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.
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。
