The Wilderness Years

Because all the first borne are mine: for the same day, that I smote all the first borne in the land of Egypt, I sanctified vnto me all the first borne in Israel, both man and beast: mine they shalbe: I am the Lord.

Moreouer, the Lord spake vnto Moses in the wildernesse of Sinai, saying,

Nomber the children of Leui after the houses of their fathers, in their families: euery male from a moneth olde and aboue shalt thou nomber.

Then Moses nombred them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded.

And these are the sonnes of Leui by their names, Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

Also these are the names of the sonnes of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

The sonnes also of Kohath by their families: Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Vzziel.

And the sonnes of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of Leui, according to the houses of their fathers.

Of Gershon came the familie of the Libnites, and the familie of the Shimeites: these are the families of the Gershonites.

The summe whereof (after the nomber of all the males from a moneth olde and aboue) was counted seuen thousand and fiue hundreth.

The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the Tabernacle westward.

The captaine and auncient of the house of the Gershonites shalbe Eliasaph the sonne of Lael.

And the charge of the sonnes of Gershon in the Tabernacle of the Congregation shall be the Tabernacle, and the pauilion, the couering thereof, and the vaile of the dore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation,

And the hanging of the court, and the vaile of the doore of the court, which is neere the Tabernacle, and neere ye Altar round about, and the cordes of it for all the seruice thereof.

And of Kohath came the familie of the Amramites, and the familie of the Izeharites, and the familie of the Hebronites, and the familie of the Vzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.

The nomber of all the males from a moneth olde and aboue was eight thousand and sixe hundreth, hauing the charge of the Sanctuarie.

The families of the sonnes of Kohath shall pitch on the Southside of the Tabernacle.

The captaine and auncient of the house, and families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the sonne of Vzziel:

And their charge shalbe the Arke, and the Table, and the Candlesticke, and the altars, and the instruments of the Sanctuarie that they minister with, and the vaile, and all that serueth thereto.

And Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest shalbe chiefe captaine of the Leuites, hauing the ouersight of them that haue the charge of the Sanctuarie.

Of Merari came the familie of the Mahlites, and the familie of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.

And the summe of them, according to the nomber of all the males, from a moneth olde and aboue was sixe thousand and two hundreth.

The captaine and the ancient of the house of the families of Merari shalbe Zuriel the sonne of Abihail: they shall pitche on the Northside of the Tabernacle.

And in ye charge and custodie of the sonnes of Merari shall be the boardes of the Tabernacle, and the barres thereof, and his pillars, and his sockets, and al the instruments therof, and al that serueth thereto,

With the pillars of the court round about, with their sockets, and their pins and their coardes.