Numbers 4

Modern English Version

Duties of the Kohathites

4 And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: ² Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, ³ from thirty years old and older, even to fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tent of meeting.

⁴ This will be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the holiest things. ⁵ And when the camp sets out, Aaron will come, and his sons, and they will take down the covering curtain, and cover the ark of the testimony with it, ⁶ and will put on it the covering of porpoise skins, and will spread over it a cloth completely of blue, and will put in its poles.

⁷ Upon the table of showbread they will spread a cloth of blue, and put the dishes on it, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover it, and the showbread will be on it. ⁸ And they will spread on them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of porpoise skins, and will put in its poles.

⁹ They will take a cloth of blue, and cover the lampstand of the light, and its lamps, and its tongs, and its snuff dishes, and all its oil vessels, with which they minister to it. ¹⁰ And they will put it and all its vessels within a covering of porpoise skins and will put it on a carrying pole.

¹¹ Upon the golden altar they will spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of porpoise skins, and will put in its poles.

¹² And they will take all the instruments of ministry, with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of porpoise skins, and will put them on a carrying pole.

¹³ And they will take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth on it. ¹⁴ They shall put on it all the instruments with which they minister there, the censers, the flesh hooks, the shovels, the basins, all the utensils of the altar. And they will spread on it a covering of porpoise skins and insert its poles.

¹⁵ When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the instruments of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set out, after that, the sons of Kohath will come to carry it. But they will not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting.

¹⁶ To the office of Eleazar, Aaron the priest’s son, pertains the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, in the sanctuary, and in the instruments thereof.

¹⁷ The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: ¹⁸ Do not cut the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites. ¹⁹ But do this to them, that they may live and not die, when they approach the most holy things. Aaron and his sons will go in, and appoint each one to his service and to his burden. ²⁰ But they will not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

Duties of the Gershonites

²¹ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ²² Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families. ²³ From thirty years old and older to fifty years old you will number them, all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting.

²⁴ This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and to work. ²⁵ And they will carry the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tent of meeting, its covering, and the covering of the porpoise skins that is on it, and the hanging for the door of the tent of meeting, ²⁶ and the hangings of the courtyard, and the hanging for the opening of the gate of the courtyard, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar all around, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them. So they will serve. ²⁷ At the appointment of Aaron and his sons will be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service. And you shall assign to them all their tasks as their duty. ²⁸ This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting. And their charge will be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

Duties of the Merarites

²⁹ As for the sons of Merari, you will number them by their families, by the house of their fathers. ³⁰ From thirty years old and older, even to fifty years old, you will number them, everyone who enters into the service, to do the work of the tent of meeting. ³¹ This is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tent of meeting. The boards of the tabernacle, and its bars thereof, and its pillars, and its sockets, ³² and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service, and by name you will list the instruments of the charge of their burden. ³³ This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tent of meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

Census of the Levites

³⁴ Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families, and by the house of their fathers, ³⁵ from thirty years old and older to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for the work in the tent of meeting. ³⁶ And those who were numbered by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. ³⁷ These were the ones listed of the families of the Kohathites, all who might do service in the tent of meeting, which Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

³⁸ Those who were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers, ³⁹ from thirty years old and older to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for the work in the tent of meeting, ⁴⁰ even those who were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand six hundred and thirty. ⁴¹ These were the ones listed by the families of the sons of Gershon, of all who might do service in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord.

⁴² Those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, ⁴³ from thirty years old and older to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for the work in the tent of meeting, ⁴⁴ even those who were numbered by their families, were three thousand two hundred. ⁴⁵ These were the ones listed of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

⁴⁶ All those who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families, and by the house of their fathers, ⁴⁷ from thirty years old and older to fifty years old, everyone who came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the work in the tent of meeting, ⁴⁸ even those who were numbered were eight thousand five hundred and eighty. ⁴⁹ According to the commandment of the Lord they were numbered by the hand of Moses, each according to his service, and according to his burden.

Thus they were numbered by him, as the Lord commanded Moses.