3
レビ人の立場と、その働き
1シナイ山で神がモーセに語った当時、 2アロンには息子が四人いました。長男ナダブ、次男アビフ、三男エルアザル、四男イタマルです。 3四人とも祭司でした。幕屋で仕えるために選ばれ、任命されたのです。 4ところが、ナダブとアビフはシナイの荒野にいた時、幕屋で規定に反して香をたいたために死んでしまいました。二人には跡継ぎの子がいなかったので、アロンを助けて祭司の仕事をするのは、エルアザルとイタマルだけになりました。
5その後、主はモーセに命じました。 6「レビ族を集め、アロンの仕事を手伝わせなさい。 7-9彼らはアロンのもとで、全国民に代わって幕屋の仕事をするのだ。主に幕屋の祭具の管理や修理をする。 10祭司の仕事をするのはアロンとその子らだけで、ほかに近づく者はみな死ぬこととなる。」
11-12さらに、主は命じました。「レビ人を、イスラエル人の長男全員の身代わりとする。 13だから、レビ人はわたしのものとなる。エジプト人の長男をすべて殺した日、イスラエル人の長男を家畜の子も含め、一人残らずわたしのものとしたように、彼らの長男はみなわたしのものだ。すべてのものを造ったのは、神であるわたしである。」
14-15主はまた、シナイの荒野でモーセに命じました。「レビ人で生後一か月以上の男の数を、氏族ごとに調べなさい。」 16-24モーセはそのとおりにしました。
レビ族は、ゲルション族、ケハテ族、メラリ族の三氏族。
そのうち、ゲルション族はリブニ族とシムイ族から成り、族長はラエルの子エルヤサフ。幕屋の西側に宿営し、人数は七、五〇〇人。 25-30このゲルション族は幕屋を管理します。その覆い、入口の垂れ幕（カーテン）、さらに庭の柵の垂れ幕、天幕と祭壇を囲む庭の入口の垂れ幕、それに、天幕を結び合わせる綱の管理です。
次に、ケハテ族は、アムラム族、イツハル族、ヘブロン族、ウジエル族から成り、族長はウジエルの子エリツァファン。幕屋の南側に宿営し、人数は八、六〇〇人。 31-35このケハテ族の仕事は、契約の箱（十戒を記した石板を納めた箱）、テーブル、燭台、祭壇と幕屋の中で使ういろいろな祭具、覆いなどの管理と修理です。この仕事は、アロンの子エルアザルが責任者として、レビ人の家長たちを監督しました。
最後に、メラリ族は、マフリ族とムシ族から成り、族長はアビハイルの子ツリエル。幕屋の北側に宿営し、人数は六、二〇〇人。 36-37このメラリ族の仕事は、幕屋の骨組みに必要な柱、土台、付属の部品類と、庭の回りの柱、その土台、釘、綱などの管理です。
38モーセとアロンとその子らは、いつも幕屋の東側に天幕を張りました。彼らはイスラエルの人々に代わって、幕屋で仕事をするのです。祭司でもレビ人でもない者が一歩でも幕屋に近づいたら、その者は殺されます。
39主の命令によって、モーセとアロンが登録した生後一か月以上のレビ族の男の数は、二万二、〇〇〇人でした。
40その後また、主はモーセに命じました。「イスラエル人で生後一か月以上の長男の数を調べなさい。 41イスラエル人の長男の代わりに、レビ人をわたしのものとする。同じように、家畜の初子の代わりに、レビ人の家畜をわたしのものとする。」
42モーセは主に命じられたとおり、イスラエル人の長男の数を調べました。 43その結果、二万二、二七三人いることがわかりました。
44そこで、主はモーセに告げて言いました。 45「イスラエル人の長男全員の代わりにレビ人を、家畜の初子の代わりにレビ人の家畜を、わたしにささげなさい。レビ人はわたしのものだ。わたしは主である。 46イスラエル人の長男の数が二七三人超過しているので、その分は金銭でささげなさい。 47-48一人につき五シェケル（一シェケルは十一・四グラム）をアロンとその子らが取りなさい。」
49モーセは二七三人から代金を徴収しました。〔他の者は、レビ人が身代わりになったので、金を払う必要はありません。〕 50全部で一、三六五シェケルを、 51モーセはアロンとその子らに渡しました。
The Levites
1Here is the story of the family line of Aaron and Moses. It belongs to the time when the Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai.
2Aaron’s oldest son was Nadab. Aaron’s other sons were Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3Those were the names of Aaron’s sons. They were the anointed priests. They were given authority to serve the Lord as priests. 4But Nadab and Abihu made an offering to the Lord by using fire that wasn’t allowed. So they died in front of him. That happened in the Desert of Sinai. They didn’t have any sons. Only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests while their father Aaron was living.
5The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, 6“Bring the men of the tribe of Levi to Aaron the priest. They will help him. 7They must work at the tent of meeting for Aaron and for the whole community. They must do what needs to be done at the holy tent. 8They must take care of everything connected with the tent of meeting. When they do, they are acting for all the Israelites. 9Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are the men of Israel who must be given completely to him. 10Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. Anyone else who approaches the sacred tent must be put to death.”
11The Lord also said to Moses, 12“I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites. I have taken them in place of the son born first to each woman in Israel. The Levites belong to me. 13That’s because every male born first to a mother is mine. In Egypt I struck down all the males born first. I did it when I set apart for myself every male born first to a mother in Israel. That is true for men and animals alike. They belong to me. I am the Lord.”
14The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai. He said, 15“Count the Levites by their family groups. Count every male a month old or more.” 16So Moses counted them. He did just as the word of the Lord had commanded him.
17The sons of Levi were
Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
18The major families from Gershon were
Libni and Shimei.
19The major families from Kohath were
Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
20The major families from Merari were
Mahli and Mushi.
These were the major families of the Levites.
21The families of Libni and Shimei belonged to the family of Gershon.
22All the males a month old or more were counted. There were 7,500 of them.
23The families of Gershon had to camp on the west side. They had to camp behind the holy tent.
24The leader of the families of Gershon was Eliasaph, the son of Lael.
25Here are the duties of the families of Gershon at the tent of meeting. They were responsible for taking care of the holy tent and its coverings. They took care of the curtain at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 26They took care of the curtains of the courtyard. And they took care of the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. The courtyard was all around the holy tent and altar. The families of Gershon also took care of the ropes. In fact, they had to take care of everything connected with the use of all those things.
27The families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel belonged to the family of Kohath.
28All the males a month old or more were counted. There were 8,600 of them.
The families of Kohath were responsible for taking care of the sacred tent.
29They had to camp on the south side of the holy tent.
30The leader of the families of Kohath was Elizaphan, the son of Uzziel.
31They were responsible for taking care of the ark of the covenant law. They took care of the table for the holy bread. They took care of the lampstand and the two altars. They took care of the things used for serving in the sacred tent. They also took care of the inner curtain. In fact, they had to take care of everything connected with the use of all those things.
32The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar. He was the son of Aaron the priest. Eleazar was appointed over those responsible for taking care of the sacred tent.
33The families of Mahli and Mushi belonged to the family of Merari.
34All the males a month old or more were counted. There were 6,200 of them.
35The leader of the families of Merari was Zuriel, the son of Abihail.
The families of Merari had to camp on the north side of the holy tent.
36They were responsible for taking care of the frames of the tent. They took care of its crossbars, posts and bases. They took care of all its supplies. In fact, they had to take care of everything connected with the use of all those things. 37They also took care of the posts of the courtyard around the holy tent. And they took care of the bases, tent stakes and ropes.
38Moses, Aaron and Aaron’s sons had to camp to the east of the holy tent. They had to camp toward the sunrise in front of the tent of meeting.
They were responsible for taking care of the sacred tent. They had to do it for the Israelites.
Anyone else who approached the tent would be put to death.
39The total number of the Levite males was 22,000. They were counted family by family. Every male a month old or more was counted. Moses and Aaron counted them, just as the Lord had commanded.
40The Lord said to Moses, “Count all the Israelite males born first in their families. Count all those a month old or more. Make a list of their names. 41Take the Levites for me in their place. And take the livestock of the Levites in place of all the male animals in Israel born first to their mothers. I am the Lord.”
42So Moses counted all the oldest sons in Israel. He did just as the Lord had commanded him. 43There were 22,273 of those sons a month old or more. They were listed by name.
44The Lord also said to Moses, 45“Take the Levites in place of all the males born first in Israel. Also take the livestock of the Levites in place of the livestock of Israel. The Levites belong to me. I am the Lord. 46But there are 273 more males born first in Israel than there are male Levites. 47Collect two ounces of silver for each of them. Weigh it out according to the standard weights used in the sacred tent. 48Give the silver to Aaron and his sons. It will buy the freedom of the additional sons in Israel.”
49So Moses collected the silver from the additional sons in Israel to buy their freedom. The Levites took the place of all the others. 50Moses collected 35 pounds of silver. It was weighed out according to the weights used in the sacred tent. Moses collected it from the oldest sons in Israel. 51He gave the silver to Aaron and his sons. He did just as the Lord had commanded him.
