on a review of them the number was seven thousand two 23 hundred. Now the Gersonites are to encamp behind the taber24 nacle, towards the west, and the chief of the head of the fami

ly of the community of the Gersonites, was Elisaph son of 25 Dael. And the charge of the Gersonites in the tabernacle of

27

the testimony, was the tabernacle and the covering; and the 26 curtain of the door of the tabernacle of the testimony; and the hangings of the court; and the curtain of the gate, of the court around the tabernacle; and the rest of the works thereof. To the Kaathites belonged the community of the Amramites, and the community of the Issaarites, and the community of the Chebronites, and the community of the Ozielites. 28 These are the communities of the Kaathites according to the numeration; every male, from a month old and upwards, 29 amounted to eight thousand six hundred. These communities

of the Kaathites, having the charge of the holy things, are to 30 encamp on the south side of the tabernacle; and the chief of the head family of the communities of the Kaathites was Eli31 saphan, son of Oziel; and their charge was the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary which were used in the priest's office; and the 32 veil, and all the works thereof. And the chief over the chiefs of the Levites, was Eleazar, the son of Aaron, set over them to superintend the watches of the holy things.

33 To the Merarites belonged the community of Mooli, and 34 the community of Mousi. These are the communities of the Merarites. The muster of them, comprehending every male from one month old and upwards, was six thousand two hun35 dred. And the chief of the head family of the community of the Merarites, was Suriel, the son of Abichail. They are to 36 encamp on the north side of the tabernacle; and the review of

the watch of the Merarites, had the charge of the tabernacle, . and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the bases there37 of, with all their appurtenances and works, and the pillars of the court round about, with their stakes and their cords. 38 They who encamp in front of the tabernacle of the testimony, towards the east, were Moses and Aaron, and their sons, who have the superintendance of the watches of the sanctuary, for the purpose of guarding the things committed to the charge

39

of the Israelites, and if any of another family touch them, he is to be put to death.

The whole muster of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron reviewed, by the command of the Lord, according to their communities-all the males, from a month old and upwards, were twenty two thousand.

40 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Review all the male first born of the children of Israel, from one month old 41 and upwards, and take the number by name. And thou shalt take the Levites for me- the Lord; instead of all the first born sons of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings of the cattle belonging to the children of 42 Israel. So Moses reviewed, in the manner the Lord com43 manded, all the male first born among the Israelites; and all the first born males, numbered by name, from one month old and upwards, were twenty two thousand two hundred and se44 venty three. Whereupon the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45 Take the Levites, instead of all the first born of the children

of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites, for the firstlings of their 46 cattle; and the Levites shall belong to me-I the Lord. And as redemption money for the two hundred and seventy three, 47 of the first born, more than the Levites, thou shalt take from the first born of the children of Israel, five shekels a poll. According to the holy didrachm, thou shall receive twenty oboli 48 for a shekel. And thou shalt give the money to Aaron and

his sons, as the redemption of the overplus among the Israel49 ites. So Moses took the redemption money, for those who ex50 ceeded the redemption made by the Levites. From the first

born of the children of Israel he took the money, amounting 51 to one thousand three hundred and sixty five shekels accord

ing to the holy shekel, and gave the redemption money for the overplus to Aaron and his sons, by the command of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses. IV. Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying; Take 2 the sum of the Kaathites, apart from the Levites, according to their communities, according to the houses of their families, 3 from twenty five years and upwards, to fifty years, every one who goeth in to minister; to do all the services of the taberna4 cle of the testimony. Now these are the services of the Kaa

thites in the tabernacle of the testimony, a most sacred ser5 vice. When the camp is about to remove, Aaron shall go in with his sons, and they shall take down the covering veil, and with it cover the ark of the testimony, and put thereon the co6 vering of blue skins; and over it they shall spread a mantle, 7 wholly blue, and put in the staves. Then over the presence table they shall spread a mantle, all of purple; upon it, and upon the platters, and the censers, and the goblets, and the libation cups, with which he maketh libations; and the loaves which 8 are continually thereon shall be upon it. And they shall throw over it a scarlet mantle, and cover it, with a blue skin cover9 ing, and put in the staves to carry it. Then they shall take a blue mantle, and cover the candlestick which giveth light with its lamps, and its snuffers, and its tweezers, and all the oil ves10 sels, which they use in that service; and they shall put it, and all the utensils thereof, into a blue skin covering, and lay it on 11 the staves to carry it. They shall then cover the golden altar with a blue mantle, and spread over it a skin covering of blue, 12 and put in the staves thereof to carry it. And they shall take all the utensils used in the service, all with which they minister in the holies, and put them into a blue mantle, and cover them with a skin covering of blue, and lay them on staves to carry 13 them. Then they shall put the cover on the altar, and cover it 14 with a mantle, entirely of purple, and they shall lay thereon all

the utensils with which they minister at it, namely the censers, and the flesh forks, and the cups, and the cover, and the vials, and all the utensils of the altar; and they shall throw over it a skin covering of blue, and put in the staves to carry it. Then they shall take a purple mantle, and cover the laver and its base; and put it in a skin covering of blue, and put it on the staves. 15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy things, and all the utensils, while the camp is removing, after this the sons of Kaath shall come in to carry them; but they shall not touch the holy things lest they die. These things the sons of Kaath shall take up in the tabernacle of the testimony. 16 The overseer, Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, shall have the charge of the oil for light, and of the compound incense, and the daily sacrifice, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of the whole tabernacle, and all that are in it, in the sanctuary, in all

17 the works thereof. And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, 18 saying, That you may not destroy this community of the tribe, 19 namely the Kaathites, from among the Levites, you must do this for them, that they may live and not die; When they go into the holy of holies, let Aaron and his sons go in before them; and they shall station them, every one according to what he is 20 to carry: And let them not go in abruptly, to view the holy things, so they shall not die.

21

Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Take the sum 22 of the Gersonites-of them also according to the houses of their 23 families, according to their communities. Review them, from twenty five years, and upwards, to fifty years of age, every one who goeth in to minister-to do his work in the tabernacle of 24 the testimony. The service of the community of the Gerson25 ites is the same, namely to serve and to carry. They shall carry the skin coverings of the tabernacle of the testimony with its covering, the upper covering of blue which is upon it, and the curtain of the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, and 26 the hangings of the court, both all that are for the tabernacle

of the testimony, and those about it, and all the sacred imple27 ments which are used in the holy service. They shall act under the direction of Aaron and his sons, whatever may be the service of the Gersonites, in all their services, and in all their works. So thou shalt review them by name, having respect to 28 all the burdens to be carried by them. This is the service of the Gersonites in the tabernacle of the testimony, and the superintendance of them shall be by the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.

29 With regard to the Merarites, review them according to 30 their communities, according to the houses of their families— review them from twenty five years, and upwards, to fifty years of age; every one who goeth in to do the works of the taber31 nacle of the testimony, to take charge of those things to be carried by them, according to all their works for the tabernacle of the testimony, namely the capitals of the tabernacle, and the bars, and the pillars thereof, the bases thereof, and the bases and pillars for the veil, and for the curtain 32 of the door of the tabernacle, and the pillars of the court round about, with their bases, and the pillars for the curtain of

the gate of the court, with their bases, and their pins, and their cords, and all the implements thereof, and all their servicesreview them by name, and all the implements which are to be 33 under their charge, and to be carried by them. This service of the community of the Merarites, in all their works, for the tabernacle of the testimony, shall be under the superintendance of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.

34

Accordingly Moses and Aaron, and the chiefs of Israel, reviewed the Kaathites according to their communities, ac35 cording to the houses of their families, from twenty five years old, and upwards, to fifty years of age, every one who went in to minister, and do service for the tabernacle of the testimony; 36 and the number of them, according to their communities, was 37 two thousand seven hundred and fifty. This was the muster

of the community of the Kaathites, comprehending every one who performed service for the tabernacle of the testimony, as 38 Moses and Aaron reviewed them, at the command of the Lord, by the hand of Moses.

Then the Gersonites were reviewed according to their communities, according to the houses of their families, from twenty 39 five years, and upwards, to fifty years of age, comprehending

every one who went in to serve, and perform works for the 40 tabernacle of the testimony. And the muster of them, accord

ing to their communities, according to the houses of their fa41 milies, was two thousand six hundred and thirty. This was the review of the community of the Gersonites, comprehending every one who performed service for the tabernacle of the testimony, whom Moses and Aaron reviewed, at the command of the Lord, by the hand of Moses.

4.2

Then was reviewed the community of the Merarites, according to their communities, according to the houses of their 43 families, from twenty five years, and upwards, to fifty years of age, comprehending every one who went in to perform the holy 44 works of the tabernacle of the testimony; And the muster of

them according to their communities, according to the houses 45 of their families, was three thousand two hundred. This was the muster of the community of the Merarites, whom Moses and Aaron reviewed, at the command of the Lord, by the hand. of Moses.