The First Census of Israel (Numbers 26:1–4)
1 AKJV And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, BSB BSB: On the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai. He said:
2 AKJV Take you the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls; BSB BSB: “Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.
3 AKJV From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: you and Aaron shall number them by their armies. BSB BSB: You and Aaron are to number those who are twenty years of age or older by their divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.
4 AKJV And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers. BSB BSB: And one man from each tribe, the head of each family, must be there with you.
The Leaders of the Tribes 5 AKJV And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur. BSB BSB: These are the names of the men who are to assist you: From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;
6 AKJV Of Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. BSB BSB: from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;
7 AKJV Of Judah; Nahshon the son of Amminadab. BSB BSB: from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;
8 AKJV Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar. BSB BSB: from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;
9 AKJV Of Zebulun; Eliab the son of Helon. BSB BSB: from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;
10 AKJV Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim; Elishama the son of Ammihud: of Manasseh; Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. BSB BSB: from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;
11 AKJV Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni. BSB BSB: from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;
12 AKJV Of Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. BSB BSB: from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;
13 AKJV Of Asher; Pagiel the son of Ocran. BSB BSB: from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran;
14 AKJV Of Gad; Eliasaph the son of Deuel. BSB BSB: from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;
15 AKJV Of Naphtali; Ahira the son of Enan. BSB BSB: and from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”
16 AKJV These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel. BSB BSB: These men were appointed from the congregation; they were the leaders of the tribes of their fathers, the heads of the clans of Israel.
The Number of Every Tribe 17 AKJV And Moses and Aaron took these men which are expressed by their names: BSB BSB: So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name,
18 AKJV And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls. BSB BSB: and on the first day of the second month they assembled the whole congregation and recorded their ancestry by clans and families, counting one by one the names of those twenty years of age or older,
19 AKJV As the LORD commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai. BSB BSB: just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So Moses numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai:
20 AKJV And the children of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; BSB BSB: From the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
21 AKJV Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred. BSB BSB: those registered to the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.
22 AKJV Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; BSB BSB: From the sons of Simeon, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
23 AKJV Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred. BSB BSB: those registered to the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.
24 AKJV Of the children of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; BSB BSB: From the sons of Gad, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
25 AKJV Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty. BSB BSB: those registered to the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.
26 AKJV Of the children of Judah, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; BSB BSB: From the sons of Judah, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
27 AKJV Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah, were three score and fourteen thousand and six hundred. BSB BSB: those registered to the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.
28 AKJV Of the children of Issachar, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; BSB BSB: From the sons of Issachar, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
29 AKJV Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred. BSB BSB: those registered to the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.
30 AKJV Of the children of Zebulun, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; BSB BSB: From the sons of Zebulun, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
31 AKJV Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred. BSB BSB: those registered to the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.
32 AKJV Of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; BSB BSB: From the sons of Joseph: From the sons of Ephraim, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
33 AKJV Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred. BSB BSB: those registered to the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500.
34 AKJV Of the children of Manasseh, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; BSB BSB: And from the sons of Manasseh, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
35 AKJV Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred. BSB BSB: those registered to the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.
36 AKJV Of the children of Benjamin, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; BSB BSB: From the sons of Benjamin, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
37 AKJV Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred. BSB BSB: those registered to the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.
38 AKJV Of the children of Dan, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; BSB BSB: From the sons of Dan, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
39 AKJV Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Dan, were three score and two thousand and seven hundred. BSB BSB: those registered to the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.
40 AKJV Of the children of Asher, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; BSB BSB: From the sons of Asher, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
41 AKJV Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred. BSB BSB: those registered to the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.
42 AKJV Of the children of Naphtali, throughout their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; BSB BSB: From the sons of Naphtali, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
43 AKJV Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred. BSB BSB: those registered to the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.
44 AKJV These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: each one was for the house of his fathers. BSB BSB: These were the men numbered by Moses and Aaron, with the assistance of the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family.
45 AKJV So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel; BSB BSB: So all the Israelites twenty years of age or older who could serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families.
46 AKJV Even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. BSB BSB: And all those counted totaled 603,550.
The Exemption of the Levites 47 AKJV But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them. BSB BSB: The Levites, however, were not numbered along with them by the tribe of their fathers.
48 AKJV For the LORD had spoken to Moses, saying, BSB BSB: For the LORD had said to Moses:
49 AKJV Only you shall not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel: BSB BSB: “Do not number the tribe of Levi in the census with the other Israelites.
50 AKJV But you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister to it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. BSB BSB: Instead, you are to appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its articles, care for it, and camp around it.
51 AKJV And when the tabernacle sets forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death. BSB BSB: Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to be pitched, the Levites are to set it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death.
52 AKJV And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts. BSB BSB: The Israelites are to camp by their divisions, each man in his own camp and under his own standard.
53 AKJV But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony. BSB BSB: But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.”
54 AKJV And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they. BSB BSB: Thus the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.