Numbers 4 - New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Duties of the Kohathites

4 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “Take a [a]census of the [b]descendants of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ households, 3 from (A)thirty years old and upward, even to fifty years old, everyone who can enter the service of ministry to do work in the tent of meeting. 4 This is the work of the [c]descendants of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the most holy things.

5 “When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down (B)the veil of the curtain, and cover the (C)ark of the testimony with it; 6 and they shall place a (D)covering of [d]fine leather on it, and spread over it a cloth of pure [e]violet, and insert its carrying poles. 7 Over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall also spread a cloth of violet and put on it the dishes, the pans, the sacrificial bowls, and the jugs for the drink offering; and (E)the continual bread shall be on it. 8 And they shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet material, and cover the same with a covering of fine leather, and they shall insert its carrying poles. 9 Then they shall take a violet cloth and cover the (F)lampstand for the light, (G)along with its lamps, its tongs, its trays, and all its oil containers, by which they attend to it; 10 and they shall put it and all its utensils in a covering of fine leather, and put it on the carrying [f]bars. 11 Over the golden altar they shall spread a violet cloth, and cover it with a covering of fine leather, and they shall insert its carrying poles; 12 and they shall take all the utensils of service, with which they serve in the sanctuary, and put them in a violet cloth and cover them with a covering of fine leather, and put them on the carrying [g]bars. 13 Then they shall clean away the [h]ashes from the (H)altar, and spread a purple cloth over it. 14 They shall also put on it all its utensils by which they serve in connection with it: the firepans, the forks, shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread a cover of fine leather over it and insert its carrying poles. 15 When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them by the poles, so that they will not touch the holy objects (I)and die. These are the [i]things in the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.

16 “Now the responsibility of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is (J)the oil for the light, the (K)fragrant incense, (L)the continual grain offering, and (M)the anointing oil—the responsibility of all the [j]tabernacle and everything that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings.”

17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 18 “Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be eliminated from among the Levites. 19 Rather, do this for them so that they will live and (N)not die when they approach the most holy objects: Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each of them to his work and to his load; 20 but (O)they shall not come in to see the holy objects even for a moment, or they will die.”

Duties of the Gershonites

21 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 22 “Take a [k]census of the sons of Gershon [l]also, by their fathers’ households, by their families; 23 from (P)thirty years old and upward to fifty years old you shall [m]count them: all who can enter to perform 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 carrying: 25 they shall carry (Q)the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering and (R)the covering of fine leather that is on top of it, and the curtain for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 and (S)the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance of the gate of the courtyard that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their ropes and all the equipment for their service; and everything that is to be done [n]by them, [o]they shall perform. 27 All the service of the sons of the Gershonites, that is, all their loads and all their work, shall be performed at the [p]command of Aaron and his sons; and you shall assign to them as a duty all their loads. 28 This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting; and their duties shall be [q]under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

Duties of the Merarites

29 As for the sons of Merari, you shall count them by their families, by their fathers’ households; 30 from (T)thirty years old and upward, even to fifty years old, you shall count them, everyone who can enter the service to do the work of the tent of meeting. 31 Now this is the duty of their loads, for all their service in the tent of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, and its bases, 32 and the pillars around the courtyard and their bases, their pegs, and their ropes, with all their equipment and with all their service; and you shall assign by names of the men the items [r]that each is to carry. 33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the tent of meeting, [s]under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”

34 So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation counted the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by their fathers’ households, 35 from (U)thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter the service for work in the tent of meeting. 36 Their numbered men by their families were 2,750. 37 These were the numbered men of the Kohathite families, everyone who was serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the [t]commandment of the Lord [u]through Moses.

38 And the numbered men of the sons of Gershon by their families and by their fathers’ households, 39 from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter the service for work in the tent of meeting— 40 their numbered men by their families, by their fathers’ households, were 2,630. 41 These were the numbered men of the families of the sons of Gershon, everyone who was serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the [v]commandment of the Lord.

42 And the numbered men of the families of the sons of Merari by their families, by their fathers’ households, 43 from (V)thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter the service for work in the tent of meeting— 44 their numbered men by their families were 3,200. 45 These were the numbered men of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the [w]commandment of the Lord [x]through Moses.

46 All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted, by their families and by their fathers’ households, 47 from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter to do the work of service and the work of carrying in the tent of meeting— 48 their numbered men were (W)8,580. 49 According to the [y]commandment of the Lord [z]through Moses, they (X)were counted, everyone by his serving or carrying; so these were his numbered men, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 4:2 Lit sum
  2. Numbers 4:2 Lit sons
  3. Numbers 4:4 Lit sons
  4. Numbers 4:6 Meaning of the Heb uncertain, and so throughout the ch
  5. Numbers 4:6 Or bluish; LXX hyacinth in color, and so throughout the ch
  6. Numbers 4:10 Or frame
  7. Numbers 4:12 Or frame
  8. Numbers 4:13 Or fatty ashes; i.e., soaked with fat
  9. Numbers 4:15 Lit burden...of the sons
  10. Numbers 4:16 Lit dwelling place, and so throughout the ch
  11. Numbers 4:22 Lit sum
  12. Numbers 4:22 Lit also them
  13. Numbers 4:23 Lit muster, and so throughout the ch
  14. Numbers 4:26 Or to them
  15. Numbers 4:26 Lit so they shall serve
  16. Numbers 4:27 Lit mouth
  17. Numbers 4:28 Lit in the hand
  18. Numbers 4:32 Lit of the duty of their loads
  19. Numbers 4:33 Lit in the hand
  20. Numbers 4:37 Lit mouth
  21. Numbers 4:37 Lit by the hand of
  22. Numbers 4:41 Lit mouth
  23. Numbers 4:45 Lit mouth
  24. Numbers 4:45 Lit by the hand of
  25. Numbers 4:49 Lit mouth
  26. Numbers 4:49 Lit by the hand of

Cross references

  1. Numbers 4:3 : Num 4:23, 30, 35; 8:24; 1 Chr 23:3, 24, 27; Ezra 3:8
  2. Numbers 4:5 : Ex 40:5; Lev 16:2; 2 Chr 3:14; Matt 27:51; Heb 9:3
  3. Numbers 4:5 : Ex 25:10-16
  4. Numbers 4:6 : Num 4:25
  5. Numbers 4:7 : Ex 25:30; Lev 24:5-9
  6. Numbers 4:9 : Ex 25:31
  7. Numbers 4:9 : Ex 25:37, 38
  8. Numbers 4:13 : Ex 27:1-8
  9. Numbers 4:15 : Num 1:51; 4:19, 20; 2 Sam 6:6, 7
  10. Numbers 4:16 : Lev 24:1-3
  11. Numbers 4:16 : Ex 30:34-38
  12. Numbers 4:16 : Lev 6:20
  13. Numbers 4:16 : Ex 30:22-33
  14. Numbers 4:19 : Num 4:15
  15. Numbers 4:20 : Ex 19:21; 1 Sam 6:19
  16. Numbers 4:23 : Num 4:3; 1 Chr 23:3, 24, 27
  17. Numbers 4:25 : Ex 40:19
  18. Numbers 4:25 : Ex 26:14; Num 4:6
  19. Numbers 4:26 : Ex 38:9
  20. Numbers 4:30 : Num 4:3; 8:24-26
  21. Numbers 4:35 : 1 Chr 23:24
  22. Numbers 4:43 : Num 8:24-26
  23. Numbers 4:48 : Num 3:39
  24. Numbers 4:49 : Num 1:47

You Might Also Like:

Numbers 4 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

4 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, and unto Aaron, saying, 2 `Take up the sum of the sons of Kohath from the midst of the sons of Levi, by their families, by the house of their fathers; 3 from a son of thirty years and upward, even till a son of fifty years, every one going in to the host, to do wor...
Read More

Numbers 4 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

4 And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron, and said, 2 Take thou the sum, or the number, of the sons of Kohath, from the midst of (the) Levites, by their houses and families, 3 from the thirtieth year and above unto the fiftieth year, of all that enter, that they stand and minister in the tabernacl...
Read More

Numbers 4 - World English Bible (WEB)

4 Yahweh 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 “Thi...
Read More

Numbers 4 - The Voice (VOICE)

4 The Eternal One spoke to Moses and Aaron. A census can be ominous or encouraging. Sometimes everyone on the list has to die before a new generation can take the land (chapter 1), but sometimes, like in this chapter, it is an occasion to highlight God’s people, the Levites.Eternal One: 2 From among...
Read More

Numbers 4 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Preparing the Sanctuary to Move4 Adonai 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 and by their ancestral households, 3 everyone from 30 years of age to 50, all who come to serve doing the work in the Tent of Meeting. 4...
Read More

Numbers 4 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Kohathites4 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families and their fathers’ houses, 3 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can enter the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting. 4 This is the ser...
Read More

Numbers 4 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Kohathites4 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families and their fathers’ houses, 3 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can enter the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting. 4 This is the ser...
Read More

Numbers 4 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Kohathites4 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 Take a census of the Kohathites separate from the other Levites, by their clans and their ancestral houses, 3 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who qualify to do work relating to the tent of meeting. 4 The service of the ...
Read More

Numbers 4 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Kohathites4 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “Take a census of the Kohathites separate from the other Levites, by their clans and their ancestral houses, 3 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who qualify to do work relating to the tent of meeting.(A)4 The service of the ...
Read More

Numbers 4 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Duties of the Kohathite Clan4 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Record the names of the members of the clans and families of the Kohathite division of the tribe of Levi. 3 List all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who are eligible to serve in the Tabernacle.[a] 4 “The duties of t...
Read More

Numbers 4 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Work of the Sons of Kohath4 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Number the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi. Number them by their families, by the fathers’ houses, 3 from thirty years old and older, even to fifty years old. Number all who are able to do the work in the meeting tent....
Read More

Numbers 4 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Duties of the Sons of Kohath4 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 “Take a census of the sons of (A)Kohath from among the children of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ house, 3 (B)from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the wo...
Read More

Numbers 4 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The Kohathites4 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2 ‘Take a census of the Kohathite branch of the Levites by their clans and families. 3 Count 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 me...
Read More

Numbers 4 - New International Version (NIV)

The Kohathites4 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2 “Take a census(A) of the Kohathite branch of the Levites by their clans and families. 3 Count(B) all the men from thirty to fifty years of age(C) who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting. 4 “This is the work(D) of the Kohathites(E) at t...
Read More

Numbers 4 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Families of Kohath4 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Count the Levites who belong to the families of Kohath. Make a list of them family by family. 3 Count all the men 30 to 50 years old. Those are the men who must come and serve at the tent of meeting. 4 “Here is the work the men of Kohath...
Read More

Numbers 4 - New English Translation (NET)

The Service of the Kohathites4 [a] Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 2 “Take a census[b] of the Kohathites from among the Levites, by their families and by their clans, 3 from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who enter the company[c] to do the work in the tent of meeting. ...
Read More