The Wilderness Years

Those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moshe, Aharon and his sons who were in charge of the Holy Place. They carried out their responsibility on behalf of the people of Isra'el, and anyone else who involved himself was to be put to death.

The total number of L'vi'im whom Moshe and Aharon counted by their clans, all the males a month old and over, was 22,000.

ADONAI said to Moshe, "Register all the firstborn males of the people of Isra'el a month old and over, and determine how many there are.

Then you are to take the L'vi'im for me, ADONAI, in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el, and the cattle of the L'vi'im in place of the firstborn of the cattle belonging to the people of Isra'el."

Moshe counted, as ADONAI had ordered him, all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el.

The total number of firstborn males registered, a month old and over, of those who were counted, was 22,273.

ADONAI said to Moshe,

"Take the L'vi'im in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el, and the cattle of the L'vi'im in place of their cattle; the L'vi'im are to belong to me, ADONAI.

Since there were 273 more firstborn males from Isra'el than male L'vi'im, in order to redeem them,

you are to take five shekels [two ounces] for each of these (use the sanctuary shekel, which is equal to twenty gerahs).

Give the redemption money for these extra people to Aharon and his sons."

Moshe took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the L'vi'im;

the amount of money he took from the firstborn of the people of Isra'el was 1,365 shekels, using the sanctuary shekel.

Moshe gave the redemption-money to Aharon and his sons, in keeping with what ADONAI had said, as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.

ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon,

"Take a census of the descendants of K'hat, who are among the descendants of Levi, by clans and families,

all those from thirty to fifty years old; these will enter the corps doing the work in the tent of meeting.

"Here is how the descendants of K'hat are to serve in the tent of meeting and deal with the especially holy things:

when the time comes to break camp, Aharon is to go in with his sons, take down the curtain which serves as a screen, and cover the ark of the testimony with it.

On that they are to place a covering of fine leather, and on top of that spread an all-blue cloth. Then they are to insert the carrying-poles.

On the table of showbread they are to spread a blue cloth and place on it the dishes, incense pans, offering bowls and pitchers. The perpetual bread is to remain on the table.

They are to spread on these things a scarlet cloth, cover them with a covering of fine leather and insert the poles.

They are to take a blue cloth and cover the menorah for the light, its lamps, its tongs, its trays and the jars used to add oil to it.

They are to wrap it and all its accessories in fine leather and place them on a carrying-frame.

On the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with a covering of fine leather and insert its carrying-poles.