Numbers 3 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
This is the of Aaron and Moses at the time when Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount
These are the names of Aaron's sons: Nadab the then Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
These are the names of Aaron's sons — the priests who were to serve as priests.
But Nadab and Abihu died in when they offered before Yahweh in the Sinai wilderness. They had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests alongside their father Aaron.
Yahweh said to Moses:
"Bring the of forward and present them to Aaron the priest so they can assist him.
They will carry out duties for him and for the whole community in front of the doing the work of the
They will take care of all the equipment of the Meeting Tent, carrying out duties on behalf of the Israelites by doing the work of the Dwelling Place.
Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are the ones to him from among the Israelites.
Appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will their Any who comes near must be put to death."
Yahweh said to Moses:
"Look — I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of every son who the among the Israelites. The Levites belong to me,
because every firstborn is mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in Egypt, I every firstborn in Israel for myself — both people and animals. They are mine. I am Yahweh."
Yahweh said to Moses in the Sinai wilderness:
"Count the descendants of Levi by their and clans. Count every male or older."
So Moses counted them, just as Yahweh's word had commanded.
These were Levi's sons by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
These were the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei.
The sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
The sons of Merari by their Mahli and Mushi. These were the of the Levites, listed by their ancestral families.
From Gershon came the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites. These were the Gershonite clans.
The total number of males one month old or older who were counted came to 7,500.
The Gershonite clans were to set up camp behind the Dwelling Place, on the west side.
The leader of the Gershonite ancestral family was Eliasaph son of Lael.
The Gershonites were responsible for taking care of the Dwelling Place itself and its outer tent — its covering, the at the entrance of the Meeting Tent,
the curtains of the the screen at the entrance of the surrounding the Dwelling Place and the altar, and the ropes for it — everything involved in its maintenance.
From Kohath came the clan of the Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan of the Uzzielites. These were the Kohathite clans.
The total number of males one month old or older was 8,600. They were responsible for guarding the
The Kohathite clans were to set up camp on the south side of the Dwelling Place.
The leader of the Kohathite ancestral family was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
They were responsible for the the table, the the altars, the sacred equipment used in worship, the screen, and everything involved in its maintenance.
The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest. He oversaw those responsible for guarding the sacred objects.
From Merari came the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites. These were the Merarite clans.
The total number of males one month old or older who were counted was 6,200.
The leader of the Merarite ancestral family was Zuriel son of Abihail. They were to set up camp on the north side of the Dwelling Place.
The Merarites were assigned to take care of the of the Dwelling Place, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything involved in its maintenance,
as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes.
Those who were to set up camp in front of the Dwelling on the east side — in front of the Meeting Tent, the — were Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons. They the on behalf of the Israelites. Any unauthorized person who came near was to be put to death.
The total number of Levites whom Moses and Aaron counted by their clans — every male one month old or older, as Yahweh had commanded — was 22,000.
Yahweh said to Moses, "Count every firstborn male among the Israelites who is one month old or older, and record the total number of their names.
Take the Levites for me — I am — in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites' livestock in place of every firstborn among the Israelites' livestock."
So Moses counted every firstborn among the Israelites, just as Yahweh had commanded him.
The total number of firstborn males one month old or older, counted by name, was 22,273.
Yahweh said to Moses:
"Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites' livestock in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to me. I am Yahweh.
To the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites,
collect five for each one, measured by the — twenty to the shekel.
Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the price to buy back those who exceed the number of Levites."
So Moses collected the from those who exceeded the number bought back through the Levites.
He collected 1,365 shekels of silver from the firstborn Israelites, measured by the sanctuary standard.