The Kohathites
1The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2“Take a census of the Kohathite branch of the Levites by their clans and families. 3Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.
4“This is the work of the Kohathites at the tent of meeting: the care of the most holy things. 5When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and put it over the ark of the covenant law. 6Then they are to cover the curtain with a durable leather,4:6 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals; also in verses 8, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 25 spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in place.
7“Over the table of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes and bowls, and the jars for drink offerings; the bread that is continually there is to remain on it. 8They are to spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover that with the durable leather and put the poles in place.
9“They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand that is for light, together with its lamps, its wick trimmers and trays, and all its jars for the olive oil used to supply it. 10Then they are to wrap it and all its accessories in a covering of the durable leather and put it on a carrying frame.
11“Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth and cover that with the durable leather and put the poles in place.
12“They are to take all the articles used for ministering in the sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover that with the durable leather and put them on a carrying frame.
13“They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it. 14Then they are to place on it all the utensils used for ministering at the altar, including the firepans, meat forks, shovels and sprinkling bowls. Over it they are to spread a covering of the durable leather and put the poles in place.
15“After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, only then are the Kohathites to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the tent of meeting.
16“Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, is to have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, including its holy furnishings and articles.”
17The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 18“See that the Kohathite tribal clans are not destroyed from among the Levites. 19So that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he is to carry. 20But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”
The Gershonites
21The Lord said to Moses, 22“Take a census also of the Gershonites by their families and clans. 23Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.
24“This is the service of the Gershonite clans in their carrying and their other work: 25They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, that is, the tent of meeting, its covering and its outer covering of durable leather, the curtains for the entrance to the tent of meeting, 26the curtains of the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard, the ropes and all the equipment used in the service of the tent. The Gershonites are to do all that needs to be done with these things. 27All their service, whether carrying or doing other work, is to be done under the direction of Aaron and his sons. You shall assign to them as their responsibility all they are to carry. 28This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the tent of meeting. Their duties are to be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.
The Merarites
29“Count the Merarites by their clans and families. 30Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting. 31As part of all their service at the tent, they are to carry the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts and bases, 32as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, ropes, all their equipment and everything related to their use. Assign to each man the specific things he is to carry. 33This is the service of the Merarite clans as they work at the tent of meeting under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.”
The Numbering of the Levite Clans
34Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the community counted the Kohathites by their clans and families. 35All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, 36counted by clans, were 2,750. 37This was the total of all those in the Kohathite clans who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.
38The Gershonites were counted by their clans and families. 39All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, 40counted by their clans and families, were 2,630. 41This was the total of those in the Gershonite clans who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command.
42The Merarites were counted by their clans and families. 43All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, 44counted by their clans, were 3,200. 45This was the total of those in the Merarite clans. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.
46So Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by their clans and families. 47All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to do the work of serving and carrying the tent of meeting 48numbered 8,580. 49At the Lord’s command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry.
Thus they were counted, as the Lord commanded Moses.
哥辖子孙的职责
1耶和华对摩西和亚伦说： 2“你要按宗族和家系统计利未人中哥辖子孙的人数， 3登记所有可在会幕司职的三十岁到五十岁的男子。 4他们在会幕里的职责是照料至圣之物。
5“拔营出发的时候，亚伦父子们要进会幕解下圣所和至圣所之间的幔子，用它遮盖约柜， 6再在上面依次盖上海狗皮和纯蓝色的布，然后穿上抬约柜的横杠。
7“要在摆放供饼的桌子上铺一块蓝布，把盘、碟及献酒用的杯和瓶摆在上面。桌上要有常供的饼。 8这些东西上面要盖朱红色的布，再盖上海狗皮，然后穿上抬桌子的横杠。
9“要用蓝布把灯台、灯盏、灯剪、灯盘和盛油的器皿全遮盖起来， 10再在上面盖上海狗皮，然后放在抬架上。
11“金坛上面要盖蓝色布，再盖上海狗皮，穿上抬金坛的横杠。
12“圣所里面供职用的一切器皿都要用蓝色布包好，盖上海狗皮，放在抬架上。
13“要清除祭坛上的灰烬，铺上紫色布， 14然后把供职用的火鼎、肉叉、铲、碗等所有的祭坛器具都放在上面，再盖上海狗皮，穿上抬祭坛的横杠。
15“拔营出发时，要等到亚伦父子们把圣所和圣所的所有器具都盖好后，哥辖的子孙才可以来抬。他们负责抬这些会幕的器具，但不可触摸这些圣物，免得死亡。 16亚伦祭司的儿子以利亚撒负责管理整个圣幕，以及里面的灯油、香料、日常献的素祭、膏油及一切器具和物品。”
17耶和华对摩西和亚伦说： 18“不可让哥辖宗族在利未人中灭绝。 19他们走近至圣之物以前，亚伦父子们要先进去指派他们做什么、抬什么，以免他们死亡。 20他们不可进去看圣物，一刻都不可，免得死亡。”
革顺子孙的职责
21耶和华对摩西说： 22“你要按宗族和家系统计革顺子孙的人数， 23登记所有可在会幕司职的三十岁到五十岁的男子。 24以下是革顺宗族负责的搬运工作及其他事务：
25“他们要抬圣幕的幔子、会幕、会幕顶盖、顶盖上的海狗皮、会幕门帘、 26围绕圣幕和祭坛的院子的帷幔、院门门帘、绳索及司职用的一切器具，还负责其他相关事务。 27你们要把抬的任务分配给革顺的子孙，他们要遵照亚伦父子们的吩咐司职。 28这是革顺宗族的人在会幕里的职责，他们要按祭司亚伦的儿子以他玛的吩咐司职。
米拉利子孙的职责
29“你要按宗族和家系统计米拉利子孙的人数， 30登记所有可在会幕司职的三十岁到五十岁的男子。 31他们在会幕里负责抬圣幕的木板、横闩、柱子、带凹槽的底座， 32院子四周的柱子及其带凹槽的底座、橛子、绳索和其他相关器具。你们要把当抬的物件一一指派给他们。 33这是米拉利宗族的人在会幕的职责，由祭司亚伦的儿子以他玛监督。”
34于是，摩西、亚伦和会众的首领按宗族和家系统计哥辖的子孙， 35登记了所有可在会幕司职的三十岁到五十岁的男子， 36共两千七百五十人。 37这是哥辖宗族在会幕司职的人数，是摩西和亚伦照耶和华的吩咐统计的。
38-40按宗族和家系统计，革顺的子孙中三十岁到五十岁、可在会幕司职的共两千六百三十人。 41这是革顺宗族在会幕司职的人数，是摩西和亚伦照耶和华的吩咐统计的。
42-44按宗族和家系统计，米拉利的子孙中三十岁到五十岁、可在会幕司职的共三千二百人。 45这是米拉利宗族的人数，是摩西和亚伦照耶和华的吩咐统计的。
46摩西、亚伦和以色列人的首领按宗族和家系统计了利未人的人数， 47-48三十岁到五十岁、可司职和搬运会幕器具的利未人，共八千五百八十人。 49照耶和华对摩西的吩咐，每个人都被统计在内，都有指定的职责和当抬的器具。这样，照耶和华对摩西的吩咐，人口统计完毕。
