Levis stamme
1Dengang Herren talte til Moses på Sinaibjerget, 2havde Aron følgende sønner: Nadab (den førstefødte), Abihu, Eleazar og Itamar. 3Moses salvede og indsatte dem alle til at gøre tjeneste som præster for Herren. 4Men Nadab og Abihu døde i Sinai ørken, for Herren straffede dem, da de forsøgte at bringe et forkert røgelsesoffer. De havde ingen børn, så Eleazar og Itamar var derefter alene om at gøre præstetjeneste under deres fars opsyn.
5Da sagde Herren til Moses: 6„Kald Levis stamme sammen og lad dem træde frem for Aron. 7-9Levitterne skal efter Arons anvisninger hjælpe præsterne med at udføre deres forskellige pligter i åbenbaringsteltet på Israels folks vegne; for disse mænd er udpeget til at repræsentere hele folket, og de har ansvaret for boligens inventar og vedligeholdelse. 10Men kun Aron og hans sønner må udføre præstetjeneste. Hvis nogen lægmand trænger ind i helligdommen, skal han henrettes.”
11-13Og Herren fortsatte: „Dengang jeg dræbte egypternes førstefødte sønner, var det på betingelse af, at alle Israels førstefødte sønner og dyr skulle tilhøre mig. Jeres førstefødte sønner skulle blive min ejendom og tjene mig. Men nu vil jeg acceptere levitterne som erstatning, således at det i stedet bliver dem, der skal tilhøre mig og tjene mig.”
14Senere talte Herren igen til Moses i Sinai ørken. 15„Nu skal du optælle Levis stamme,” sagde han. „Lav et slægtsregister over samtlige mandspersoner, der er over en måned gamle.” 16Moses begyndte straks på den opgave, Herren havde givet ham.
17-20Levi havde tre sønner: Gershon, Kehat og Merari, som blev stamfædre til de slægter blandt levitterne, der bærer deres navne. Gershon havde to sønner: Libni og Shimi; Kehat havde fire sønner: Amram, Jitzhar, Hebron og Uzziel; Merari havde to sønner: Mahli og Mushi.
21Gershons slægt gennem sønnerne Libni og Shimi 22blev optalt til 7500 mandspersoner over en måned gamle, 23og de skulle slå lejr bag ved boligen, på vestsiden. 24Den øverste for Gershon-slægten var Laels søn Eljasaf. 25Denne slægts ansvarsområde var boligens teltduge, presenninger og indgangsforhæng, 26forgårdens teltduge, der indhegnede åbenbaringsteltet og brændofferalteret og forhænget foran indgangen til forgården. De havde også ansvar for de snore, der hørte til.
27Kehats slægt gennem sønnerne Amram, Jitzhar, Hebron og Uzziel 28blev optalt til 86003,28 Sikkert en fejlskrivning for 8300, som der står i nogle af de græske håndskrifter. Ellers passer sammentællingen i vers 39 ikke. mandspersoner over en måned gamle, 29og de skulle slå lejr ved boligens sydside. 30Lederen af denne slægt var Elitzafan, søn af Uzziel. 31De var ansvarlige for pagtens ark, bordet med brødene, lysestagen, altrene, de forskellige redskaber, der blev brugt i helligdommen, samt for forhænget i helligdommen. Alt det praktiske arbejde vedrørende disse ting var deres ansvar.
32Præsten Eleazar, Arons søn, fik overopsynet med levitterne. Det blev hans opgave at føre tilsyn med dem, der arbejdede i helligdommen.
33Meraris slægt gennem sønnerne Mahli og Mushit 34blev optalt til 6200 mandspersoner over en måned gamle, 35og de skulle slå lejr ved boligens nordside. Lederen af denne slægt var Zuriel, søn af Abihajil. 36De var ansvarlige for boligens vægmoduler, tværstænger, stolper, sokler og det værktøj, der blev brugt under monteringen, 37forgårdens stolper og sokler, samt alle pløkker og barduner.
38På østsiden af åbenbaringsteltet, ud for indgangen, skulle Moses, Aron og Arons sønner slå deres telte op, for de havde overopsynet med al tjenesten i helligdommen, hvor de repræsenterede folket. Og hvis nogen lægmand trængte ind i helligdommen, skulle han henrettes.
39Optællingen af levitterne, som Moses og Aron på Herrens befaling udførte, resulterede i en liste med 22.000 mandspersoner over en måned gamle.
40Da sagde Herren til Moses: „Optæl nu hvor mange førstefødte sønner blandt hele Israels folk, der er over en måned gamle. 41Alle Israels førstefødte sønner og det førstefødte blandt jeres husdyr tilhører jo mig, men i stedet for kan I give mig levitterne, og alle levitternes husdyr skal tilhøre mig som erstatning for de førstefødte blandt resten af folkets husdyr.”
42-43Så gjorde Moses, som Herren havde befalet. Han optalte alle folkets førstefødte sønner, der var over en måned gamle, og det samlede antal viste sig at være 22.273.
44Derefter sagde Herren til Moses: 45„Giv mig levitterne i stedet for disse førstefødte sønner, og levitternes dyr i stedet for folkets førstefødte dyr, for jeg er Herren. 46-48Da antallet af de førstefødte sønner overstiger levitternes antal med 273, skal du løskøbe de 273 overskydende sønner ved at betale fem shekel3,46-48 En shekel menes at være godt 11 gram på dette tidspunkt, men vægten varierede en del gennem tiden. sølv for hver af dem. Sølvstykkerne skal gives til Aron og hans sønner, og de skal vejes efter den standardvægt, der bruges i helligdommen.”
49Så indsamlede Moses løsesummen for de overskydende 273 førstefødte sønner. De øvrige 22.000 førstefødte sønner var allerede købt fri ved, at alle de levitiske mænd blev indviet til Herren i deres sted. 50Den samlede løsesum blev således 1365 shekel sølv. 51Og Moses gav pengene til Aron og hans sønner, sådan som Herren havde befalet ham.
The Levites
1This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai.
2The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3Those were the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. 4Nadab and Abihu, however, died before the Lord when they made an offering with unauthorised fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
5The Lord said to Moses, 6‘Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. 7They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the tent of meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle. 8They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. 9Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him.3:9 Most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text; some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also 8:16) to me 10Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.’
11The Lord also said to Moses, 12‘I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, 13for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.’
14The Lord said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai, 15‘Count the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or more.’ 16So Moses counted them, as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.
17These were the names of the sons of Levi:
Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
18These were the names of the Gershonite clans:
Libni and Shimei.
19The Kohathite clans:
Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
20The Merarite clans:
Mahli and Mushi.
These were the Levite clans, according to their families.
21To Gershon belonged the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites; these were the Gershonite clans.
22The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 7,500.
23The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle.
24The leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.
25At the tent of meeting the Gershonites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the tent of meeting, 26the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes – and everything related to their use.
27To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites; these were the Kohathite clans.
28The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600.3:28 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts 8,300
The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.
29The Kohathite clans were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.
30The leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31They were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use.
32The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.
33To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the Merarite clans.
34The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 6,200.
35The leader of the families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail.
They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36The Merarites were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use, 37as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and ropes.
38Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, towards the sunrise, in front of the tent of meeting.
They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites.
Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.
39The total number of Levites counted at the Lord’s command by Moses and Aaron according to their clans, including every male a month old or more, was 22,000.
40The Lord said to Moses, ‘Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more and make a list of their names. 41Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the Lord.’
42So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the Lord commanded him. 43The total number of firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.
44The Lord also said to Moses, 45‘Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the Lord. 46To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, 47collect five shekels3:47 That is, about 58 grams for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. 48Give the money for the redemption of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons.’
49So Moses collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites. 50From the firstborn of the Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels,3:50 That is, about 16 kilograms according to the sanctuary shekel. 51Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.
