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The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai in the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month in the second year after they came out of the land of Egypt, saying,

Take a census of all the males of the congregation of the Israelites by families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head.

From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go forth to war you and Aaron shall number, company by company.

And with you there shall be a man [to assist you] from each tribe, each being the head of his father’s house.

And these are the names of the men who shall attend you: Of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

Of Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

Of Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;

Of Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;

Of Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;

10 Of the sons of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

11 Of Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;

12 Of Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

13 Of Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran;

14 Of Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;

15 Of Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.

16 These were those chosen from the congregation, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, heads of thousands [the highest class of officers] in Israel.

17 And Moses and Aaron took these men who have been named,

18 And assembled all the congregation on the first day of the second month, and they declared their ancestry after their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head,

19 As the Lord commanded Moses. So he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai.

20 The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

21 Those of the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.

22 Of the sons of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, those numbered of them according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

23 Those of the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.

24 Of the sons of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

25 Those of the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.

26 Of the sons of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

27 Those of the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.

28 Of the sons of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

29 Those of the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.

30 Of the sons of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

31 Those of the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.

32 Of the sons of Joseph: the sons of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

33 Those of the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500.

34 Of the sons of Manasseh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

35 Those of the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.

36 Of the sons of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

37 Those of the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.

38 Of the sons of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

39 Those of the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.

40 Of the sons of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

41 Those of the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.

42 Of the sons of Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war:

43 Those of the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.

44 These were numbered by Moses and Aaron, and the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each representing his father’s house.

45 So all those numbered of the Israelites, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, able to go to war in Israel,

46 All who were numbered were 603,550.

47 But the Levites by their fathers’ tribe were not numbered with them.

48 For the Lord had said to Moses,

49 Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number in the census of the Israelites.

50 But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its vessels and furnishings and all things that belong to it. They shall carry the tabernacle [when journeying] and all its furnishings, and they shall minister to it and encamp around it.

51 When the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And the excluded [any not of the tribe of Levi] who approach the tabernacle shall be put to death.

52 The Israelites shall pitch their tents by their companies, every man by his own camp and every man by his own [tribal] standard.

53 But the Levites shall encamp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath upon the congregation of the Israelites; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony.

54 Thus did the Israelites; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they did.

The Census

The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting(A) in the Desert of Sinai(B) on the first day of the second month(C) of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt.(D) He said: “Take a census(E) of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families,(F) listing every man by name,(G) one by one. You and Aaron(H) are to count according to their divisions all the men in Israel who are twenty years old or more(I) and able to serve in the army.(J) One man from each tribe,(K) each of them the head of his family,(L) is to help you.(M) These are the names(N) of the men who are to assist you:

from Reuben,(O) Elizur son of Shedeur;(P)

from Simeon,(Q) Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;(R)

from Judah,(S) Nahshon son of Amminadab;(T)

from Issachar,(U) Nethanel son of Zuar;(V)

from Zebulun,(W) Eliab son of Helon;(X)

10 from the sons of Joseph:

from Ephraim,(Y) Elishama son of Ammihud;(Z)

from Manasseh,(AA) Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;(AB)

11 from Benjamin,(AC) Abidan son of Gideoni;(AD)

12 from Dan,(AE) Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;(AF)

13 from Asher,(AG) Pagiel son of Okran;(AH)

14 from Gad,(AI) Eliasaph son of Deuel;(AJ)

15 from Naphtali,(AK) Ahira son of Enan.(AL)

16 These were the men appointed from the community, the leaders(AM) of their ancestral tribes.(AN) They were the heads of the clans of Israel.(AO)

17 Moses and Aaron took these men whose names had been specified, 18 and they called the whole community together on the first day of the second month.(AP) The people registered their ancestry(AQ) by their clans and families,(AR) and the men twenty years old or more(AS) were listed by name, one by one, 19 as the Lord commanded Moses. And so he counted(AT) them in the Desert of Sinai:

20 From the descendants of Reuben(AU) the firstborn son(AV) of Israel:

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. 21 The number from the tribe of Reuben(AW) was 46,500.

22 From the descendants of Simeon:(AX)

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were counted and listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. 23 The number from the tribe of Simeon was 59,300.(AY)

24 From the descendants of Gad:(AZ)

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 25 The number from the tribe of Gad(BA) was 45,650.

26 From the descendants of Judah:(BB)

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 27 The number from the tribe of Judah(BC) was 74,600.

28 From the descendants of Issachar:(BD)

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 29 The number from the tribe of Issachar(BE) was 54,400.(BF)

30 From the descendants of Zebulun:(BG)

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 31 The number from the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400.(BH)

32 From the sons of Joseph:(BI)

From the descendants of Ephraim:(BJ)

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 33 The number from the tribe of Ephraim(BK) was 40,500.

34 From the descendants of Manasseh:(BL)

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 35 The number from the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200.

36 From the descendants of Benjamin:(BM)

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 37 The number from the tribe of Benjamin(BN) was 35,400.

38 From the descendants of Dan:(BO)

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 39 The number from the tribe of Dan was 62,700.(BP)

40 From the descendants of Asher:(BQ)

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 41 The number from the tribe of Asher(BR) was 41,500.

42 From the descendants of Naphtali:(BS)

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 43 The number from the tribe of Naphtali(BT) was 53,400.(BU)

44 These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron(BV) and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. 45 All the Israelites twenty years old or more(BW) who were able to serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families.(BX) 46 The total number was 603,550.(BY)

47 The ancestral tribe of the Levites,(BZ) however, was not counted(CA) along with the others. 48 The Lord had said to Moses: 49 “You must not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other Israelites. 50 Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle(CB) of the covenant law(CC)—over all its furnishings(CD) and everything belonging to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they are to take care of it and encamp around it. 51 Whenever the tabernacle(CE) is to move,(CF) the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it.(CG) Anyone else who approaches it is to be put to death.(CH) 52 The Israelites are to set up their tents by divisions, each of them in their own camp under their standard.(CI) 53 The Levites, however, are to set up their tents around the tabernacle(CJ) of the covenant law so that my wrath will not fall(CK) on the Israelite community. The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the covenant law.(CL)

54 The Israelites did all this just as the Lord commanded Moses.