Aaron’s Sons

¹ These are the genealogies of Aaron and Moses ⌞at the time⌟¹ when Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.

1. Literally “on a day”

² These are the names of the descendants of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

³ These are the names of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, the anointed ones whom ⌞he consecrated as priests⌟.¹

1. Literally “he filled their hands to serve as a priest”

⁴ Nadab and Abihu died ⌞before Yahweh⌟¹ when they presented a strange fire ⌞before Yahweh⌟² in the desert of Sinai, and ⌞they had no children⌟.³ Eleazar and Ithamar served as priest during the presence of Aaron their father.

1. Literally “before the face of Yahweh”
2. Literally “before the face of Yahweh”
3. Literally “sons were not for them”

⁵ Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

⁶ “Bring near the tribe of Levi, and ⌞set the tribe⌟¹ ⌞before Aaron⌟² the priest, and they will minister to him.

1. Literally “cause it to stand”
2. Literally “in the presence of Aaron”

⁷ They shall observe his duties and the duties of the entire community before the tent of assembly, to do the work of the tabernacle.

⁸ And they will keep all the vessels of the tent of assembly and the responsibilities of the ⌞Israelites⌟,¹ to do the work² of the tabernacle.

1. Literally “sons/children of Israel”
2. Or “service”

⁹ You will give the Levites to Aaron and to his descendants; they are surely assigned to him from among the ⌞Israelites⌟.¹

1. Literally “sons/children of Israel”

¹⁰ But you will count Aaron and his descendants; they will keep their priesthood, and the stranger¹ who approaches will be put to death.”

1. Or “outsider”

¹¹ Yahweh spoke to Moses saying,

¹² “I myself receive the Levites from the midst of the ⌞Israelites⌟¹ in the place of all the firstborn of the offspring of the womb from the ⌞Israelites⌟.² The Levites will be mine

1. Literally “sons/children of Israel”
2. Literally “sons/children of Israel”

¹³ because all the firstborn are mine; on the day of my killing all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for myself all the firstborn in Israel, ⌞both humankind and animal⌟;¹ they will be mine. I am Yahweh.”

1. Literally “from humankind to animal”

¹⁴ Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying,

¹⁵ “Muster¹ the descendants of Levi according to ⌞their families⌟,² according to their clans. You will count every male from ⌞one month⌟³ and above.”

1. Or “count,” or “summon,” or “enroll”
2. Literally “the house of their fathers”
3. Literally “the son of a month”

¹⁶ So Moses mustered¹ them according to the ⌞command of Yahweh⌟,² just as he commanded.

1. Or “counted,” or “summoned,” or “enrolled”
2. Literally “mouth of Yahweh”

¹⁷ These were the sons of Levi according to their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

¹⁸ And these are the names of the sons of Gershon according to their clans: Libni and Shimei.

¹⁹ And the sons of Kohath according to their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

²⁰ The sons of Merari according to their tribes: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to ⌞their families⌟.¹

1. Literally “the house of their fathers”

²¹ ⌞To Gershon belonged⌟¹ the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these are the clans of the Gershonites.

1. Literally “To Gershon was”

²² The ⌞ones counted⌟¹ according to the number of every male from ⌞one month⌟² and above were seven thousand five hundred.

1. Literally “the ones counted of them,” or “the ones mustered of them”
2. Literally “the son of a month and above”

²³ The clans of the Gershonites will camp behind the tabernacle to the west,

²⁴ and the leader of ⌞the family⌟¹ of the Gershonites is Eliasaph son of Lael.

1. Literally “the house of his father”

²⁵ And the responsibility of the descendants of Gershon in the tent of assembly is the tabernacle, and the tent covering it and the curtain of the doorway of the tent of the assembly,

²⁶ and the hangings of the courtyard and the curtain of the doorway of the courtyard that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its ten cords, all of its use.

²⁷ ⌞To Kohath belonged⌟¹ the clan of Amramites,² the clan of the Izharites,³ the clan of the Hebronites,⁴ and the clan of the Uzzielites;⁵ these were the clans of the Kohathites.⁶

1. Literally “For Kohath was”
2. Hebrew “Amramite”
3. Hebrew “Izharite”
4. Hebrew “Hebronite”
5. Hebrew “Uzzielite”
6. Hebrew “Kohathite”

²⁸ According to the number of every male from ⌞one month⌟¹ and above there were eight thousand six hundred keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary.

1. Literally “the son of a month”

²⁹ The clan of the descendants of Kohath will encamp on the side of the tabernacle to the south.

³⁰ The leader of ⌞his family⌟¹ according to the clans of the Kohathites² is Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

1. Literally “the house of his father”
2. Hebrew “Kohathite”

³¹ Their responsibility was the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altar, and the vessels of the sanctuary, with which they ministered, and the curtain, and all of its use.

³² The ⌞chief of the leaders⌟¹ of the Levites² was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest who had oversight of those keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary.

1. Literally “the leader of leaders”
2. Hebrew “Levite”

³³ ⌞To Merari belonged⌟¹ the clan of Mahlites² and the clan of the Mushites:³ these are the clans of Merari.

1. Literally “for Merari was”
2. Hebrew “Mahlite”
3. Hebrew “Mushite”

³⁴ The ⌞ones counted⌟¹ according to the number of every male from ⌞one month⌟² and above were six thousand two hundred.

1. Literally “the ones counted of them,” or “the ones mustered of them”
2. Literally “the son of a month”

³⁵ The leader of ⌞the family⌟¹ according to the clans of Merari is Zuriel son of Abihail; they will encamp of the side of the tabernacle to the north.

1. Literally “the house of his father”

³⁶ The responsibility of the sons of Merari was the supervision of the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, pillars, bases, and all its vessels and all its service,

³⁷ and the pillars around the courtyard, and their bases, pegs, and cords.

³⁸ Those encamped before the tabernacle to the east—before the tent of assembly to the east—were Moses and Aaron and his sons; they will keep the responsibility of the sanctuary ⌞for the Israelites⌟;¹ and the stranger² who approaches will be put to death.

1. Literally “for the responsibility of the children of Israel”
2. Or “outsider”

³⁹ All those counted from the Levites whom Moses and Aaron mustered¹ according to ⌞the word of Yahweh⌟,² according to their clans, every male from ⌞one month⌟³ and above were twenty-two thousand.

1. Or “counted,” or “summoned,” or “enrolled”
2. Literally “the mouth of Yahweh”
3. Literally “the son of a month”

⁴⁰ And Yahweh said to Moses, “Muster every firstborn male from the ⌞Israelites⌟¹ from ⌞one month⌟² and above and ⌞count⌟³ their names.

1. Literally “sons/children of Israel”
2. Literally “the son of a month”
3. Literally “and lift up the number of”

⁴¹ And you will receive the Levites for me—I am Yahweh—in the place of all the firstborn among the ⌞Israelites⌟,¹ and the animals² of the Levites in the place of all the firstborn among the animals³ among the ⌞Israelites⌟.”⁴

1. Literally “sons/children of Israel”
2. Hebrew “animal”
3. Hebrew “animal”
4. Literally “sons/children of Israel”

⁴² So Moses mustered¹ all the firstborn among the ⌞Israelites⌟² just as Yahweh commanded him.

1. Or “counted” or “summoned” or “enrolled”
2. Literally “sons/children of Israel”

⁴³ And all the firstborn males¹ among the number of names from ⌞one month⌟² and above, the ⌞ones counted⌟,³ were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

1. Hebrew “male”
2. Literally “the son of a month”
3. Literally “the ones counted of them,” or “the ones mustered of them”

⁴⁴ Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

⁴⁵ “Receive the Levites in the place of all the firstborn among the ⌞Israelites⌟,¹ and the animals of the Levites in the place of their animals; the Levites will be mine. I am Yahweh.

1. Literally “sons/children of Israel”

⁴⁶ And the ransom of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the ⌞Israelites⌟¹ who are excessive over the Levites,

1. Literally “sons/children of Israel”

⁴⁷ you will receive five shekels a person, in the sanctuary shekel; you will collect twenty gerahs¹ per shekel.

1. Hebrew “gerah”

⁴⁸ You will give the money to Aaron, and to his sons the ransom of the ones who are excessive among them.”

⁴⁹ And Moses received the money of the redemption from the ones who were excessive from those redeemed of the Levites.

⁵⁰ From the firstborn of the ⌞Israelites⌟¹ he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, in the sanctuary shekel.