopleresponsible for 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 From Merari were descended the Mahlite and Mushite clans; these were the Merarite clans.	33 And truly, from Merari are the peoples of the Mahlites and Mushites, having been counted by their names,
34 Their ful number, counting the males of one month and over, came to six thousand two hundred.	34 all those of the male gender, from one month and above: 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 Their leader is Suriel the son of Abihaiel. They shall make camp on the north side.
36 The Merarites were in charge of the framework of the Dwelling, with its crossbars, poles, sockets andal its accessories and 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 and also the poles round the court, with their sockets, pegs and cords.	37 and the columns of the surrounding atrium with their bases, and the tent pegs with their cords.
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 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 of the age of one month and over, whom Moses counted by clansas Yahweh had ordered, came to 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 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 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 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 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 As Yahweh ordered, Moses took a census of al the first-born of the Israelites.	42 Moses took a census, just as the Lord had instructed, of the firstborn of the sons of Israel.
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 And the males by their names, from one month and above, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.
44 Yahweh then spoke to Moses and said:	44 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
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 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 For the ransom of the two hundred and seventy-three first-born of the Israelites in excess of thenumber of 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 wil take five shekels for each, by the sanctuary shekel, at twenty gerah to the shekel;	47 you shall take five shekels for each head, by the measure of the Sanctuary. A shekel has twenty obols.
48 you wil then give this money to Aaron and his sons as the 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 Moses took the ransom money for the extra ones unransomed by the Levites;	49 Therefore, Moses took the money for those that were in excess, and whom they had redeemed from 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 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 and Moses then handed over their ransom money to Aaron and his sons, at Yahweh's bidding, asYahweh had ordered Moses.	51 And he gave it to Aaron and his sons, according to the word by which the Lord had instructed him.