Numbers 1

God Commands a Census

1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai on the first day of the second month in the second year after they left Egypt.

2 Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.

3 Count all the men twenty years old and older who are able to serve in the army of Israel. You and Aaron must organize them by their military divisions.

4 One man from each tribe, the head of his family, must help you.

Leaders Chosen from Each Tribe

5 These are the men who must help you. From Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur.

6 From Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

7 From Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab.

8 From Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar.

9 From Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon.

10 From the sons of Joseph. From Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud. From Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

11 From Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni.

12 From Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

13 From Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran.

14 From Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel.

15 From Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.

16 These were the leaders of the tribes, the heads of their ancestral families, the chiefs of Israel.

The Census Begins

17 Moses and Aaron gathered these leaders together.

18 On the first day of the second month, they assembled all the people. Each man was registered by his family and clan, listing the names of all males twenty years old and older.

19 Moses did exactly as the Lord commanded him in the wilderness of Sinai.

The Number of Fighting Men from Each Tribe

20 From the tribe of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, the total number of men twenty years old and older who could fight was 46,500.

21 From the tribe of Simeon, 59,300.

22 From the tribe of Gad, 45,650.

23 From the tribe of Judah, 74,600.

24 From the tribe of Issachar, 54,400.

25 From the tribe of Zebulun, 57,400.

26 From the tribe of Ephraim, 40,500.

27 From the tribe of Manasseh, 32,200.

28 From the tribe of Benjamin, 35,400.

29 From the tribe of Dan, 62,700.

30 From the tribe of Asher, 41,500.

31 From the tribe of Naphtali, 53,400.

Total Number of Fighting Men

32 All the Israelites twenty years old and older, able to fight, were counted by their families.

33 The total number of fighting men was 603,550.

The Levites Are Set Apart

34 But the Levites were not counted with the other tribes.

35 The Lord told Moses.

36 Do not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the military census.

37 Instead, put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, its furnishings, and everything that belongs to it. They must carry the Tabernacle and all its equipment and take care of it. They must camp around it.

38 Whenever it is time to move, the Levites must take down the Tabernacle. When it is time to set up camp, they must set it up. Anyone else who touches it must be put to death.

39 The Israelites must camp by their tribes, each near their own family banner.

40 But the Levites must camp around the Tabernacle to guard it, so My anger does not break out against the Israelites. The Levites are responsible for taking care of the Tabernacle.

41 The Israelites did everything exactly as the Lord commanded Moses.