1These are the generations of Aaron and Moses on the day when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.2These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whose hands were filled to minister.4Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they presented strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons; therefore Eleazar and Ithamar ministered before Aaron their father.5The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,6Present the rod of Levi and set it before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.7They shall keep his charge and the charge of all the congregation before the tent of meeting, serving the service of the tabernacle.8They shall keep all the articles of the tent of meeting and the charge of the sons of Israel, serving the service of the tabernacle.9You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are given, given to him from the sons of Israel.10You shall list Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood; the stranger who approaches shall be put to death.11The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,12Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel in place of every firstborn that opens the womb from the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.13For every firstborn belongs to me; on the day I struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated every firstborn in Israel to myself, from man to animal; they shall be mine; I am the LORD.14The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,15List the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families; every male from one month old and upward you shall list.16Moses listed them according to the word of the LORD, just as he was commanded.17These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.18These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.19The sons of Kohath by their families were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.20The sons of Merari by their families were Mahli and Mushi; these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' houses.21To Gershon belong the family of the Libnite and the family of the Shimeite; these are the families of the Gershonite.22Their listed males from one month old and upward numbered seven thousand five hundred.23The families of the Gershonite shall encamp behind the tabernacle toward the west.24The leader of the fathers' house for the Gershonite is Eliasaph son of Lael.25The charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting concerns the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, and the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting.26It also concerns the curtains of the court, the screen for the entrance of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords for all its service.27To Kohath belong the family of the Amramite, the family of the Izharite, the family of the Hebronite, and the family of the Uzzielite; these are the families of the Kohathite.28Their listed males from one month old and upward numbered eight thousand six hundred, keepers of the charge of the sanctuary.29The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the south side of the tabernacle.30The leader of the fathers' house for the families of the Kohathite is Elizaphan son of Uzziel.31Their charge is the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the holy articles with which they minister, together with the covering and all its service.32The leader of the leaders of the Levites is Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, with oversight of the keepers of the charge of the sanctuary.33To Merari belong the family of the Mahlite and the family of the Mushite; these are the families of Merari.34Their listed males from one month old and upward numbered six thousand two hundred.35The leader of the fathers' house for the families of Merari is Zuriel son of Abihail; they shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.36The oversight of the charge of the sons of Merari concerns the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, and all its articles and service.37It also concerns the pillars of the court around it, with their sockets, pegs, and cords.38Those who encamp before the tabernacle on the east side, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the sons of Israel; the stranger who approaches shall be put to death.39All the listed Levites whom Moses and Aaron listed by their families according to the word of the LORD, every male from one month old and upward, totaled twenty-two thousand.40The LORD said to Moses, List every firstborn male among the sons of Israel from one month old and upward, and take the number of their names.41Take the Levites for me, I the LORD, in place of every firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of every firstborn among the livestock of the sons of Israel.42Moses listed all the firstborn among the sons of Israel just as the LORD had commanded him.43All the firstborn males, counted by name from one month old and upward, totaled twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.44The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,45Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock, and the Levites shall be mine; I am the LORD.46The ransomed of the two hundred seventy-three who remain over the Levites from the firstborn of the sons of Israel.47You shall take five shekels per head; according to the shekel of the sanctuary you shall take it, twenty gerahs to the shekel.48You shall give the silver to Aaron and to his sons as the ransom for those remaining among them.49Moses took the silver of the redemption from those remaining over the ransomed of the Levites.50From the firstborn of the sons of Israel he received one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary.51Moses gave the silver of the ransom to Aaron and to his sons according to the word of the LORD, just as the LORD commanded Moses.