Numbers 4:15-49

¹⁵When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy objects, or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the Tent of Meeting.

¹⁶Eleazar son of Aaron the priest shall oversee the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He has oversight of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, including the holy objects and their utensils.”

¹⁷Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

¹⁸“Do not allow the Kohathite tribal clans to be cut off from among the Levites.

¹⁹In order that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go in and assign each man his task and what he is to carry.

²⁰But the Kohathites are not to go in and look at the holy objects, even for a moment, or they will die.”

²¹And the LORD said to Moses,

²²“Take a census of the Gershonites as well, by their families and clans,

²³from thirty to fifty years old, counting everyone who comes to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

²⁴This is the service of the Gershonite clans regarding work and transport:

²⁵They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting with the covering of fine leather over it, the curtains for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,

²⁶the curtains of the courtyard, and the curtains for the entrance at the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and altar, along with their ropes and all the equipment for their service. The Gershonites will do all that needs to be done with these items.

²⁷All the service of the Gershonites — all their transport duties and other work — is to be done at the direction of Aaron and his sons; you are to assign to them all that they are responsible to carry.

²⁸This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the Tent of Meeting, and their duties shall be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

²⁹As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their clans and families,

³⁰from thirty to fifty years old, counting everyone who comes to serve in the work of the Tent of Meeting.

³¹This is the duty for all their service at the Tent of Meeting: to carry the frames of the tabernacle with its crossbars, posts, and bases,

³²and the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes, including all their equipment and everything related to their use. You shall assign by name the items that they are responsible to carry.

³³This is the service of the Merarite clans according to all their work at the Tent of Meeting, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”

³⁴So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation numbered the Kohathites by their clans and families,

³⁵everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

³⁶And those numbered by their clans totaled 2, 750.

³⁷These were counted from the Kohathite clans, everyone who could serve at the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron numbered them according to the command of the LORD through Moses.

³⁸Then the Gershonites were numbered by their clans and families,

³⁹everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

⁴⁰And those numbered by their clans and families totaled 2, 630.

⁴¹These were counted from the Gershonite clans who served at the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the LORD’s command.

⁴²And the Merarites were numbered by their clans and families,

⁴³everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

⁴⁴The men registered by their clans numbered 3, 200.

⁴⁵These were counted from the Merarite clans, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the LORD’s command through Moses.

⁴⁶So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered by their clans and families all the Levites

⁴⁷from thirty to fifty years old who came to do the work of serving and carrying the Tent of Meeting.

⁴⁸And the number of men was 8, 580.

⁴⁹At the LORD’s command they were numbered through Moses and each one was assigned his work and burden, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Related Resources from Heartlight

Cross References for Numbers 4:15-49

The Berean Standard Bible