The Wilderness Years

Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.

¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.

And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.

And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei.

And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.

Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites.

Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.

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

And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.

And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.

And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.

In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.

The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward.

And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.

And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.

And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.

And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward.

And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,

And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.