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.
哥轄子孫的職責
1耶和華對摩西和亞倫說： 2「你要按宗族和家系統計利未人中哥轄子孫的人數， 3登記所有可在會幕司職的三十歲到五十歲的男子。 4他們在會幕裡的職責是照料至聖之物。
5「拔營出發的時候，亞倫父子們要進會幕解下聖所和至聖所之間的幔子，用它遮蓋約櫃， 6再在上面依次蓋上海狗皮和純藍色的布，然後穿上抬約櫃的橫槓。
7「要在擺放供餅的桌子上鋪一塊藍布，把盤、碟及獻酒用的杯和瓶擺在上面。桌上要有常供的餅。 8這些東西上面要蓋朱紅色的布，再蓋上海狗皮，然後穿上抬桌子的橫槓。
9「要用藍布把燈臺、燈盞、燈剪、燈盤和盛油的器皿全遮蓋起來， 10再在上面蓋上海狗皮，然後放在抬架上。
11「金壇上面要蓋藍色布，再蓋上海狗皮，穿上抬金壇的橫槓。
12「聖所裡面供職用的一切器皿都要用藍色布包好，蓋上海狗皮，放在抬架上。
13「要清除祭壇上的灰燼，鋪上紫色布， 14然後把供職用的火鼎、肉叉、鏟、碗等所有的祭壇器具都放在上面，再蓋上海狗皮，穿上抬祭壇的橫槓。
15「拔營出發時，要等到亞倫父子們把聖所和聖所的所有器具都蓋好後，哥轄的子孫才可以來抬。他們負責抬這些會幕的器具，但不可觸摸這些聖物，免得死亡。 16亞倫祭司的兒子以利亞撒負責管理整個聖幕，以及裡面的燈油、香料、日常獻的素祭、膏油及一切器具和物品。」
17耶和華對摩西和亞倫說： 18「不可讓哥轄宗族在利未人中滅絕。 19他們走近至聖之物以前，亞倫父子們要先進去指派他們做什麼、抬什麼，以免他們死亡。 20他們不可進去看聖物，一刻都不可，免得死亡。」
革順子孫的職責
21耶和華對摩西說： 22「你要按宗族和家系統計革順子孫的人數， 23登記所有可在會幕司職的三十歲到五十歲的男子。 24以下是革順宗族負責的搬運工作及其他事務：
25「他們要抬聖幕的幔子、會幕、會幕頂蓋、頂蓋上的海狗皮、會幕門簾、 26圍繞聖幕和祭壇的院子的帷幔、院門門簾、繩索及司職用的一切器具，還負責其他相關事務。 27你們要把抬的任務分配給革順的子孫，他們要遵照亞倫父子們的吩咐司職。 28這是革順宗族的人在會幕裡的職責，他們要按祭司亞倫的兒子以他瑪的吩咐司職。
米拉利子孫的職責
29「你要按宗族和家系統計米拉利子孫的人數， 30登記所有可在會幕司職的三十歲到五十歲的男子。 31他們在會幕裡負責抬聖幕的木板、橫閂、柱子、帶凹槽的底座， 32院子四周的柱子及其帶凹槽的底座、橛子、繩索和其他相關器具。你們要把當抬的物件一一指派給他們。 33這是米拉利宗族的人在會幕的職責，由祭司亞倫的兒子以他瑪監督。」
34於是，摩西、亞倫和會眾的首領按宗族和家系統計哥轄的子孫， 35登記了所有可在會幕司職的三十歲到五十歲的男子， 36共兩千七百五十人。 37這是哥轄宗族在會幕司職的人數，是摩西和亞倫照耶和華的吩咐統計的。
38-40按宗族和家系統計，革順的子孫中三十歲到五十歲、可在會幕司職的共兩千六百三十人。 41這是革順宗族在會幕司職的人數，是摩西和亞倫照耶和華的吩咐統計的。
42-44按宗族和家系統計，米拉利的子孫中三十歲到五十歲、可在會幕司職的共三千二百人。 45這是米拉利宗族的人數，是摩西和亞倫照耶和華的吩咐統計的。
46摩西、亞倫和以色列人的首領按宗族和家系統計了利未人的人數， 47-48三十歲到五十歲、可司職和搬運會幕器具的利未人，共八千五百八十人。 49照耶和華對摩西的吩咐，每個人都被統計在內，都有指定的職責和當抬的器具。這樣，照耶和華對摩西的吩咐，人口統計完畢。
