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。
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.
