利未人的職分
1以下是耶和華在西奈山與摩西說話期間亞倫和摩西的後代。
2亞倫的長子是拿答，其他兒子還有亞比戶、以利亞撒和以他瑪。 3亞倫的兒子都是受膏的祭司，從摩西那裡承受聖職做祭司。 4拿答和亞比戶在西奈曠野用凡火向耶和華獻祭，因而被擊殺。他們沒有後裔，因此只剩下以利亞撒和以他瑪在父親亞倫身邊擔任祭司。
5耶和華對摩西說： 6「你去叫利未支派來協助亞倫祭司。 7他們要為亞倫和全體會眾在會幕司職，辦理聖幕的事務， 8也要負責看守會幕裡面的器具，為以色列人辦理聖幕的事務。 9你要把利未人交給亞倫父子們，因為他們是從以色列人中選出來協助亞倫的。 10你要指派亞倫父子們盡祭司的職分，其他人若走近聖幕，必被處死。」 11耶和華又對摩西說： 12「我從以色列人中揀選利未人代替以色列人所有的長子。利未人要屬於我， 13因為所有頭生的都屬於我。我殺死埃及人所有的長子和頭生的牲畜那天，已把以色列人所有的長子和頭生的牲畜都分別出來，使之聖潔，歸給我，我是耶和華。」
14耶和華在西奈曠野對摩西說： 15「你要按利未人的宗族和家系統計他們的人口，登記所有年齡在一個月以上的男性。」 16於是，摩西照耶和華的吩咐統計利未人。 17利未的兒子是革順、哥轄和米拉利。 18革順的兒子依次是立尼和示每。 19哥轄的兒子依次是暗蘭、以斯哈、希伯崙和烏薛。 20米拉利的兒子依次是抹利和姆示。他們按家系都屬於利未人的宗族。
21革順宗族有立尼和示每兩個家族， 22其中年齡在一個月以上的男性共七千五百人。 23革順宗族的人要在聖幕的後面，即西面安營， 24拉伊勒的兒子以利雅薩做首領。 25他們負責看守會幕，即聖幕、聖幕的罩棚、頂蓋和門簾、 26圍繞聖幕和祭壇的院子的帷幔、門簾、繩索及一切相關的物品。
27哥轄宗族有暗蘭家族、以斯哈家族、希伯崙家族和烏薛家族， 28其中年齡在一個月以上的男性共有八千六百人，他們負責看守聖所。 29哥轄宗族的人要在聖幕南面安營， 30烏薛的兒子以利撒反做首領。 31他們負責照管約櫃、桌子、燈臺、兩座壇、聖所裡面的器具、幔子等一切物品。 32亞倫祭司的兒子以利亞撒是利未人的最高首領，負責監督在聖所工作的人。
33米拉利宗族有抹利和姆示兩個家族， 34其中年齡在一個月以上的男性共六千二百人， 35亞比亥的兒子蘇列做首領。他們要在聖幕的北面安營， 36負責照管聖幕的木板、橫閂、柱子、帶凹槽的底座和聖幕的一切器具， 37以及院子四周的柱子、帶凹槽的底座、橛子和繩索。
38摩西、亞倫和亞倫的兒子們要在聖幕東面、朝日出的方向安營，為以色列人在聖所司職。凡擅自走近聖所的人，都要被處死。 39摩西和亞倫照耶和華的吩咐，按宗族統計利未人，年齡在一個月以上的男性共兩萬二千人。
利未人代替長子的地位
40耶和華對摩西說：「你要統計以色列人中年齡在一個月以上的長子，登記他們的姓名。 41我是耶和華，你要把利未人歸給我，代替以色列人所有的長子，也要把利未人的牲畜獻給我，代替以色列人所有頭生的牲畜。」 42摩西就照耶和華的吩咐統計了以色列人的長子， 43年齡在一個月以上的共兩萬二千二百七十三人。 44耶和華又對摩西說： 45「你要用利未人代替以色列人所有的長子，用利未人的牲畜代替以色列人所有頭生的牲畜。利未人是屬於我的，我是耶和華。 46以色列人所有長子的人數比利未人總數多二百七十三人，這些多出來的人需要被贖回， 47每人折合五十五克銀子，要以聖所的秤為準，即一舍客勒3·47 一舍客勒約合十一克。是二十季拉。 48要把贖銀交給亞倫父子們。」 49摩西就收取了那二百七十三人的贖銀， 50以聖所的秤計算，共十五公斤銀子， 51照耶和華的吩咐，將贖銀交給亞倫父子們。
1These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spake with Moses in mount Sinai. 2And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office.3.3 whom…: Heb. whose hand he filled 4And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the sight of Aaron their father.
5¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 6Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. 7And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. 10And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 11And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 12And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; 13Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.
14¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them. 16And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.3.16 word: Heb. mouth 17And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. 18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei. 19And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers. 21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites. 22Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred. 23The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward. 24And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 26And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.
27¶ And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites. 28In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary. 29The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward. 30And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof. 32And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.
33¶ Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari. 34And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred. 35And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward. 36And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,3.36 under…: Heb. the office of the charge 37And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.
38¶ But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 39All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.
40¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. 41And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) 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. 42And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel. 43And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.
44¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 45Take 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 the LORD. 46And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites; 47Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:) 48And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons. 49And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites: 50Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: 51And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.
