Numbers

Chapter 4

1. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
2. Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by the house of their fathers,
3. From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter the service , to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.
4. This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of meeting, about the most holy things:
5. And when the camp moves forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering veil, and cover the ark of testimony with it:
6. And shall put thereon the covering of badger skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in its poles.
7. And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover them: and the showbread shall be on it:
8. And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badger skins, and shall put in its poles.
9. And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the lampstand of the light, and its lamps, and its wick trimmers, and its trays, and all the oil vessels thereof, with which they minister unto it:
10. And they shall put it and all the utensils thereof within a covering of badger skins, and shall put it upon a carrying beam.
11. And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badger skins, and shall put in its poles:
12. And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badger skins, and shall put them on a carrying beam:
13. And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it:
14. And they shall put upon it all its utensils, with which they minister about it, even the fire pans, the forks, and the shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badger skins, and put in its poles.
15. And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, as the camp is to move forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of meeting.
16. And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertains the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that is therein, in the sanctuary, and in the utensils thereof.
17. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
18. Cut not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:
19. 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:
20. But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.
21. And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
22. Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families;
23. From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shall you number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.
24. This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and to carry burdens:
25. And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of meeting, its covering, and the covering of the badger skins that is on it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of meeting,
26. And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.
27. At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and you shall appoint unto them the task of all their burdens.
28. This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting: and their work shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
29. As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;
30. From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shall you number them, every one that enters into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting.
31. And this is the task of their burdens, according to all their service in the tabernacle of meeting; the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets,
32. And the pillars round about the court, and their sockets, and their pegs, and their cords, with all their furnishings, and with all their service: and by name you shall reckon the objects of the charge of their burdens.
33. This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
34. And Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families, and by the house of their fathers,
35. From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that enters into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of meeting:
36. And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
37. These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all that might do service in the tabernacle of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
38. And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers,
39. From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that enters into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of meeting,
40. Even those that were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty.
41. These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all that might do service in the tabernacle of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD.
42. And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers,
43. From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that enters into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of meeting,
44. Even those that were numbered of them by their families, were three thousand and two hundred.
45. These are those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
46. All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families, and by the house of their fathers,
47. From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of meeting,
48. Even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore.
49. According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as the LORD commanded Moses.