Numbers 3

²⁰And Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.

¹This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

¹This is the account of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who also had sons after the flood.

¹Then the Lord said to Moses on Mount Sinai,

⁴This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made them.

³⁴These are the commandments that the Lord gave to Moses for the Israelites on Mount Sinai.

²³And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

⁶⁰Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar were born to Aaron,

¹These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

¹“Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.

³The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

⁴¹After you put these garments on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint them, ordain them, and consecrate them so that they may serve Me as priests.

¹²He also poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him.

³⁰Next, Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, as well as Aaron’s sons and their garments.

¹Then the Lord said to Moses,

²“Take Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull of the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread,

¹³And you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments, anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he may serve Me as a priest.

²⁸For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

¹Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to His command.

²So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the Lord.

⁶¹but Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord.

²⁶So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.

²⁷He told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you men is to fasten his sword to his side, go back and forth through the camp from gate to gate, and slay his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”

⁴Then you will know that I have sent you this commandment so that My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord of Hosts.

⁶“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.

⁷This is what you must do to cleanse them: Sprinkle them with the water of purification. Have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.

¹So the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s house must bear the iniquity involving the sanctuary. And you and your sons alone must bear the iniquity involving your priesthood.

²But bring with you also your brothers from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and assist you and your sons before the Tent of the Testimony.

⁴⁹“Do not number the tribe of Levi in the census with the other Israelites.

⁵⁰Instead, you are to appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its articles, care for it, and camp around it.

³³But the Levites were not counted among the other Israelites, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁵⁰Instead, you are to appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its articles, care for it, and camp around it.

¹¹Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, so that they may perform the service of the Lord.

¹⁵After you have cleansed them and presented them as a wave offering, they may come to serve at the Tent of Meeting.

³⁰From the Israelites’ half, take one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or other animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.”

²⁶This Shelomith and his brothers were in charge of all the treasuries for the things dedicated by King David, by the heads of families who were the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and by the army commanders.

²²the sons of Jehieli, Zetham, and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the Lord.

¹⁵When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy objects, or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the Tent of Meeting.

¹¹Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; come out from it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the Lord.

²⁴Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers,

²⁵and I weighed out to them the contribution of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his counselors, his leaders, and all the Israelites there had offered for the house of our God.

²⁸This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the Tent of Meeting, and their duties shall be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

²¹Then the Kohathites set out, transporting the holy objects; the tabernacle was to be set up before their arrival.

³³This is the service of the Merarite clans according to all their work at the Tent of Meeting, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”

¹⁹And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to perform the service for the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”

⁶Behold, I Myself have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the Lord to perform the service for the Tent of Meeting.

⁷But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but any outsider who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”

¹¹And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

⁸This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”

⁵¹Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to be pitched, the Levites are to set it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death.

³⁸Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, before the Tent of Meeting. They were to perform the duties of the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites; but any outsider who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.

⁷if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;

⁷But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but any outsider who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”

¹⁶But when Uzziah became powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.

¹⁷Then Azariah the priest, along with eighty brave priests of the Lord, went in after him.

³Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men confirmed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will assign this responsibility to them

⁴and will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

⁶Behold, I Myself have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the Lord to perform the service for the Tent of Meeting.

¹⁶For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

⁴¹You are to take the Levites for Me—I am the Lord—in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.”

²“Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”

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 belong to Me; I am the Lord.

¹⁸But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.

²³(as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord”),

¹²you are to present to the Lord the firstborn male of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord.

²“Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”

¹⁵And when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both of man and beast. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the firstborn male of every womb, but I redeem all the firstborn of my sons.’

²⁶But no one may consecrate a firstborn of the livestock, because a firstborn belongs to the Lord. Whether it is an ox or a sheep, it is the Lord’s.

²⁹Now at midnight the Lord struck down every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, as well as all the firstborn among the livestock.

³⁰During the night Pharaoh got up—he and all his officials and all the Egyptians—and there was loud wailing in Egypt; for there was no house without someone dead.

⁶²The registration of the Levites totaled 23,000, every male a month old or more; they were not numbered among the other Israelites, because no inheritance was given to them among the Israelites.

¹⁴But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

¹⁵From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

³⁹The total number of Levites that Moses and Aaron counted by their clans at the Lord’s command, including all the males a month old or more, was 22,000.

⁴⁰Then the Lord said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the Israelites a month old or more, and list their names.

²²The number of all the males a month old or more was 7,500.

²⁸The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600. They were responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.

³⁷These were counted from the Kohathite clans, everyone who could serve at the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron numbered them according to the command of the Lord through Moses.

³⁹The total number of Levites that Moses and Aaron counted by their clans at the Lord’s command, including all the males a month old or more, was 22,000.

⁵And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name and to give a ruling in every dispute and case of assault.

⁴⁵These were counted from the Merarite clans, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the Lord’s command through Moses.

⁴¹These were counted from the Gershonite clans who served at the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the Lord’s command.

⁵¹And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons in obedience to the word of the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.

¹¹The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

¹⁶These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.

¹⁷The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei, by their clans.

¹Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in the holy city of Jerusalem, while the remaining nine were to dwell in their own towns.

²And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

¹Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel

²at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.”

⁵⁷Now these were the Levites numbered by their clans: The Gershonite clan from Gershon, the Kohathite clan from Kohath, and the Merarite clan from Merari.

⁵⁸These were the families of the Levites: The Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, and the Korahite clan. Now Kohath was the father of Amram,

¹⁶The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.

¹⁷These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei.

¹⁷The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei, by their clans.

¹⁸The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.

¹⁷These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei.

¹Now these are the priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

²Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

²¹From Gershon came the Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan; these were the Gershonite clans.

⁴From the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth.

⁷The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

⁸The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the first, Zetham, and Joel—three in all.

¹⁸The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.

¹⁸The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

¹⁷So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah; from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah;

¹⁸and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.

⁴From the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth.

⁵From the Kohathites, Uriel the chief and 120 of his relatives;

¹These were the divisions of the gatekeepers: From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.

²Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,

¹⁹The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites according to their records.

¹⁹The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites listed according to their fathers:

⁶from the Merarites, Asaiah the chief and 220 of his relatives;

³³From Merari came the clans of the Mahlites and Mushites; these were the Merarite clans.

³From the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah—six in all—under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the harp, giving thanks and praise to the Lord.

⁴⁴On the left were their kinsmen, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,

⁴⁵the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,

³⁸Then the Gershonites were numbered by their clans and families,

³⁹everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

⁵³But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

¹⁷In the middle of the camps, the Tent of Meeting is to travel with the camp of the Levites. They are to set out in the order they encamped, each in his own place under his standard.

⁹You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you.

³⁶For the entrance to the tent, you are to make a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen.

³⁷Make five posts of acacia wood for the curtain, overlay them with gold, use hooks of gold, and cast five bronze bases for them.

⁷He gave the Gershonites two carts and four oxen, as their service required,

³⁷For the entrance to the tent, he made a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen,

³⁸together with five posts and their hooks. He overlaid the tops of the posts and their bands with gold, and their five bases were bronze.

¹“You are to construct the tabernacle itself with ten curtains of finely spun linen, each with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and cherubim skillfully worked into them.

²Each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide—all curtains the same size.

¹⁷Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.”

¹⁸the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, along with their ropes;

⁹Then he constructed the courtyard. The south side of the courtyard was a hundred cubits long and had curtains of finely spun linen,

¹⁰with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

⁹You are also to make a courtyard for the tabernacle. On the south side of the courtyard make curtains of finely spun linen, a hundred cubits long on one side,

¹⁰with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and silver hooks and bands on the posts.

²³From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites:

¹²The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all.

¹⁹The sons of Kohath by their clans were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

⁷They are to perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, attending to the service of the tabernacle.

³¹Their duties were the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used with them, and the curtain—all the service for these items.

³⁵everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

³⁶And those numbered by their clans totaled 2,750.

⁵³But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

¹⁰On the south side, the divisions of Reuben are to camp under their standard: The leader of the Reubenites is Elizur son of Shedeur,

²³The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle,

¹“You are also to make an altar of acacia wood for the burning of incense.

²It is to be square, a cubit long, a cubit wide, and two cubits high. Its horns must be of one piece.

⁴This service of the Kohathites at the Tent of Meeting regards the most holy things.

⁵Whenever the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons are to go in, take down the veil of the curtain, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.

³³Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent with all its furnishings, its clasps, its frames, its crossbars, and its posts and bases;

³⁴the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of fine leather, and the veil of the covering;

¹⁰And they are to construct an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.

¹¹Overlay it with pure gold both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it.

³⁰He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing;

³¹Make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it.

³²Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood, overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases.

¹⁴From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, a descendant of Merari;

¹⁵Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph;

²⁷All the service of the Gershonites—all their transport duties and other work—is to be done at the direction of Aaron and his sons; you are to assign to them all that they are responsible to carry.

¹⁶Eleazar son of Aaron the priest shall oversee the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He has oversight of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, including the holy objects and their utensils.”

²⁵Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor.

²⁶Remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and will die there.”

²⁰Now their fellow Levites were in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the dedicated things.

²¹From the descendants of Ladan, who were Gershonites through Ladan and heads of the families of Ladan the Gershonite, were Jehieli,

¹⁸The captain of the guard also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers.

²¹The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

²⁰And the sons of Merari by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites, according to their families.

¹⁹The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites listed according to their fathers:

⁹The total number of men in the divisions of the camp of Judah is 186,400; they shall set out first.

¹¹and his division numbers 46,500.

²¹those registered to the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.

⁵³But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

²⁵On the north side, the divisions of Dan are to camp under their standard: The leader of the Danites is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai,

²⁸The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600. They were responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.

²⁹The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle,

³⁷Make five posts of acacia wood for the curtain, overlay them with gold, use hooks of gold, and cast five bronze bases for them.

¹⁵You are to construct upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle.

¹⁶Each frame is to be ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.

³²Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood, overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases.

⁸and he gave the Merarites four carts and eight oxen, as their service required, all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

¹⁷The bases for the posts were bronze, the hooks and bands were silver, and the plating for the tops of the posts was silver. So all the posts of the courtyard were banded with silver.

¹⁸The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It was twenty cubits long and, like the curtains of the courtyard, five cubits high,

³⁶He also made four posts of acacia wood for it and overlaid them with gold, along with gold hooks; and he cast four silver bases for the posts.

⁵³But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

¹⁰So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; but any outsider who approaches the tabernacle must be put to death.”

³On the east side, toward the sunrise, the divisions of Judah are to camp under their standard: The leader of the Judahites is Nahshon son of Amminadab,

²³The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle,

¹So the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s house must bear the iniquity involving the sanctuary. And you and your sons alone must bear the iniquity involving your priesthood.

²But bring with you also your brothers from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and assist you and your sons before the Tent of the Testimony.

⁵¹Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to be pitched, the Levites are to set it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death.

⁶²The registration of the Levites totaled 23,000, every male a month old or more; they were not numbered among the other Israelites, because no inheritance was given to them among the Israelites.

¹⁴But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.

⁴⁷from thirty to fifty years old who came to do the work of serving and carrying the Tent of Meeting.

⁴⁸And the number of men was 8,580.

¹⁵“Number the Levites by their families and clans. You are to count every male a month old or more.”

³Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy—all in Jerusalem who are recorded among the living—

⁴These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

²³in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

¹²“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,

²⁶So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.

²⁷He told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you men is to fasten his sword to his side, go back and forth through the camp from gate to gate, and slay his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”

¹²“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,

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 belong to Me; I am the Lord.

¹⁵The firstborn of every womb, whether man or beast, that is offered to the Lord belongs to you. But you must surely redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.

²⁸just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

²⁶So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.

²⁷He told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you men is to fasten his sword to his side, go back and forth through the camp from gate to gate, and slay his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”

⁵Then he sent out some young men of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord.

⁶Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splattered on the altar.

³⁹The total number of Levites that Moses and Aaron counted by their clans at the Lord’s command, including all the males a month old or more, was 22,000.

¹²“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,

⁴⁰Then the Lord said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the Israelites a month old or more, and list their names.

⁴¹You are to take the Levites for Me—I am the Lord—in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.”

¹³You must redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. And every firstborn of your sons you must redeem.

¹⁵The firstborn of every womb, whether man or beast, that is offered to the Lord belongs to you. But you must surely redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.

¹⁶You are to pay the redemption price for a month-old male according to your valuation: five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which is twenty gerahs.

⁶Now if the person is from one month to five years of age, then your valuation for the male shall be five shekels of silver, and for the female three shekels of silver.

¹³Everyone who crosses over to those counted must pay a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord.

¹⁶You are to pay the redemption price for a month-old male according to your valuation: five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which is twenty gerahs.

²⁵Every valuation will be according to the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel.

¹²The shekel will consist of twenty gerahs. Twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels will equal one mina.

⁵⁰He collected the money from the firstborn of the Israelites: 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.

⁴⁶To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites,

⁴⁷you are to collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs.

²⁸just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

¹⁸For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,

⁵For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

⁶who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time.

¹⁴He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

¹²He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.

⁴⁸Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the excess among the Israelites.”

¹⁵Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, “Do not regard their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.”

³Here I am. Bear witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe and closed my eyes? Tell me, and I will restore it to you.”

⁴“You have not cheated us or oppressed us,” they replied, “nor have you taken anything from the hand of man.”

⁴“Remember the law of My servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances I commanded him for all Israel at Horeb.

²Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed, but out of eagerness;

³³I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.