The Sons of Aaron (Leviticus 10:1–7)
1 DBY And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that Jehovah spoke with Moses on mount Sinai. BSB BSB: This is the account of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
2 DBY And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. BSB BSB: These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, then Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 DBY These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, who were consecrated to exercise the priesthood. BSB BSB: These were Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests.
4 DBY And Nadab and Abihu died before Jehovah when they offered strange fire before Jehovah in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons; and Eleazar and Ithamar exercised the priesthood in the presence of Aaron their father. BSB BSB: Nadab and Abihu, however, died in the presence of the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai. And since they had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
The Duties of the Levites 5 DBY And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses,
6 DBY Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him; BSB BSB: “Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.
7 DBY and they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole assembly, before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. BSB BSB: They are to perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, attending to the service of the tabernacle.
8 DBY And they shall keep all the utensils of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. BSB BSB: They shall take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and fulfill obligations for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle.
9 DBY And thou shalt give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given to him out of the children of Israel. BSB BSB: Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been given exclusively to him from among the Israelites.
10 DBY And Aaron and his sons shalt thou appoint that they may attend to their priest's office; and the stranger that cometh near shall be put to death. BSB BSB: So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; but any outsider who approaches the tabernacle must be put to death.”
11 DBY And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, BSB BSB: Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
12 DBY And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn that breaketh open the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine; BSB BSB: “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,
13 DBY for every firstborn is mine. On the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and beast; mine shall they be: I am Jehovah. BSB BSB: for all the firstborn are Mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They are Mine; I am the LORD.”
The Numbering of the Levites 14 DBY And Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, BSB BSB: Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15 DBY Number the sons of Levi according to their fathers' houses, after their families; every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them. BSB BSB: “Number the Levites by their families and clans. You are to count every male a month old or more.”
16 DBY And Moses numbered them, according to the commandment of Jehovah, — as he had been commanded. BSB BSB: So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he had been commanded.
17 DBY And these are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. BSB BSB: These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18 DBY And these are the names of the sons of Gershon according to their families: Libni and Shimei. BSB BSB: These were the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei.
19 DBY And the sons of Kohath according to their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. BSB BSB: The sons of Kohath by their clans were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20 DBY And the sons of Merari according to their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' houses. BSB BSB: And the sons of Merari by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites, according to their families.
The Gershonites (Numbers 4:21–28; 1 Chronicles 23:7–11)
21 DBY Of Gershon, the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites. BSB BSB: From Gershon came the Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan; these were the Gershonite clans.
22 DBY Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, those that were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred. BSB BSB: The number of all the males a month old or more was 7,500.
23 DBY The families of the Gershonites encamped behind the tabernacle westward. BSB BSB: The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle,
24 DBY And the prince of the father's house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael. BSB BSB: and the leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.
25 DBY And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting was: the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the curtain of the entrance to the tent of meeting. BSB BSB: The duties of the Gershonites at the Tent of Meeting were the tabernacle and tent, its covering, the curtain for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,
26 DBY And the hangings of the court, and the curtain of the entrance to the court, which surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and the cords thereof for all its service. BSB BSB: the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and altar, and the cords—all the service for these items.
The Kohathites (Numbers 4:1–20; 1 Chronicles 23:12–20)
27 DBY And of Kohath, the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites. BSB BSB: From Kohath came the clans of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these were the clans of the Kohathites.
28 DBY According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, who kept the charge of the sanctuary. BSB BSB: The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600. They were responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.
29 DBY The families of the sons of Kohath encamped on the side of the tabernacle southward. BSB BSB: The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle,
30 DBY And the prince of the father's house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. BSB BSB: and the leader of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31 DBY And their charge was the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, and the curtain, and all that belongs to its service. BSB BSB: Their duties were the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used with them, and the curtain—all the service for these items.
32 DBY And the prince of princes of the Levites was Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest: he had the oversight of them that kept the charge of the sanctuary. BSB BSB: The chief of the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he oversaw those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.
The Merarites (Numbers 4:29–33; 1 Chronicles 23:21–23)
33 DBY Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari. BSB BSB: From Merari came the clans of the Mahlites and Mushites; these were the Merarite clans.
34 DBY And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred. BSB BSB: The number of all the males a month old or more was 6,200.
35 DBY And the prince of the father's house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They encamped on the side of the tabernacle northward. BSB BSB: The leader of the families of the Merarites was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36 DBY And the charge of the sons of Merari consisted in the oversight of the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its bases, and all its furniture, and all that belongs to its service, BSB BSB: The duties assigned to the sons of Merari were the tabernacle’s frames, crossbars, posts, bases, and all its equipment—all the service for these items,
37 DBY and the pillars of the court round about, and their bases, and their pegs, and their cords. BSB BSB: as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes.
Moses and Aaron 38 DBY And those who encamped before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, were Moses, and Aaron and his sons, who kept the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh near shall be put to death. BSB BSB: Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, before the Tent of Meeting. They were to perform the duties of the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites; but any outsider who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.
39 DBY All that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of Jehovah, according to their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand. BSB BSB: The total number of Levites that Moses and Aaron counted by their clans at the LORD’s command, including all the males a month old or more, was 22,000.
The Redemption of the Firstborn 40 DBY And Jehovah said to Moses, Number all the first-born males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the Israelites a month old or more, and list their names.
41 DBY And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am Jehovah) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites, instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel. BSB BSB: You are to take the Levites for Me—I am the LORD—in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.”
42 DBY And Moses numbered, as Jehovah had commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel. BSB BSB: So Moses numbered all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him.
43 DBY And all the firstborn males, by the number of the names, from a month old and upward, according to their numbering, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three. BSB BSB: The total number of the firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.
44 DBY And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, BSB BSB: Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
45 DBY Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am Jehovah. BSB BSB: “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.
46 DBY And for those that are to be ransomed, the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are in excess over the Levites, BSB BSB: To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites,
47 DBY thou shalt take five shekels apiece by the poll, according to the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them, — twenty gerahs the shekel; BSB BSB: you are to collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs.
48 DBY and thou shalt give the money unto Aaron and unto his sons for those in excess among them who are to be ransomed. BSB BSB: Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the excess among the Israelites.”
49 DBY And Moses took the ransom-money from them that were over and above those who were ransomed by the Levites; BSB BSB: So Moses collected the redemption money from those in excess of the number redeemed by the Levites.
50 DBY of the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, a thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels , according to the shekel of the sanctuary. BSB BSB: He collected the money from the firstborn of the Israelites: 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.
51 DBY And Moses gave the money of them that were ransomed to Aaron and to his sons, according to the commandment of Jehovah, — as Jehovah had commanded Moses. BSB BSB: And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons in obedience to the word of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.