Read Parshat Bamidbar in English

And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying:

'Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, by their polls;

from twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: ye shall number them by their hosts, even thou and Aaron.

And with you there shall be a man of every tribe, every one head of his fathers' house.

And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur.

Of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

Of Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

Of Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar.

Of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon.

Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

Of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni.

Of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

Of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran.

Of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

Of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.’’

These were the elect of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.

And Moses and Aaron took these men that are pointed out by name.

And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.

As the Lord commanded Moses, so did he number them in the wilderness of Sinai. {S}

And the children of Reuben, Israel's first-born, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.

Of the children of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, those that were numbered thereof, according to the number of names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.

Of the children of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty.

Of the children of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.

Of the children of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

Of the children of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.

Of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred.

Of the children of Manasseh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.

Of the children of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.

Of the children of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.

Of the children of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred.

Of the children of Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.

These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men; they were each one for his fathers' house.

And all those that were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers' houses, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel;

even all those that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.

And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying:

'Howbeit the tribe of Levi thou shalt not number, neither shalt thou take the sum of them among the children of Israel;

but appoint thou the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all the furniture thereof, and over all that belongeth to it; they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the furniture thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.

And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the common man that draweth nigh shall be put to death.

And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man with his own camp, and every man with his own standard, according to their hosts.

But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of the testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.’’

Thus did the children of Israel; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.

And the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:

'The children of Israel shall pitch by their fathers' houses; every man with his own standard, according to the ensigns; a good way off shall they pitch round about the tent of meeting.

Now those that pitch on the east side toward the sunrising shall be they of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their hosts; the prince of the children of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab,

and his host, and those that were numbered of them, threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred;

and those that pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar; the prince of the children of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar,

and his host, even those that were numbered thereof, fifty and four thousand and four hundred;

and the tribe of Zebulun; the prince of the children of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon,

and his host, and those that were numbered thereof, fifty and seven thousand and four hundred;

all that were numbered of the camp of Judah being a hundred thousand and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred, according to their hosts; they shall set forth first. {S}

On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their hosts; the prince of the children of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur,

and his host, and those that were numbered thereof, forty and six thousand and five hundred;

and those that pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of Simeon; the prince of the children of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai,

and his host, and those that were numbered of them, fifty and nine thousand and three hundred;

and the tribe of Gad; the prince of the children of Gad being Eliasaph the son of Reuel,

and his host, even those that were numbered of them, forty and five thousand and six hundred and fifty;

all that were numbered of the camp of Reuben being a hundred thousand and fifty and one thousand and four hundred and fifty, according to their hosts; and they shall set forth second. {S}

Then the tent of meeting, with the camp of the Levites, shall set forward in the midst of the camps; as they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place, by their standards. {S}

On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their hosts; the prince of the children of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud,

and his host, and those that were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred;

and next unto him shall be the tribe of Manasseh; the prince of the children of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur,

and his host, and those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and two hundred;

and the tribe of Benjamin; the prince of the children of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni,

and his host, and those that were numbered of them, thirty and five thousand and four hundred;

all that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim being a hundred thousand and eight thousand and a hundred, according to their hosts; and they shall set forth third. {S}

On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan according to their hosts; the prince of the children of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai,

and his host, and those that were numbered of them, threescore and two thousand and seven hundred;

and those that pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of Asher; the prince of the children of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran,

and his host, and those that were numbered of them, forty and one thousand and five hundred;

and the tribe of Naphtali; the prince of the children of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan,

and his host, and those that were numbered of them, fifty and three thousand and four hundred;

all that were numbered of the camp of Dan being a hundred thousand and fifty and seven thousand and six hundred; they shall set forth hindmost by their standards.’’

These are they that were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers' houses; all that were numbered of the camps according to their hosts were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses.

Thus did the children of Israel: according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward, each one according to its families, and according to its fathers' houses.

Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord spoke with Moses in mount Sinai.

And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the first-born, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests that were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.

And Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord, when they offered strange fire before the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children; and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the presence of Aaron their father.

And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying:

'Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.

And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.

And they shall keep all the furniture of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given unto him from the children of Israel.

And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, that they may keep their priesthood; and the common man that draweth nigh shall be put to death.’’

And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying:

'And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every first-born that openeth the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be Mine;

for all the first-born are Mine: on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast, Mine they shall be: I am the Lord.’’

And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying:

'Number the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families; every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.’’

And Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded.

And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' houses.

Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites; these are the families of the Gershonites.

Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.

The families of the Gershonites were to pitch behind the tabernacle westward;

the prince of the fathers' house of the Gershonites being Eliasaph the son of Lael,

and the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting the tabernacle, and the Tent, the covering thereof, and the screen for the door of the tent of meeting,

and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court--which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar, round about--and the cords of it, even whatsoever pertaineth to the service thereof. {S}

And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these are the families of the Kohathites:

according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, eight thousand and six hundred, keepers of the charge of the sanctuary.

The families of the sons of Kohath were to pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward;

the prince of the fathers' house of the families of the Kohathites being Elizaphan the son of Uzziel,

and their charge the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith the priests minister, and the screen, and all that pertaineth to the service thereof;

Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest being prince of the princes of the Levites, and having the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites; these are the families of Merari.

And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred;

the prince of the fathers' house of the families of Merari being Zuriel the son of Abihail; they were to pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward;

the appointed charge of the sons of Merari being the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the instruments thereof, and all that pertaineth to the service thereof;

and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.

And those that were to pitch before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, were Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary, even the charge for the children of Israel; and the common man that drew nigh was to be put to death.

All that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand. {S}

And the Lord said unto Moses: “Number all the first-born males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

And thou shalt take the Levites for Me, even the Lord, instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.’’

And Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the first-born among the children of Israel.

And all the first-born males according to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.

And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying:

'Take the Levites instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be Mine, even the Lord’s.

And as for the redemption of the two hundred and three score and thirteen of the first-born of the children of Israel, that are over and above the number of the Levites,

thou shalt take five shekels apiece by the poll; after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them--the shekel is twenty gerahs.

And thou shalt give the money wherewith they that remain over of them are redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons.’’

And Moses took the redemption-money from them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites;

from the first-born of the children of Israel took he the money: a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.

And Moses gave the redemption-money unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

And the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:

'Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers' houses,

from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter upon the service, to do work in the tent of meeting.

This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, about the most holy things:

when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall go in, and his sons, and they shall take down the veil of the screen, and cover the ark of the testimony with it;

and shall put thereon a covering of sealskin, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall set the staves thereof.

And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the pans, and the bowls, and the jars wherewith to pour out; and the continual bread shall remain thereon.

And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of sealskin, and shall set the staves thereof.

And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and its lamps, and its tongs, and its snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it.

And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it upon a bar.

And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall set the staves thereof.

And they shall take all the vessels of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of sealskin, and shall put them on a bar.

And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon.

And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, the fire-pans, the flesh-hooks, and the shovels, and the basins, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of sealskin, and set the staves thereof.

And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the holy furniture, and all the holy vessels, as the camp is to set forward--after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear them; but they shall not touch the holy things, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting.

And the charge of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the continual meal-offering, and the anointing oil: he shall have the charge of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, whether it be the sanctuary, or the furniture thereof.’’

And the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:

'Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites;

but thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden;

but they shall not go in to see the holy things as they are being covered, lest they die.’’