1 Now these are the descendants of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
2 The names of Aaron's sons were Nadab, the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 Those are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he installed to act as priests.
4 Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they brought strange fire near before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai; they had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in their father Aaron's lifetime.
5 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
6 "Bring the tribe of Levi forward and have them stand before Aaron the priest to assist him.
7 They are to carry out the duties owed to him and to the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, doing the work of the tabernacle.
8 They are to look after all the utensils of the tent of meeting and carry out the duties of the children of Israel, doing the work of the tabernacle.
9 Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; out of the children of Israel they are given to him, given outright.
10 Appoint Aaron and his sons to attend to their priesthood. Any outsider who comes near shall be put to death."
11 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
12 "I myself, see, have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn that opens the womb among the children of Israel; so the Levites belong to me.
13 Every firstborn is mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, man and beast alike. They are mine. I am the LORD."
14 The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15 "Register the descendants of Levi by the house of their fathers and by their clans. You are to register every male a month old and above."
16 So Moses registered them at the word of the LORD, as he had been commanded.
17 The sons of Levi, by name, were these: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18 And the names of Gershon's sons by their clans were Libni and Shimei.
19 Kohath's sons by their clans were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20 Merari's sons by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. Those were the clans of the Levites by the house of their fathers.
21 From Gershon came the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; those were the Gershonite clans.
22 Their registered men, counting every male a month old and above, came to seven thousand five hundred.
23 The Gershonite clans were to encamp behind the tabernacle, to the west.
24 The chief of the father's house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.
25 In the tent of meeting the sons of Gershon were in charge of the tabernacle and the tent with its covering, the screen at the entrance of the tent of meeting,
26 the hangings of the courtyard, the screen at the entrance of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and its ropes—all the work connected with these.
27 From Kohath came the clan of the Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan of the Uzzielites; those were the Kohathite clans.
28 Counting every male a month old and above, there were eight thousand six hundred, who had charge of the sanctuary.
29 The clans of the sons of Kohath were to encamp along the south side of the tabernacle.
30 The chief of the father's house of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31 They were in charge of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary used in ministering, and the screen—all the work connected with these.
32 The chief over the chiefs of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, who oversaw those in charge of the sanctuary.
33 From Merari came the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites; those were the Merarite clans.
34 Their registered men, counting every male a month old and above, came to six thousand two hundred.
35 The chief of the father's house of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail. They were to encamp along the north side of the tabernacle.
36 The sons of Merari were assigned the care of the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its bases, and all its fittings—all the work connected with these—
37 and the pillars around the courtyard with their bases, their tent pegs, and their ropes.
38 Those encamped in front of the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, who had charge of the sanctuary, carrying out the duty for the children of Israel. Any outsider who came near was to be put to death.
39 All the registered Levites, whom Moses and Aaron registered by their clans at the word of the LORD, every male a month old and above, came to twenty-two thousand.
40 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Register every firstborn male of the children of Israel a month old and above, and make a list of their names.
41 Take the Levites for me—I am the LORD—in place of every firstborn among the children of Israel, and the Levites' livestock in place of every firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel."
42 Moses registered every firstborn among the children of Israel, as the LORD had commanded him.
43 All the firstborn males a month old and above, listed by name, as registered, came to twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
44 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
45 "Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the children of Israel, and the Levites' livestock in place of their livestock. The Levites shall be mine. I am the LORD.
46 To ransom the two hundred and seventy-three firstborn of the children of Israel who outnumber the Levites,
47 collect five shekels for each head, by the shekel of the sanctuary—twenty gerahs to the shekel.
48 Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the ransom of the surplus among them."
49 So Moses collected the ransom money from those who were left over beyond the ones ransomed by the Levites.
50 From the firstborn of the children of Israel he collected the money: one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels by the shekel of the sanctuary.
51 Then Moses handed over the ransom money to Aaron and his sons at the word of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.