Numbers 3
(1) Aaron’s Sons are Mediators
Here are the family records of Moses and Aaron from when the Existing One spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.
Aaron’s sons:
Nadab (the firstborn)
Abihu
Eleazar
Ithamar
They were anointed as priests, and Aaron empowered them to serve as mediators between God and the Israelites. But Nadab and Abihu died in front of the Existing One when they offered Him foreign fire in the wasteland of Sinai, and they didn’t have any children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as mediators during Aaron’s lifetime.
(5) Levites Help Aaron Mediate
Then the Existing One told Moses,
“Bring Levi’s tribe and present them to Aaron so they can be of service to him. They’ll perform the duties for him and for the whole Israeli population in front of God’s meeting tent. They’ll do the work for God’s house. When you present the Levites to Aaron and his sons, they’ll be devoted to him from among Israel’s descendants. Appoint Aaron and his sons as overseers so they can continue their role as mediators. Just know that if a layman approaches My meeting tent, that person will be put to death.”
(11) God Claims Levites instead of Firstborns
The Existing One spoke to Moses again, saying,
“You’ll notice how I’ve taken the Levites from Israel’s descendants instead of every firstborn. So the Levites will be Mine, since all the firstborns are Mine. Remember when I killed all the firstborns in Egypt? On that day, I dedicated all of Israel’s firstborns to myself—both their people and their animals. That’s why they’ll be Mine. I am the Existing One.”
(14) Moses Counts Levites
Then the Existing One spoke to Moses in Sinai’s wasteland, saying,
“Count Levi’s descendants, numbering them by their families and by their patriarchs’ households. Count all their males who are at least one month old.”
So Moses counted them like the Existing One had said, and this is how they were grouped:
Levi’s sons:
Gershon [whose name means “exile”]
Kohath [whose name means “assembly”]
Merari [whose name means “bitter”]
Gershon’s descendants:
Libni [“white”]
Shimei [“bitter”]
Kohath’s descendants:
Amram
Izhar
Hebron
Uzziel
Merari’s descendants:
Mahli
Mushi
Those are the Levite families grouped by the households of their patriarchs.
(21) Gershonites on the West
Gershon’s descendants included the Libinites and the Shimeites. Those were all the Gershonites. They had a total of 7,500 males who were at least one month old. The Gersonites’ camp was stationed on the west side of God’s house, and the leader of their the Gershonite families was Eliasaph (Lael’s son).
Gershon’s descendants had some duties in God’s meeting tent concerning:
God’s home
the tent
it’s covering
the screen for the meeting tent’s doorway
the courtyard’s curtains
The screen for the courtyard’s doorway which surrounds God’s home and the altar
And the cords
They maintained all of those things.
(27) Kohathites on the South
Kohath’s descendants included the Amrarites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites. Those were the Kohathites, and they had a total of 8,600 males who were at leas one month old. They performed the duties associated with the sanctuary. The Kohathite camp was stationed on the south side of God’s home, and the leader of their families was Elizaphan (Uzziel’s son).
Their duties involved:
the chest (ark)
The table
The lampstand
The altars
The utensils used in the sanctuary
The screen
And all the work involving those things.
Eleazar (Aaron’s son) was in charge of Levi’s leaders and oversaw everyone who has duties regarding the sanctuary.
(33) Merari-ites on the North
Merari’s descendants included the Mahlites and the Mushites. Those were all the families that descended from Merari. They had a total of 6,200 males who were at least one month old. Their leader was Zuriel (Abihail’s son), and their camp was stationed on the north side of God’s house.
Their duties involved:
The frames of God’s house
Its pillars
Its sockets
All its equipment
Their maintenance
The pillars around the courtyard with their sockets, pegs, and cords
(38) Levites on the East
The people stationed on the east side of God’s meeting tent were Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons. Their duties involve tending to the sanctuary (if a layman were to approach it, that person would have been put to death). Altogether, there were 22,000 Levite males who were one month old or older.
(40) Moses Counts the Firstborns
Then the Existing One told Moses,
“Count all the firstborn males in Israel who are at least one month old. Make a list of their names. Take the Levites for Me instead of all the firstborn makes all throughout Israel. And just take the cows from the Levites instead of taking the firstborn cows from all the Israelites.”
So Moses counted all the firstborn males throughout Israel like the Existing One said. And all the firstborn males totaled up to 22,273.
(44) God Claims Levites instead of Firstborns
Then the Existing One told Moses,
“Just take the Levites instead of taking all the firstborns from Israel’s people and livestock. The Levites will be mine. I am the Existing One.
“But since Israel has 273 more firstborns than it does Levites, you can take 2.5 ounces of silver each. That will be their ransom money, and you can give it to Aaron and his descendants.”
So Moses collected the ransom money from the people who were in excess of the number of Levites. Altogether he collected about 43 pounds of silver from the Israeli firstborn males and gave it to Aaron and his sons like the Existing One had said.