1 Jehovah (YHWH) spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai. It was the first day of the second month in the second year after leaving Egypt. He said:
2 Take a census of all the males of the congregation of Israel by families and households. List every man by name
3 who is at least twenty years old. You and Aaron must register everyone in Israel who is eligible for military duty. List them by divisions.
4 One man from each tribe will help you. Each of these men must be the head of a household.
5 Here are the names of the men who will help you: Elizur, son of Shedeur, from the tribe of Reuben,
6 Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, from the tribe of Simeon;
7 Nahshon, son of Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah;
8 Nethanel, son of Zuar, from the tribe of Issachar;
9 Eliab, son of Helon, from the tribe of Zebulun;
10 Elishama, son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Ephraim; Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, from the tribe of Manasseh; Ephraim and Manasseh are Joseph's descendants.
11 Abidan, son of Gideoni, from the tribe of Benjamin;
12 Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, from the tribe of Dan;
13 Pagiel, son of Ochran, from the tribe of Asher;
14 Eliasaph, son of Deuel, from the tribe of Gad;
15 Ahira, son of Enan, from the tribe of Naphtali.
16 These were the men chosen from the congregation. They were the leaders of their ancestors' tribes, and heads of the divisions of Israel.
17 Moses and Aaron took the men who had been named
18 and assembled the whole congregation on the first day of the second month. Each man at least twenty years old provided his genealogy by family and household. Then his name was listed.
19 Moses registered the men of Israel in the Desert of Sinai as Jehovah commanded him.
20 The roster of families and households for the descendants of Reuben, Israel's firstborn son, listed every man by name that was at least twenty years old and eligible for military duty.
21 The total for the tribe of Reuben was forty-six thousand.
22 The roster of families and households for the descendants of Simeon registered and listed every man by name that was at least twenty years old and eligible for military duty.
23 The total for the tribe of Simeon was fifty-nine thousand three hundred.
24 The roster of families and households for the descendants of Gad listed the men by name that were at least twenty years old and eligible for military duty.
25 The total for the tribe of Gad was forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.
26 The roster of families and households for the descendants of Judah listed the men by name that were at least twenty years old and eligible for military duty.
27 The total for the tribe of Judah was seventy-four thousand six hundred.
28 The roster of families and households for the descendants of Issachar listed the men by name that were at least twenty years old and eligible for military duty.
29 The total for the tribe of Issachar was fifty-four thousand four hundred.
30 The roster of families and households for the descendants of Zebulun listed the men by name that were at least twenty years old and eligible for military duty.
31 The total for the tribe of Zebulun was fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
32 The roster of families and households for the descendants of Joseph, those from Ephraim, listed the men by name that were at least twenty years old and eligible for military duty.
33 The total for the tribe of Ephraim was forty thousand five hundred.
34 The roster of families and households for the descendants of Manasseh listed the men by name that were at least twenty years old and eligible for military duty.
35 The total for the tribe of Manasseh was thirty-two thousand two hundred.
36 The roster of families and households for the descendants of Benjamin listed the men by name that were at least twenty years old and eligible for military duty.
37 The total for the tribe of Benjamin was thirty-five thousand four hundred.
38 The roster of families and households for the descendants of Dan listed the men by name that were at least twenty years old and eligible for military duty.
39 The total for the tribe of Dan was sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
40 The roster of families and households for the descendants of Asher listed the men by name that were at least twenty years old and eligible for military duty.
41 The total for the tribe of Asher was forty-one thousand five hundred.
42 The roster of families and households for the descendants of Naphtali listed the men by name that were at least twenty years old and eligible for military duty.
43 The total for the tribe of Naphtali was fifty-three thousand four hundred.
44 Moses, Aaron, and the twelve leaders of Israel, each representing his own family, added up these totals.
45 The Israelites registered by households. The grand total of men who were at least twenty years old and eligible for military duty
46 was six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
47 The households from the tribe of Levi were not registered along with the other Israelites.
48 Jehovah said to Moses:
49 Do not register the tribe of Levi or include them in the census with the other Israelites.
50 Put the Levites in charge of the tent of God's words, including the equipment for the tent and everything else having to do with the tent. The Levites will carry the tent and all its equipment. They will take care of the tent and camp around it.
51 When the tent is to be moved, the Levites will take it down. When we camp, they will set it up. Anyone else who comes near the tent will be put to death.
52 The other Israelites will camp with each family in its own area under its own flag.
53 The Levites will camp all around the tent of God's words. In this way Jehovah will not be angry with the congregation of Israel. So the Levites will be in charge of the tent of God's words.
54 The Israelites did everything as Jehovah commanded Moses.