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.
Lewifo
1Eyi ne nea ɛfa Aaron ne Mose mmusua ho bere a Awurade kasa kyerɛɛ Mose wɔ Sinai Bepɔw so no.
2Aaron mmabarima din na edidi so yi: Nadab, nʼabakan, Abihu, Eleasar ne Itamar. 3Eyinom ne Aaron mma a wɔasra wɔn ngo na wɔayi wɔn asi hɔ sɛ asɔfo. 4Nadab ne Abihu de, wowuwuu wɔ Awurade anim bere a wɔhyew afɔrebɔde wɔ ogya a ɛmfata so wɔ Sinai sare so no. Na wonni mma nti, Eleasar ne Itamar nko ara na wɔsom sɛ asɔfo, bere a wɔn agya Aaron te ase no.
5Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose se: 6“Frɛ Lewifo no, na fa wɔn ma ɔsɔfo Aaron sɛ nʼaboafo. 7Wɔbɛyɛ adwuma wɔ Ahyiae Ntamadan no mu ama ɔsɔfo Aaron ne nnipa no nyinaa. 8Afei, wɔbɛhwɛ nneɛma a wɔde siesie Ahyiae Ntamadan mu no so de asi Israelfo no anan mu ayɛ asodi a wɔyɛ wɔ Ahyiae Ntamadan no mu. 9Fa Lewifo no ma Aaron ne ne mmabarima; wɔn ne Israelfo a wɔde wɔn bɛma no korakora. 10Ma Aaron ne ne mmabarima no nsom sɛ asɔfo; onipa foforo biara a ɔbɛbɛn kronkronbea hɔ no, ɛsɛ sɛ wokum no.”
11Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose se, 12“Mayi Lewifo no afi Israelfo no mu de wɔn asi Israel babea biara abakan a ɔyɛ ɔbarima anan mu. Lewifo no yɛ me de, 13efisɛ abakan biara wɔ me. Bere a mikunkum mmakan wɔ Misraim no, migyaw Israel mmakan, sɛ wɔyɛ nnipa anaa mmoa. Wɔyɛ me dea. Mene Awurade.”
14Afei, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose wɔ Sinai sare so se, 15“Kan Lewifo no wɔ wɔn mmusua ne afi mu. Kan ɔbarima biara fi nea wadi ɔsram baako so.” 16Enti Mose kan wɔn sɛnea Awurade hyɛɛ no no.
17Eyinom ne Lewi mmabarima:
Gerson, Kohat ne Merari.
18Gerson asefo ni:
Libni ne Simei.
19Kohat asefo:
Amram, Ishar, Hebron ne Usiel.
20Merari asefo:
Mahli ne Musi.
Eyinom ne Lewifo, sɛnea wɔn mmusua ne wɔn afi te.
21Gerson asefo no na wɔyɛ mmusua a wofi Libni ne Simei ase.
22Na Gersonfo mmarima a wɔadi ɔsram ne nea ɛboro saa a wofi Gerson mmusua mu no dodow yɛ mpem ahanson ne ahannum (7,500).
23Wɔn atenae wɔ Ahyiae Ntamadan no akyi wɔ atɔe fam.
24Na Gersonfo no ntuanoni ne Lael babarima Eliasaf.
25Saa mmusua abien yi na na wɔhwɛ Ahyiae Ntamadan no ne ne nkataho no ne ɔkwan nkataano no so. 26Afei, na wɔhwɛ adiwo nkataano a etwa Ahyiae Ntamadan no ho ne afɔremuka ne adiwo nkataano nhoma ne ɛhɔ nneɛma a wɔde di dwuma ahorow no nyinaa so.
27Kohat asefo yɛ mmusua a wofi Amram, Ishar, Hebron ne Usiel ase.
28Na Kehat mmusua no mu mmarima a wɔadi ɔsram ne nea ɛboro saa no dodow yɛ mpem awotwe ne ahansia (8,600).
Wɔn na na wɔhwɛ kronkronbea no so.
29Wɔmaa wɔn atenae wɔ Ahyiae Ntamadan no anafo fam.
30Na Kohatfo ntuanoni no ne Usiel babarima Elisafan.
31Saa mmusua anan yi na na wɔhwɛ apam adaka, ɔpon, kaneadua, afɔremuka ahorow, ne nea ɛkeka ho a na wɔde di dwuma wɔ kronkronbea hɔ, mfimfini ntwamtam ne nneɛma a wɔde di dwuma ahorow wɔ hɔ nyinaa no so.
32Aaron babarima ɔsɔfo Eleasar no na na ɔyɛ ɔpanyin wɔ Lewifo no nyinaa so. Ɔyɛɛ no panyin wɔ asɔfo a wɔhwɛ kronkronbea no so.
33Na Merari asefo no yɛ mmusua a wofi Mahli ne Musi ase.
34Merarifo mmusua no mu na mmarima a wɔadi ɔsram ne nea ɛboro saa no dodow yɛ mpem asia ne ahannu (6,200).
35Merari abusua no ntuanoni ne Abihail babarima Suriel,
na wɔtenaa Ahyiae Ntamadan no atifi fam.
36Dwumadi a wɔde hyɛɛ saa mmusuakuw abien yi nsa ne sɛ, wɔbɛhwɛ Ahyiae Ntamadan no nnyinaso so. Afei, wɔbɛhwɛ mmeamu nnua, mpuran, nsisiso ne ɛho nneɛma a wɔde di dwuma no nyinaa, 37ne mpuran a ɛwɔ adiwo hɔ nyinaa ne ne nsisiso, nnyinaso, ne ntampehama nyinaa, wɔbɛhwɛ so.
38Ahyiae Ntamadan no apuei fam, nea owia pue fi no, wogyaw maa Mose ne Aaron ne ne mmabarima sɛ wonsisi wɔn ntamadan wɔ hɔ.
Saa nnipa yi na na wosi Israelfo no anan mu di Ahyiae Ntamadan no ho dwuma nyinaa.
Obi foforo biara a ɔbɛbɛn kronkronbea hɔ no, ɛsɛ sɛ wokum no.
39Lewifo a Awurade hyɛɛ Mose ne Aaron sɛ wɔnkan wɔn sɛnea wɔn mmusua te a ɔbarima biara a wɔadi ɔsram ne nea ɛboro saa ka ho no dodow yɛ mpem aduonu abien (22,000).
40Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose se, “Kan Israelfo mmakan a wɔyɛ mmarima na wɔadi ɔsram ne nea ɛboro saa no, na kyerɛw wɔn din. 41Lewifo no bɛyɛ me de. Ma wonsi Israelfo mmakan nyinaa anan mu, na Lewifo nyɛmmoa mmakan nsi Israelfo nyɛmmoa mmakan anan mu. Mene Awurade.”
42Enti Mose kan Israelfo mmakan nyinaa sɛnea Awurade hyɛɛ no no. 43Mmakan mmarima a wɔadi ɔsram ne nea ɛboro saa no a ɔkyerɛw wɔn din no ano si mpem aduonu abien ahannu ne aduɔson abiɛsa (22,273).
44Afei, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose se, 45“Ma Lewifo nsi Israelfo mmakan anan mu. Na Lewifo nyɛmmoa mmakan nso nsi Israelfo nyɛmmoa mmakan anan mu. Lewifo yɛ me dea. Mene Awurade. 46Ansa na mubegye Israelfo mmakan ahannu aduɔson abiɛsa no a wɔboro Lewifo no dodow so no, 47momma wontua ti ade, sɛnea hyiadan mu nnwetɛbona te, a emu duru yɛ gram aduonum nson. 48Fa ti ade sika no ma Aaron ne ne mma.”
49Enti Mose gyigyee Israelfo ahannu aduɔson abiɛsa a na wɔboro Lewifo no dodow so no ti ade. 50Sika a wogyigyee no nyinaa ano sii dwetɛ kilogram dunum ne fa. 51Na Mose de maa Aaron ne ne mmabarima sɛnea Awurade hyɛɛ no no.
