The Census of the Kohathites

¹ Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

² “⌞Take a census⌟¹ of the descendants² of Kohath from the midst of the descendants³ of Levi, according to their clans and ⌞their families⌟,⁴

1. Literally “and lift up the number of”
2. Or “sons”
3. Or “sons”
4. Literally “the house of their fathers”

³ from ⌞thirty years old⌟¹ and above, up to ⌞fifty years old⌟,² everyone who comes to the service to do the work in the tent of assembly.

1. Literally “a son of thirty years”
2. Literally “a son of fifty years”

⁴ This is the work of the descendants¹ of Kohath in the tent of assembly, concerning the holiness of the sanctuary:

1. Or “sons”

⁵ When setting out the camp, Aaron and his sons will go and lower the curtain of the covering and cover with it the ark of the testimony.¹

1. Or “the ark of the covenant”

⁶ They will put on it a covering of ⌞fine leather⌟,¹ and they will spread a cloth of perfect blue over it, and they will place its poles.

1. Literally “the hide of a sea cow”

⁷ And over the table of the presence they will spread out a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes, and libation bowls, and the pitchers of the libation; and the bread of continuity will be on it.

⁸ They will spread over it a scarlet cloth, and they will cover it with a covering of ⌞fine leather⌟,¹ and they will place its poles.

1. Literally “the hide of a sea cow”

⁹ They will take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand for the light source, its lamps, a pair of its tongs, its small pans, and all the vessels of its oil with which they attend to it.

¹⁰ They will put it and all its vessels inside a covering of ⌞fine leather⌟¹ and put it on the carrying frame.

1. Literally “the hide of a sea cow”

¹¹ Over the altar of gold they will spread a blue cloth, and they will cover it with a covering of ⌞fine leather⌟¹ and place its poles.

1. Literally “the hide of a sea cow”

¹² They will take all the vessels of the cultic service with which they serve in the sanctuary and put them on a blue cloth, and they will cover them with a covering of ⌞fine leather⌟;¹ and they will put them on the carrying frame.

1. Literally “the hide of a sea cow”

¹³ They will remove the fat-soaked ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it;

¹⁴ they will put on it all the vessels with which they serve, the fire pans, forks, shovels, and bowls—all the vessels of the altar. They will spread on it a covering of ⌞fine leather⌟;¹ and they will place its poles.

1. Literally “the hide of a sea cow”

¹⁵ And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the vessels of the sanctuary when the camp sets out, the descendants¹ of Kohath will come after to carry these, but they must not touch the sanctuary, or they will die. These are the load of the descendants² of Kohath in the tent of assembly.

1. Or “sons”
2. Or “sons”

¹⁶ “Eleazar son of Aaron the priest is to supervise the oil of the light source, the incense, ⌞the regular grain offering⌟,¹ the oil of anointment, the supervision of all the tabernacle and all that is in it, in the sanctuary and in its vessels.”

1. Literally “the grain offering of continuity”

¹⁷ Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

¹⁸ “You must not cut off the tribe of the clan of the Kohathites¹ from the midst of the Levites.

1. Hebrew “Kohathite”

¹⁹ Do this to them and they will live and not die when they come near the most holy things. Aaron and his sons will go and appoint them, each one to his task and burden.

²⁰ But they must not go and look ⌞for a moment⌟¹ at the holy objects.”

1. Literally “as devouring”

²¹ Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

²² “⌞Take a census⌟¹ of the descendants² of Gershon also, according to ⌞their families⌟³ and clans,

1. Literally “And lift up the number of”
2. Or “sons”
3. Literally “the house of their fathers”

²³ from ⌞those twenty years old⌟¹ and above until ⌞fifty years old⌟;² you will muster³ them, all who come to help to do the work of the tent of assembly.

1. Literally “a son of twenty years”
2. Literally “a son of fifty years”
3. Or “count,” or “summon,” or “enroll”

²⁴ This is the work of the clans of the Gershonites:¹ to serve and to carry.

1. Hebrew “Gershonite”

²⁵ They will carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of assembly and its covering and the covering of ⌞fine leather⌟,¹ which ⌞is on top of it⌟,² and the curtain of the doorway of the tent of assembly,

1. Literally “the hide of a sea cow”
2. Literally “is above upon it”

²⁶ and the curtains of the courtyard, and the covering for the doorway of the gate of the courtyard, which is all around on the tabernacle and altar, and their cords and all the vessels of their work; and all that is done to them they will do.

²⁷ And all the work of the descendants¹ of the Gershonites² will be at ⌞the command⌟³ of Aaron and his sons, for all they are to carry and for all their work, and you will appoint to them responsibility for all they are to carry.

1. Or “sons”
2. Hebrew “Gershonite”
3. Literally “the mouth”

²⁸ This is the work of the clan of the descendants¹ of the Gershonites² in the tent of assembly, and their responsibility lies ⌞under the direction⌟³ of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

1. Or “sons”
2. Hebrew “Gershonite”
3. Literally “in the hand”

²⁹ “For the descendants¹ of Merari according to their clans, according to ⌞their families⌟,² you will muster³ them;

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

³⁰ from ⌞those thirty years old⌟¹ and above until ⌞fifty years old⌟;² you will muster³ them, all who come to do the work of the tent of assembly.

1. Literally “a son of thirty years”
2. Literally “a son of fifty years”
3. Or “count,” or “summon,” or “enroll”

³¹ And this is the responsibility of ⌞those who are to carry⌟,¹ all their work in the tent of assembly: the frames of the tabernacle and its bars, pillars, and bases,

1. Literally “them carrying”

³² and the pillars of the courtyard all around, and their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their vessels and for all their work. You will appoint by name the vessels that they are responsible to carry.

³³ This is the work of the clan of the descendants¹ of Merari, for all their work in the tent of assembly ⌞under the direction⌟² of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”

1. Or “sons”
2. Literally “in the hand”

³⁴ And Moses and Aaron mustered the leaders of the community according to the house of ⌞their families⌟,¹

1. Literally “the house of their fathers”

³⁵ from ⌞those thirty years old⌟¹ and above until ⌞fifty years old⌟;² everyone who comes to the service to work in the tent of assembly,

1. Literally “a son of thirty years”
2. Literally “a son of fifty years”

³⁶ the ⌞ones counted⌟¹ were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.

1. Literally “the ones counted of them,” or “the ones mustered of them”

³⁷ These were those counted of the clans of the Kohathites,¹ everyone who served in the tent of assembly whom Moses and Aaron mustered² according to ⌞the command⌟³ of Yahweh by the hand of Moses.⁴

1. Hebrew “Kohathite”
2. Or “counted,” or “summoned,” or “enrolled”
3. Literally “the mouth”
4. Or “through Moses”

³⁸ And the descendants¹ of Gershon counted according to their clans and according to ⌞their families⌟,²

1. Or “sons”
2. Literally “the house of their fathers”

³⁹ from ⌞those thirty years old⌟¹ and above until ⌞fifty years old⌟,² everyone who comes to the service to work in the tent of assembly;

1. Literally “a son of thirty years”
2. Literally “a son of fifty years”

⁴⁰ the ⌞ones counted⌟,¹ according to their clans, according to ⌞their families⌟,² were two thousand six hundred and thirty.

1. Literally “the ones counted of them,” or “the ones mustered of them”
2. Literally “the house of their fathers”

⁴¹ These were those counted of the clans of the descendants¹ of Gershon, everyone who serves in the tent of assembly whom Moses and Aaron mustered² according to ⌞the command⌟³ of Yahweh.

1. Or “sons”
2. Or “counted,” or “summoned,” or “enrolled”
3. Literally “the mouth”

⁴² Those counted of the clans of the descendants¹ of Merari according to their clans, according to ⌞their families⌟,²

1. Or “sons”
2. Literally “the house of their fathers”

⁴³ from ⌞those thirty years old⌟¹ and above until ⌞fifty years old⌟,² everyone who comes to the service to work in the tent of assembly,

1. Literally “thirty years and above”
2. Literally “a son of fifty years”

⁴⁴ the ⌞ones counted⌟,¹ according to their clans, were three thousand two hundred.