Duties of the Kohathites
1 The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families and clans, 3 from 30 to 50 years old, all who enter into the service to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.
4 This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting, regarding the most holy things. 5 When the camp moves forward, Aaron shall go in with his sons, and they shall take down the veil of the screen, cover the ark of the Testimony with it, 6 put a leather covering on it, spread a blue cloth over it, and insert the poles.
7 On the table of show bread they shall spread a blue cloth and put on it: the dishes, the spoons, the bowls, and the pitchers; and the continual bread shall be on it. 8 They shall spread a scarlet cloth over them, and cover it with a leather covering, and shall insert its poles.
9 They shall take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand used for light, its lamps, its snuffers, its snuff dishes, and all its oil utensils, with which they minister to it. 10 They shall put it inside a leather covering with all its utensils and shall put them on a carrying frame.
11 On the golden altar, they shall spread a blue cloth and cover it with a leather covering, and shall insert its poles.
12 They shall take all the ministry utensils with which they minister in the sanctuary and put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a leather covering, and shall put them on the carrying frame.
13 They shall remove the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth on it. 14 They shall put on it all its utensils with which they minister: the fire pans, the meat hooks, the shovels, and the basins—all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread a leather covering over it, and insert its poles.
15 When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all its utensils, and the camp is ready to move forward, then, after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it, but they shall not touch the sanctuary, lest they die. It is the duty of the sons of Kohath to carry these things belonging to the Tent of Meeting.
16 The duty of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the continual grain offering, and the anointing oil, the requirements of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, and the sanctuary and its furnishings.”
17 The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 18 “Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites, 19 but do this to them so that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint everyone to his service, 20 but they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die.”
Duties of the Gershonites
21 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 22 “Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their clans and families. 23 You shall count them, everyone who enters in to wait on the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting, from 30 to 50 years old.
24 This is the service of the Gershonite families, in serving and carrying: 25 they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting, its covering, the leather covering that is on it, the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting, 26 the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the gate of the court which is by the tabernacle and around the altar, their cords, all the instruments of their service, and whatever needs to be done with them. Thus the Gershonites shall so serve.
27 All the Gershonites’ service is to be done at the command of Aaron and his sons. In all their service and in all they carry, you shall appoint their duties and responsibilities to them. 28 This is the service of the families of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting. Their duty shall be under the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.
Duties of the Merarites
29 As for the Merari family, you shall count them by their clans and families. 30 You shall count them from 30 to 50 years old—everyone who comes to do service or work of the Tent of Meeting.
31 This is the duty of their carrying, according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting: the tabernacle’s boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, 32 the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service. You shall appoint the responsibilities and duties to each man by name. 33 This is the service of the Merari family at the Tent of Meeting, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”
The Number of the Kohathites
34 Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the congregation counted the Kohathites by their clans and families, 35 from 30 to 50 years old, everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting. 36 Those who were registered by their families were 2,750. 37 These are the ones registered from the Kohathites family, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted as the Lord commanded Moses.
The Number of the Gershonites
38 The Gershon families were registered by clan. 39 from 30 to 50 years old—everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting, 40 The Gershonites who were registered by their clans and families totaled 2,630. 41 These are the ones registered from the Gershonite family, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted as the Lord commanded Moses.
The Number of the Merarites
42 The Merarite families were registered by clan. 43 From 30 to 50 years old—everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting 44 those registered by their families totaled 3,200. 45 These are the ones registered from the Merarite family, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted as the Lord commanded Moses.
46 Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel registered all of the Levites by their families and clans, 47 from 30 to 50 years old, everyone who entered into the work of service and carrying in the Tent of Meeting, 48 Those registered totaled 8,580. 49 By the commandment of the Lord, Moses counted everyone according to his service and carrying. This is how he counted them, as the Lord commanded Moses, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted as the Lord commanded Moses.