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Chapter 3

14. The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert, saying:
15. Count the children of Levi according to their fathers' house according to their families. Count all males from the age of one month and upward.
16. So Moses counted them according to God's word, just as he was commanded. 17. These were the names of Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18. The names of the sons of Gershon according to their families were Libni and Shim'ei. 19. And the sons of Kohath according to their families were Amram, Itzhar, Hebron, and Uziel. 20. And the sons of Merari according to their families were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of Levi according to their fathers' houses.
21. For Gershon, the Libnite family and the Shim'eite family; these are the Gershonite families. 22. Their sum was made according to the number of males from the age of one month and upward; the tally amounted to seven thousand, five hundred. 23. The Gershonite families shall camp behind the Mishkan, to the west. 24. The prince of the father's house of the Gershonites is Eliasaph the son of Lael.
25. The charge of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting [included] the Mishkan, the Tent, its cover, and the screen for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
26. The hangings of the courtyard, the screen at the entrance to the courtyard, which is around the Mishkan and the altar, its ropes, as well as all the work involved. 27. For Kohath, the Amramite family, the Izharite family, the Hebronite family, and the Uzielite family; these are the families of Kohath. 28. The number of all males from the age of one month and upward amounted to eight thousand six hundred, the keepers of the charge of the holy.
29. The families of the sons of Kohath shall camp to the south side of the Mishkan. 30. The prince of the father's house of the Kohathite families is Elizaphan the son of Uziel.
31. Their charge [included] the ark, the table, the menorah, the altars, and the holy utensils with which they would minister, and the screen and all the work involved.
32. The prince over all the princes of the Levites shall be Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen, the appointment of all the keepers of the charge of the Holy. 33. For Merari, the Machlite family and the Mushite family; these are the families of Merari. 34. Their tally according to the number of males from the age of one month and upward was six thousand two hundred. 35. The prince of the father's house of the Merarite families is Zuriel the son of Abihail; they shall camp on the north side of the Mishkan. 36. The appointment of the charge of the sons of Merari [included] the planks of the Mishkan, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets, all its utensils, and all the work involved. 37. Also the pillars of the surrounding courtyard, their sockets, their stakes, and their ropes.
38. Camping in front of the Mishkan, in front of the Tent of Meeting to the east were Moses, Aaron and his sons, the keepers of the charge of the Sanctuary as a trust for the children of Israel; any outsider who approaches shall be put to death.
39. The sum of the male Levites according to their families, from the age of one month and upward, counted by Moses and Aaron according to the word of the Lord, was twenty two thousand.