Numbers 1

The Census of Israel

1The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai, on the first day of the second month of the second year after Israel’s departure from the land of Egypt:23“Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of every male one by one.45You and Aaron are to register those who are twenty years old or more by their military divisions — everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.67A man from each tribe is to be with you, each one the head of his ancestral family.89These are the names of the men who are to assist you: Elizur son of Shedeur from Reuben;10

11Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai from Simeon;12

13Nahshon son of Amminadab from Judah;14

15Nethanel son of Zuar from Issachar;16

17Eliab son of Helon from Zebulun;18

19from the sons of Joseph: Elishama son of Ammihud from Ephraim, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur from Manasseh;20

21Abidan son of Gideoni from Benjamin;22

23Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai from Dan;24

25Pagiel son of Ochran from Asher;26

27Eliasaph son of Deuel from Gad;28

29Ahira son of Enan from Naphtali.30

31These are the men called from the community; they are leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of Israel’s clans.”32

33So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name,3435and they assembled the whole community on the first day of the second month. They recorded their ancestry by their clans and their ancestral families, counting one by one the names of those twenty years old or more,3637just as the Lord commanded Moses. He registered them in the Wilderness of Sinai:38

39The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,4041those registered for the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.42

43The descendants of Simeon: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, those registered counting one by one the names of every male twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,4445those registered for the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.46

47The descendants of Gad: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,4849those registered for the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.50

51The descendants of Judah: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,5253those registered for the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.54

55The descendants of Issachar: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,5657those registered for the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.58

59The descendants of Zebulun: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,6061those registered for the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.62

63The descendants of Joseph: The descendants of Ephraim: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,6465those registered for the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500.66

67The descendants of Manasseh: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,6869those registered for the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.70

71The descendants of Benjamin: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,7273those registered for the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.74

75The descendants of Dan: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,7677those registered for the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.78

79The descendants of Asher: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,8081those registered for the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.82

83The descendants of Naphtali: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,8485those registered for the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.86

87These are the men Moses and Aaron registered, with the assistance of the twelve leaders of Israel; each represented his ancestral family.8889So all the Israelites twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in Israel’s army, were registered by their ancestral families.9091All those registered numbered 603,550.92

Duties of the Levites

93But the Levites were not registered with them by their ancestral tribe.9495For the Lord had told Moses,9697“Do not register or take a census of the tribe of Levi with the other Israelites.9899Appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They are to transport the tabernacle and all its articles, take care of it, and camp around it.100101Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to stop at a campsite, the Levites are to set it up. Any unauthorized person who comes near it is to be put to death.102

103“The Israelites are to camp by their military divisions, each man with his encampment and under his banner.104105The Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the Israelite community.”106107The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.108