“Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi by their families, by their fathers’ houses,
from 30 years old and upward even until 50 years old, all who enter into the service to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.
“This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting concerning the most holy things.
When the camp is to move, Aaron is to go in, and his sons, and they are to take down the curtain that is the screen and cover the ark of the Testimony with it,
and are to put a covering of dugong skin on it, and are to spread over it a cloth all of blue, and are to put in its poles.
“On the table of the Bread of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it the dishes, the spoons, the bowls and the cups for the drink offering, and the regular bread is to be on it.
They are to spread on them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of dugong skin, and are to put in its poles.
“They are to take a blue cloth and cover the menorah, which is for light, and its lamps and its snuffers and its snuff dishes and all its oil lamp utensils with which they attend to it.
They must put it and all its utensils inside a covering of dugong skin, and must put it on the carrying frame.
“On the golden altar they are to spread a blue cloth and cover it with a covering of dugong skin, and are to put in its poles.
They are to take all the service utensils with which they serve in the sanctuary and put them in a blue cloth and cover them with a covering of dugong skin, and are to put them on the carrying frame.
“They are to take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth on it.
They are to put on it all its utensils with which they serve in connection with it, the fire pans, the flesh hooks, the shovels and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they are to spread on it a covering of dugong skin and put in its poles.
“When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the holy things when the camp is about to move, only then are the sons of Kohath to come to carry it, so that they do not touch the holy things and die. These are the things in the Tent of Meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.
“The duty of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest will be the oil for the lamp, the sweet incense, the regular grain offering and the anointing oil, the requirements of the entire tabernacle and of all that is in it; the sanctuary and its furnishings.”
Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
“Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites,
but thus do to them, that they may live and not die when they approach the Holy of Holies: Aaron and his sons are to go in and appoint them, each to his service and to his load;
but they are not to go in to see the holy things even for a moment, or they will die.”
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
“Take a census of the sons of Gershon also by their fathers’ houses, by their families;
you are to count them from 30 years old and upward until 50 years old, all who enter in to wait on the service to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.
This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing burdens:
they are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting, its covering and the covering of dugong skin that is on top of it, and the screen for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting
and the hangings of the court and the screen for the entrance of the gate of the court that is by the tabernacle and around the altar, and their cords and all the instruments of their service and whatever will be done with them. In it they will serve.
“At the commandment of Aaron and his sons are to be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burden and in all their service; and you are to appoint their duty to them in all their responsibilities.
This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting, and their duty will be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
“As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their families, by their fathers’ houses;
you are to count them from 30 years old and upward even to 50 years old, everyone who enters on the service to do the work of the Tent of Meeting.
This is the duty of their burden according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting: the tabernacle’s boards, its bars, its pillars, its bases
and the pillars of the court around it and their bases and their pegs and their cords, with all their utensils and with all their service: and by name you are to appoint the utensils of the duty of their burden.
This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”
Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by their fathers’ houses,
from 30 years old and upward even to 50 years old, everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting.
Those who were numbered of them by their families were 2,750.
These are those who were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all who served in the Tent of Meeting whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.
Those who were numbered of the sons of Gershon, their families and by their fathers’ houses,
from 30 years old and upward even to 50 years old, everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting,
even those who were numbered of them by their families, by their fathers’ houses, were 2,630.
These are those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the Tent of Meeting whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of Yahweh.
Those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, by their families, by their fathers’ houses,
from 30 years old and upward even to 50 years old, everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting,
even those who were numbered of them by their families were 3,200.
These are those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.
All those who were numbered of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel numbered by their families, and by their fathers’ houses,
from 30 years old and upward even to 50 years old, everyone who entered in to do the work of service and the work of bearing burdens in the Tent of Meeting,
even those who were numbered of them, were 8,580.
According to the commandment of Yahweh they were numbered by Moses, everyone according to his service and according to his burden. Thus were they numbered by him as Yahweh commanded Moses.