Numbers 4

Duties of the Kohathites

1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron.

2 Take a census of the Kohathites, a division of the Levites, by their clans and families.

3 Count all the men between thirty and fifty years old who are able to serve in the work of the Tabernacle.

4 The Kohathites are responsible for carrying the most holy things when the Tabernacle is moved.

5 When it is time to break camp, Aaron and his sons must go in and take down the inner curtain and cover the Ark of the Covenant with it.

6 Then they must cover the Ark with a leather covering and spread a blue cloth over it. After that, they must insert the carrying poles.

7 They must spread a blue cloth over the table of the Bread of Presence and place the dishes, bowls, and pitchers on it. The bread must remain on it.

8 Then they must cover everything with a scarlet cloth, put a leather covering over it, and insert the poles.

9 They must take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand, its lamps, tongs, trays, and oil jars.

10 Then they must wrap everything in a leather covering and place it on a carrying frame.

11 They must spread a blue cloth over the gold incense altar, cover it with leather, and insert the poles.

12 All the tools used in the sanctuary must be wrapped in a blue cloth, covered with leather, and placed on a carrying frame.

13 They must remove the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it.

14 Then they must place the utensils, firepans, meat forks, shovels, and bowls, on the altar, cover everything with leather, and insert the poles.

15 When Aaron and his sons finish covering the holy items, the Kohathites will come to carry them. But they must not touch the holy things, or they will die. These are the responsibilities of the Kohathites.

Eleazar Oversees the Kohathites

16 Eleazar, son of Aaron, is responsible for the oil for the lamps, the incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He oversees the entire Tabernacle and everything in it.

17 The Lord told Moses and Aaron.

18 Do not let the Kohathites be destroyed for coming too close to the most holy things.

19 Aaron and his sons must go in and assign each Kohathite their specific task before they go in to carry the holy objects.

20 But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.

Duties of the Gershonites

21 The Lord told Moses.

22 Take a census of the Gershonites by their clans and families.

23 Count all the men between thirty and fifty years old who are able to serve in the Tabernacle.

24 The Gershonites are responsible for carrying the curtains of the Tabernacle.

25 They must carry the curtains, the coverings, the outer leather covering, and the entrance curtain to the Tabernacle.

26 They must also carry the courtyard curtains, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard, the ropes, and everything needed to set them up.

27 Aaron and his sons will assign each man his work and his load.

28 These are the duties of the Gershonites, overseen by Ithamar, son of Aaron.

Duties of the Merarites

29 Count the Merarites by their clans and families.

30 Count all the men between thirty and fifty years old who are able to serve in the Tabernacle.

31 They must carry the frames of the Tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, and bases.

32 They must also carry the courtyard posts, their bases, pegs, and ropes. Aaron and his sons will assign each man his specific duties.

33 These are the duties of the Merarites, overseen by Ithamar, son of Aaron.

The Levite Census

34 Moses, Aaron, and the leaders counted the Kohathites by their clans and families.

35 The total number of Kohathite men between thirty and fifty years old was counted.

36 The total number of those assigned to carry the holy things was 2,750.

37 This was the number of men assigned to the Kohathite clans, as the Lord commanded Moses.

38 The Gershonites were counted by their clans and families.

39 The total number of Gershonite men between thirty and fifty years old was 2,630.

40 They were assigned their work at the Tabernacle, as the Lord commanded.

41 The total number of Gershonites counted was 2,630.

42 The Merarites were counted by their clans and families.

43 The total number of Merarite men between thirty and fifty years old was 3,200.

44 They were assigned their work at the Tabernacle, as the Lord commanded.

45 The total number of Merarites counted was 3,200.

46 Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by their clans and families.

47 The total number of Levites between thirty and fifty years old, assigned to work in the Tabernacle,

48 Was 8,580.

49 Each man was assigned his specific duties and load to carry, just as the Lord commanded Moses.