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On the first day of the second month in the second year after the people of Israel left Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses there in the Tent of his presence in the Sinai Desert. He said,
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"You and Aaron are to take a census of the people of Israel by clans and families. List the names of all the men
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twenty years old or older who are fit for military service.
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Ask one clan chief from each tribe to help you."
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These are the men, leaders within their tribes, who were chosen from the community for this work: (Tribe: Clan chief); Reuben: Elizur son of Shedeur; Simeon: Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; Judah: Nahshon son of Amminadab; Issachar: Nethanel son of Zuar; Zebulun: Eliab son of Helon; Ephraim: Elishama son of Ammihud; Manasseh: Gamaliel son of Pedahzur; Benjamin: Abidan son of Gideoni; Dan: Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; Asher: Pagiel son of Ochran; Gad: Eliasaph son of Deuel; Naphtali: Ahira son of Enan
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With the help of these twelve men Moses and Aaron
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called together the whole community on the first day of the second month and registered all the people by clans and families. The names of all the men twenty years old or older were recorded and counted,
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as the LORD had commanded. In the Sinai Desert, Moses registered the people.
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The men twenty years old or older who were fit for military service were registered by name according to clan and family, beginning with the tribe of Reuben, Jacob's oldest son. The totals were as follows: (Tribe: Number); Reuben: 46,500; Simeon: 59,300; Gad: 45,650; Judah: 74,600; Issachar: 54,400; Zebulun: 57,400; Ephraim: 40,500; Manasseh: 32,200; Benjamin: 35,400; Dan: 62,700; Asher: 41,500; Naphtali: 53,400; Total: 603,550
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The Levites were not registered with the other tribes,
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because the LORD had said to Moses,
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"When you take a census of the men fit for military service, do not include the tribe of Levi.
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Instead, put the Levites in charge of the Tent of my presence and all its equipment. They shall carry it and its equipment, serve in it, and set up their camp around it.
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Whenever you move your camp, the Levites shall take the Tent down and set it up again at each new campsite. Anyone else who comes near the Tent shall be put to death.
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The rest of the Israelites shall set up camp, company by company, each man with his own group and under his own banner.
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But the Levites shall camp around the Tent to guard it, so that no one may come near and cause my anger to strike the community of Israel."
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So the people of Israel did everything that the LORD had commanded Moses.
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The LORD gave Moses and Aaron the following instructions.
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When the Israelites set up camp, each man will camp under the banner of his division and the flag of his own clan. The camp is to be set up all around the Tent.
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On the east side, those under the banner of the division of Judah shall camp in their groups, under their leaders, as follows: (Tribe: Leader: Number); Judah: Nahshon son of Amminadab: 74,600; Issachar: Nethanel son of Zuar: 54,400; Zebulun: Eliab son of Helon: 57,400; Total: 186,400. The division of Judah shall march first.
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On the south, those under the banner of the division of Reuben shall camp in their groups, under their leaders, as follows: (Tribe: Leader: Number); Reuben: Elizur son of Shedeur: 46,500; Simeon: Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai: 59,300; Gad: Eliasaph son of Deuel: 45,650; Total: 151,450. The division of Reuben shall march second.
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Then, between the first two divisions and the last two the Levites are to march carrying the Tent. Each division shall march in the same order as they camp, each in position under its banner.
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On the west, those under the banner of the division of Ephraim shall camp in their groups, under their leaders, as follows: (Tribe: Leader: Number); Ephraim: Elishama son of Ammihud: 40,500; Manasseh: Gamaliel son of Pedahzur: 32,200; Benjamin: Abidan son of Gideoni: 35,400; Total: 108,100. The division of Ephraim shall march third.
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On the north, those under the banner of the division of Dan shall camp in their groups, under their leaders, as follows: (Tribe: Leader: Number); Dan: Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai: 62,700; Asher: Pagiel son of Ochran: 41,500; Naphtali: Ahira son of En: 53,400; Total: 157,600. The division of Dan shall march last.
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The total number of the people of Israel enrolled in the divisions, group by group, was 603,550.
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As the LORD had commanded Moses, the Levites were not registered with the rest of the Israelites.
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So the people of Israel did everything the LORD had commanded Moses. They camped, each under his own banner, and they marched, each with his own clan.
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This is the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.
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Aaron had four sons: Nadab, the oldest, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
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They were anointed and ordained as priests,
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but Nadab and Abihu were killed when they offered unholy fire to the LORD in the Sinai Desert. They had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during Aaron's lifetime.
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The LORD said to Moses,
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"Bring forward the tribe of Levi and appoint them as servants of Aaron the priest.
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They shall do the work required for the Tent of my presence and perform duties for the priests and for the whole community.
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They shall take charge of all the equipment of the Tent and perform the duties for the rest of the Israelites.
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The only responsibility the Levites have is to serve Aaron and his sons.
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You shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; anyone else who tries to do so shall be put to death."
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The LORD said to Moses,
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"The Levites are now to be mine. When I killed all the first-born of the Egyptians, I consecrated as my own the oldest son of each Israelite family and the first-born of every animal. Now, instead of having the first-born sons of Israel as my own, I have the Levites; they will belong to me. I am the LORD."
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In the Sinai Desert the LORD commanded Moses
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to register the Levites by clans and families, enrolling every male a month old or older,
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Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, who were the ancestors of the clans that bear their names. Gershon had two sons: Libni and Shimei; Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; and Merari had two sons: Mahli and Mushi. They were the ancestors of the families that bear their names.
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The clan of Gershon was composed of the families of Libni and Shimei.
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The total number of males one month old or older that were enrolled was 7,500.
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This clan was to camp on the west behind the Tent,
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with Eliasaph son of Lael as chief of the clan.
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They were responsible for the Tent, its inner cover, its outer cover, the curtain for the entrance,
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the curtains for the court which is around the Tent and the altar, and the curtain for the entrance of the court. They were responsible for all the service connected with these items.
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The clan of Kohath was composed of the families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
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The total number of males one month old or older that were enrolled was 8,600.
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This clan was to camp on the south side of the Tent,
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with Elizaphan son of Uzziel as chief of the clan.
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They were responsible for the Covenant Box, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils the priests use in the Holy Place, and the curtain at the entrance to the Most Holy Place. They were responsible for all the service connected with these items.
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The chief of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest. He was in charge of those who carried out the duties in the Holy Place.
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The clan of Merari was composed of the families of Mahli and Mushi.
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The total number of males one month old or older that were enrolled was 6,200.
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This clan was to camp on the north side of the Tent, with Zuriel son of Abihail as chief of the clan.
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They were assigned responsibility for the frames for the Tent, its bars, posts, bases, and all its fittings. They were responsible for all the service connected with these items.
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They were also responsible for the posts, bases, pegs, and ropes for the outer court.
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Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp in front of the Tent on the east. They were responsible for carrying out the services performed in the Holy Place for the people of Israel. Anyone else who tried to do so was to be put to death.
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The total number of all the Levite males one month old or older that Moses enrolled by clans at the command of the LORD, was 22,000.
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The LORD said to Moses, "All of Israel's first-born sons belong to me. So register by name every first-born male Israelite, one month old or older. But in place of them I claim all the Levites as mine! I am the LORD! I also claim the livestock of the Levites in place of all the first-born of the livestock."
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Moses obeyed, and registered all the first-born males
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one month old or older; the total was 22,273.
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The LORD said to Moses,
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"Now dedicate the Levites as mine in place of all the first-born Israelite sons, and dedicate the livestock of the Levites in place of the first-born of the Israelites' livestock.
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Since the first-born Israelite sons outnumber the Levites by 273, you must buy back the extra sons.
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For each one pay five pieces of silver, according to the official standard,
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and give this money to Aaron and his sons."
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the 1,365 pieces of silver
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and gave them to Aaron and his sons.
