The age and time of the Levites' service.

1 ¶ And the LORDº spakeºª unto² Mosesº and unto² Aaron,º saying,ºª 2 Takeºª² the sumº of the sonsº of Kohathº from amongº² the sonsº of Levi,º after their families,º by the houseº of their fathers,º 3 From thirtyº yearsº oldº² and upwardº even until² fiftyº yearsº old,º all² that enterºª into the host,º to doºª the workº in the tabernacleº of the congregation.º

The carriage of the Kohathites, when the priests have taken down the Tabernacle.

4 This² [shall be] the serviceº of the sonsº of Kohathº in the tabernacleº of the congregation,º [about] the most¹ holy things:º

5 ¶ And when the campº setteth forward,ºª Aaronº shall come,ºª and his sons,º and they shall take downºª the coveringº² vail,º and coverºª² the arkº of testimonyº with it: 6 And shall putºª thereon² the coveringº of badgers'º skins,º and shall spreadºª overº² [it] a clothº whollyº of blue,º and shall putºª in the stavesº thereof. 7 And upon² the tableº of shewbreadº they shall spreadºª a clothº of blue,º and putºª thereon²² the dishes,º and the spoons,º and the bowls,º and coversº to cover² withal:¹ and the continualº breadº shall be² thereon:² 8 And they shall spreadºª upon² them a clothº of scarlet,ºº and coverºª the same with a coveringº of badgers'º skins,º and shall put¹ª in²² the stavesº thereof. 9 And they shall takeºª a clothº of blue,º and coverºª² the candlestickº of the light,º and his lamps,º and his tongs,º and his snuffdishes,º and all² the oilº vesselsº thereof, wherewith² they ministerºª unto it: 10 And they shall putºª it and all² the vesselsº thereof within² a coveringº of badgers'º skins,º and shall putºª [it] upon² a bar.º 11 And upon² the goldenº altarº they shall spreadºª a clothº of blue,º and coverºª it with a coveringº of badgers'º skins,º and shall put¹ª²² to the stavesº thereof: 12 And they shall takeºª² all² the instrumentsº of ministry,º wherewith² they ministerºª in the sanctuary,º and putºª [them] in² a clothº of blue,º and coverºª them with a coveringº of badgers'º skins,º and shall putºª [them] on² a bar:º 13 And they shall take away the ashesºª² from the altar,º and spreadºª a purpleº clothº thereon:² 14 And they shall putºª upon² it² all² the vesselsº thereof, wherewith² they ministerºª about² it, [even]² the censers,º² the fleshhooks,º and the shovels,º and the basons,º all² the vesselsº of the altar;º and they shall spreadºª upon² it a coveringº of badgers'º skins,º and putºª to the stavesº of it. 15 And when Aaronº and his sonsº have made an endºª of coveringºª² the sanctuary,º and all² the vesselsº of the sanctuary,º as the campº is to set forward;ºª afterº that,² the sonsº of Kohathº shall comeºª to bearºª [it]: but they shall not² touchºª² [any] holy thing,º lest they die.ºª These² [things are] the burdenº of the sonsº of Kohathº in the tabernacleº of the congregation.º

The charge of Eleazar.

16 ¶ And to the officeº of Eleazarº the sonº of Aaronº the priestº [pertaineth] the oilº for the light,º and the sweetº incense,º and the dailyº meat offering,º and the anointingº oil,º [and] the oversightº of all² the tabernacle,º and of all² that² therein [is], in the sanctuary,º and in the vesselsº thereof.

The office of the priests.

17 ¶ And the LORDº spakeºª unto² Mosesº and unto² Aaron,º saying,ºª 18 Cut ye not offºª²² the tribeº of the familiesº of the Kohathitesº from amongº² the Levites:º 19 But thus² doºª unto them, that they may live,ºª and not² die,ºª when they approachºª² unto the most¹ holy things:º Aaronº and his sonsº shall go in,ºª and appointºª them every¹ oneº to² his serviceº and to² his burden:º 20 But they shall not² go inºª to seeºª when² the holy thingsº are covered,ºª lest they die.ºª

The carriage of the Merarites.

21 ¶ And the LORDº spakeºª unto² Moses,º saying,ºª 22 Takeºª also²² the sumº of the sonsº of Gershon,º throughout the housesº of their fathers,º by their families;º 23 From thirtyº yearsº oldº² and upwardº until² fiftyº yearsº oldº shalt thou numberºª them; all² that enter inºª to performºª the service,¹² to doºª the workº in the tabernacleº of the congregation.º 24 This² [is] the serviceº of the familiesº of the Gershonites,º to serve,ºª and for burdens:º 25 And they shall bearºª² the curtainsº of the tabernacle,º and the tabernacleº of the congregation,º his covering,º and the coveringº of the badgers'¹ skins² that² [is] aboveº² upon² it, and the hangingº for the doorº of the tabernacleº of the congregation,º 26 And the hangingsº of the court,º and the hangingº for the doorº of the gateº of the court,º which² [is] by² the tabernacleº and by² the altarº round about,º and their cords,º and all² the instrumentsº of their service,º and all² that² is madeºª for them: so shall they serve.ºª 27 At² the appointmentº of Aaronº and his sonsº shall be² all² the serviceº of the sonsº of the Gershonites,º in all² their burdens,º and in all² their service:º and ye shall appointºª unto² them in chargeº² all² their burdens.º 28 This² [is] the serviceº of the familiesº of the sonsº of Gershonº in the tabernacleº of the congregation:º and their chargeº [shall be] under the handº of Ithamarº the sonº of Aaronº the priest.º

29 ¶ As for the sonsº of Merari,º thou shalt numberºª them after their families,º by the houseº of their fathers;º 30 From thirtyº yearsº oldº² and upwardº even unto² fiftyº yearsº oldº shalt thou numberºª them, every one² that enterethºª into the service,º to doºª² the workº of the tabernacleº of the congregation.º 31 And this² [is] the chargeº of their burden,º according to all² their serviceº in the tabernacleº of the congregation;º the boardsº of the tabernacle,º and the barsº thereof, and the pillarsº thereof, and socketsº thereof, 32 And the pillarsº of the courtº round about,º and their sockets,º and their pins,º and their cords,º with all² their instruments,º and with all² their service:º and by nameº ye shall reckonºª² the instrumentsº of the chargeº of their burden.º 33 This² [is] the serviceº of the familiesº of the sonsº of Merari,º according to all² their service,º in the tabernacleº of the congregation,º under the handº of Ithamarº the sonº of Aaronº the priest.º

The number of the Kohathites,

34 ¶ And Mosesº and Aaronº and the chiefº of the congregationº numberedºª² the sonsº of the Kohathitesº after their families,º and after the houseº of their fathers,º 35 From thirtyº yearsº oldº² and upwardº even unto² fiftyº yearsº old,º every one² that enterethºª into the service,º for the workº in the tabernacleº of the congregation:º 36 And those that were numberedºª of them by their familiesº were² two thousandº sevenº hundredº and fifty.º 37 These² [were] they that were numberedºª of the familiesº of the Kohathites,º all² that might do serviceºª in the tabernacleº of the congregation,º which² Mosesº and Aaronº did numberºª according to² the commandmentº of the LORDº by the handº of Moses.º

of the Gershonites,

38 And those that were numberedºª of the sonsº of Gershon,º throughout their families,º and by the houseº of their fathers,º 39 From thirtyº yearsº oldº² and upwardº even unto² fiftyº yearsº old,º every one² that enterethºª into the service,º for the workº in the tabernacleº of the congregation,º 40 Even those that were numberedºª of them, throughout their families,º by the houseº of their fathers,º were² two thousandº and sixº hundredº and thirty.º 41 These² [are] they that were numberedºª of the familiesº of the sonsº of Gershon,º of all² that might do serviceºª in the tabernacleº of the congregation,º whom² Mosesº and Aaronº did numberºª according to² the commandmentº of the LORD.º

and of the Merarites.

42 ¶ And those that were numberedºª of the familiesº of the sonsº of Merari,º throughout their families,º by the houseº of their fathers,º 43 From thirtyº yearsº oldº² and upwardº even unto² fiftyº yearsº old,º every one² that enterethºª into the service,º for the workº in the tabernacleº of the congregation,º 44 Even those that were numberedºª of them after their families,º were² threeº thousandº and two hundred.º 45 These² [be] those that were numberedºª of the familiesº of the sonsº of Merari,º whom² Mosesº and Aaronº numberedºª according to² the wordº of the LORDº by the handº of Moses.º 46 All² those that were numberedºª² of the Levites,º whom² Mosesº and Aaronº and the chiefº of Israelº numbered,ºª after their families,º and after the houseº of their fathers,º 47 From thirtyº yearsº oldº² and upwardº even unto² fiftyº yearsº old,º every one² that cameºª to doºª the service² of the ministry,º and the serviceº of the burdenº in the tabernacleº of the congregation,º 48 Even those that were numberedºª of them, were² eightº thousandº and fiveº hundredº and fourscore.º 49 According to² the commandmentº of the LORDº they were numberedºª by the handº of Moses,º every¹ oneº according to² his service,º and according to² his burden:º thus were they numberedºª of him, as² the LORDº commandedºª² Moses.º