Numbers

1And the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai in the tabernacle of the covenant, the first day of the second month, the second year of their going out of Egypt, saying:

2Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel by their families, and houses, and the names of every one, as many as are of the male sex,

3From twenty years old and upwards, of all the men of Israel fit for war, and you shall number them by their troops, thou and Aaron.

4And there shall be with you the princes of the tribes, and of the houses in their kindreds,

5Whose names are these: Of Ruben, Elisur the son of Sedeur.

6Of Simeon, Salamiel the son of Surisaddai.

7Of Juda, Nahasson the son of Aminadab.

8Of Issachar, Nathanael the son of Suar.

9Of Zabulon, Eliab the son of Helon.

10And of the sons of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elisama the son of Ammiud: of Manasses, Gamaliel the son of Phadassur.

11Of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gedeon.

12Of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammisaddai.

13Of Aser, Phegiel the son of Ochran.

14Of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Duel.

15Of Nephtali, Ahira the son of Enan.

16These are the most noble princes of the multitude by their tribes and kindreds, and the chiefs of the army of Israel:

17Whom Moses and Aaron took with all the multitude of the common people:

18And assembled them on the first day of the second month, reckoning them up by the kindreds, and houses, and families, and heads, and names of every one from twenty years old and upward,

19As the Lord had commanded Moses. And they were numbered in the desert of Sinai.

20Of Ruben the eldest son of Israel, by their generations and families and houses and names of every head, all that were of the male sex, from twenty years old and upward, that were able to go forth to war,

21Were forty-six thousand five hundred.

22Of the sons of Simeon by their generations and families, and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names and heads of every one, all that were of the male sex, from twenty years old and upward, that were able to go forth to war,

23Fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

24Of the sons of Gad, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

25Forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

26Of the sons of Juda, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

27Were reckoned up seventy-four thousand six hundred.

28Of the sons of Issachar, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that could go forth to war,

29Were reckoned up fifty-four thousand four hundred.

30Of the sons of Zabulon, by the generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

31Fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

32Of the sons of Joseph, namely, of the sons of Ephraim, by the generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

33Forty thousand five hundred.

34Moreover of the sons of Manasses, by the generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that could go forth to war,

35Thirty-two thousand two hundred.

36Of the sons of Benjamin, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

37Thirty-five thousand four hundred.

38Of the sons of Dan, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

39Sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

40Of the sons of Aser, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

41Forty-one thousand and five hundred.

42Of the sons of Nephtali, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

43Fifty-three thousand four hundred.

44These era they who were numbered by Moses and Aaron, and the twelve princes of Israel, every one by the houses of their kindreds.

45And the whole number of the children of Israel by their houses and families, from twenty years old and upward, that were able to go to war,

46Were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty men.

47But the Levites in the tribes of their families were not numbered with them.

48And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

49Number not the tribe of Levi, neither shalt thou put down the sum of them with the children of Israel:

50But appoint them over the tabernacle of the testimony, and all the vessels thereof, and whatsoever pertaineth to the ceremonies. They shall carry the tabernacle and all the furniture thereof: and they shall minister, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.

51When you are to go forward, the Levites shall take down the tabernacle: when you are to camp, they shall set it up. What stranger soever cometh to it, shall be slain.

52And the children of Israel shall camp every man by his troops and bands and army.

53But the Levites shall pitch their tents round about the tabernacle, lest there come indignation upon the multitude of the children of Israel, and they shall keep watch, and guard the tabernacle of the testimony.

54And the children of Israel did according to all things which the Lord had commanded Moses.

The First Census of Israel

1On the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai. He said:

2“Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.

3You and Aaron are to number those who are twenty years of age or older by their divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.

4And one man from each tribe, the head of each family, must be there with you.

The Leaders of the Tribes

5These are the names of the men who are to assist you: From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

6from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

7from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;

8from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;

9from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;

10from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

11from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;

12from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

13from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran;

14from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;

15and from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”

16These men were appointed from the congregation; they were the leaders of the tribes of their fathers, the heads of the clans of Israel.

The Number of Every Tribe

17So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name,

18and on the first day of the second month they assembled the whole congregation and recorded their ancestry by clans and families, counting one by one the names of those twenty years of age or older,

19just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So Moses numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai:

20From the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

21those registered to the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.

22From the sons of Simeon, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

23those registered to the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.

24From the sons of Gad, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

25those registered to the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.

26From the sons of Judah, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

27those registered to the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.

28From the sons of Issachar, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

29those registered to the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.

30From the sons of Zebulun, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

31those registered to the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.

32From the sons of Joseph: From the sons of Ephraim, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

33those registered to the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500.

34And from the sons of Manasseh, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

35those registered to the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.

36From the sons of Benjamin, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

37those registered to the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.

38From the sons of Dan, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

39those registered to the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.

40From the sons of Asher, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

41those registered to the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.

42From the sons of Naphtali, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

43those registered to the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.

44These were the men numbered by Moses and Aaron, with the assistance of the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family.

45So all the Israelites twenty years of age or older who could serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families.

46And all those counted totaled 603,550.

The Exemption of the Levites

47The Levites, however, were not numbered along with them by the tribe of their fathers.

48For the LORD had said to Moses:

49“Do not number the tribe of Levi in the census with the other Israelites.

50Instead, you are to appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its articles, care for it, and camp around it.

51Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to be pitched, the Levites are to set it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death.

52The Israelites are to camp by their divisions, each man in his own camp and under his own standard.

53But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

54Thus the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.