4
1 The
LORD spoke to
Moses and to Aaron,
saying,
2 “Take
a census of
the sons of
Kohath from among
the sons of
Levi, by their
families, by
their fathers’ houses,
3 from
thirty years old
and upward even
until fifty years
old, all who enter
into the service
to do the
work in the Tent
of Meeting.
4 “This
is the service
of the sons
of Kohath in
the Tent of
Meeting, regarding the
most holy things.
5 When
the camp moves
forward, Aaron shall
go in with
his sons; and they
shall take down
the veil of
the screen, cover
the ark of the
Testimony with it,
6 put
a covering
of sealskin on it,
spread a blue cloth
over it, and
put in its poles.
7 “On
the table of
show bread they
shall spread a
blue cloth, and
put on it
the dishes, the
spoons, the bowls,
and the cups
with which to
pour out; and
the continual
bread shall be
on it.
8 They
shall spread on
them a
scarlet cloth, and
cover it with
a covering
of sealskin, and
shall put in
its poles.
9 “They
shall take a
blue cloth and
cover the
lamp stand of the
light, its lamps,
its snuffers,
its snuff dishes, and
all its oil
vessels, with
which they
minister to it.
10 They
shall put it
and all its
vessels within a
covering of sealskin,
and shall put
it on the
frame.
11 “On
the golden altar
they shall spread
a blue cloth, and
cover it with
a covering
of sealskin, and shall
put in its poles.
12 “They
shall take all
the vessels of
ministry with
which they
minister in the
sanctuary, and put
them in a
blue cloth, cover
them with a
covering of sealskin,
and shall put
them on the
frame.
13 “They shall
take away the
ashes from the
altar, and spread
a purple cloth on
it.
14 They
shall put on
it all its
vessels with which
they minister
about it, the fire
pans, the meat hooks,
the shovels, and
the basins—all
the vessels of
the altar; and
they shall spread
on it a
covering of sealskin,
and put in
its poles.
15 “When Aaron
and his sons
have finished
covering the
sanctuary and all
the furniture of
the sanctuary, as
the camp moves
forward; after that,
the sons of
Kohath shall come
to carry it;
but they shall
not touch the
sanctuary, lest they
die. The sons
of Kohath shall
carry these
things belonging to
the Tent of
Meeting.
16 “The duty
of Eleazar the son
of Aaron the
priest shall be
the oil for
the light, the
sweet incense, the
continual meal
offering, and the
anointing oil,
the requirements of
all the tabernacle,
and of all
that is in
it, the sanctuary,
and its
furnishings.”
17 The
LORD spoke to
Moses and to Aaron,
saying,
18 “Don’t cut
off the tribe
of the families
of the Kohathites
from among the
Levites;
19 but
do this to
them, that they
may live, and
not die, when
they approach the
most holy things:
Aaron and his sons
shall go in
and appoint everyone
to his service
and to his
burden;
20 but
they shall not go
in to see
the sanctuary even
for a moment, lest
they die.”
21 The
LORD spoke to
Moses, saying,
22 “Take
a census of
the sons of
Gershon also, by
their fathers’ houses,
by their families;
23 you
shall count them
from thirty years
old and upward
until fifty years
old: all who enter
in to wait
on the service,
to do the
work in the Tent
of Meeting.
24 “This
is the service
of the families
of the Gershonites,
in serving and
in bearing burdens:
25 they
shall carry the
curtains of the
tabernacle and the
Tent of Meeting,
its covering, the
covering of sealskin
that is on it,
the screen for
the door of
the Tent of
Meeting,
26 the
hangings of the
court, the screen
for the door
of the gate
of the court
which is by
the tabernacle and
around the altar,
their cords, and
all the
instruments of
their service, and
whatever shall be
done with them.
They shall serve
in there.
27 At
the commandment
of Aaron and his
sons shall be
all the service
of the sons
of the Gershonites,
in all their
burden and in
all their service;
and you shall
appoint their duty
to them in
all their
responsibilities.
28 This
is the service
of the families
of the sons
of the Gershonites
in the Tent of
Meeting. Their
duty shall be
under the hand
of Ithamar the son
of Aaron the
priest.
29 “As
for the sons
of Merari, you
shall count them
by their families,
by their fathers’
houses;
30 you
shall count them
from thirty years
old and upward
even to fifty
years old—everyone
who enters on the
service, to do
the work of
the Tent of
Meeting.
31 This
is the duty
of their burden,
according to all
their service in
the Tent of
Meeting: the
tabernacle’s boards,
its bars, its
pillars, its sockets,
32 the
pillars of the
court around it,
their sockets, their
pins, their cords,
with all their
instruments, and
with all their
service. You shall
appoint the
instruments of the
duty of their
burden to them
by name.
33 This
is the service
of the families
of the sons
of Merari,
according to all
their service in
the Tent of
Meeting, under the
hand of Ithamar
the son of Aaron
the priest.”
34 Moses
and Aaron and the
princes of the
congregation counted
the sons of
the Kohathites by
their families,
and by
their fathers’ houses,
35 from
thirty years old
and upward even
to fifty years
old, everyone who
entered into the
service for work
in the Tent of
Meeting.
36 Those
who were counted
of them by
their families
were two thousand
seven hundred
fifty.
37 These
are those who
were counted of
the families of
the Kohathites,
all who served
in the Tent of
Meeting, whom Moses
and Aaron counted
according to the
commandment of the
LORD by Moses.
38 Those
who were counted
of the sons
of Gershon, by
their families,
and by
their fathers’ houses,
39 from
thirty years old
and upward even
to fifty years
old—everyone who
entered into the
service for work
in the Tent of
Meeting,
40 even those
who were counted
of them, by
their families, by
their fathers’ houses,
were two thousand
six hundred thirty.
41 These
are those who
were counted of
the families of
the sons of
Gershon, all who
served in the Tent
of Meeting, whom
Moses and Aaron
counted according
to the commandment
of the LORD.
42 Those
who were counted
of the families
of the sons
of Merari, by
their families, by
their fathers’ houses,
43 from
thirty years old
and upward even
to fifty years
old—everyone who
entered into the
service for work
in the Tent of
Meeting,
44 even those
who were counted
of them by
their families,
were three thousand
two hundred.
45 These are
those who were
counted of the
families of the
sons of Merari,
whom Moses and Aaron
counted according
to the commandment
of the LORD
by Moses.
46 All
those who were
counted of the
Levites whom Moses
and Aaron and the
princes of Israel
counted, by their
families and by
their fathers’ houses,
47 from
thirty years old
and upward even
to fifty years
old, everyone who
entered in to
do the work
of service and
the work of bearing
burdens in the Tent
of Meeting,
48 even those
who were counted
of them, were
eight thousand five
hundred eighty.
49 According
to the commandment
of the LORD
they were counted
by Moses, everyone
according to his
service and
according to his
burden. Thus they
were counted by
him, as the
LORD commanded
Moses.