Nadab and Abihu died in the LORD's presence when they offered unauthorized fire before him in the Sinai wilderness. Since they didn't have their own children, Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests under the authority of Aaron their father.

"Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them to Aaron the priest so they may serve him.

They are to take care of his needs and the needs of the whole congregation at the Tent of Meeting by performing duties at the tent.

They are to take charge of the utensils at the Tent of Meeting and meet the needs of the Israelis by performing duties on behalf of the tent.

Assign the descendants of Levi to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelis.

Appoint Aaron and his sons so that they are to take responsibility for their priesthood. Any unauthorized person who approaches it is to be put to death."

"Number the descendants of Levi according to their ancestral houses and tribes, numbering every male from a month old and above."

These are Levi's descendants by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

These are names of Gershon's descendants according to their families: Libni and Shimei.

These are the names of Kohath's descendants according to their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

Merari's descendants according to their families were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the descendants of Levi according to their ancestral house.

The families of Libni and Shimei were descendants of Gershon. As families of the descendants of Gershon,

all the males a month old and above numbered 7,500.

The leader of the tribe and family of Gershon was Lael's son Eliasaph.

the hangings at the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard that surrounded the tent, the altar, and all of the tent cords in use.

The families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel were descendants of Kohath. As families of the descendants of Kohath,

all the males a month old and above numbered 8,600. They were tasked to the care of the sanctuary.

The leader of the tribe and family of Kohath was Uzziel's son Elizaphan.

Their duties pertained to the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, and all the curtains in use.

The families of Mahli and Mushi were descendants of Merari. As families of Merari,

all the males a month old and above numbered 6,200.

The leader of the tribe and family of Merari was Abihail's son Zuriel. The descendants of Merari encamped beside the tent toward the north.

the pillars around the courtyard, their sockets, pegs, and tent cords.

In front of the tent and east of the Tent of Meeting, Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons encamped facing the east. They were tasked to perform the duties of the sanctuary and care for the needs of the Israelis. Any unauthorized person who approached was to be executed.

As the LORD had instructed, everyone counted by Moses and Aaron from the descendants of Levi, according to their tribe, all males from a month old and above numbered 22,000.

Later the LORD instructed Moses: "Number all the first-born males of Israel from a month old and above and list their names.

All the first-born males according to the list of their names from a month old and above numbered 22,273.

"Separate the descendants of Levi in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel and the livestock of the descendants of Levi in place of their livestock. The descendants of Levi belong to me, since I am the LORD.

Then give the money meant for ransom of their excess to Aaron and his sons."

Moses gave the ransom money to Aaron and his sons according to the LORD's instructions, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

The LORD told Moses and Aaron,

"Take a census of the descendants of Kohath from among the descendants of Levi according to their tribes and ancestral houses

from 30 years and older through the age of 50 years, from everyone who can enter the service to perform work at the Tent of Meeting.

"Here's what the descendants of Kohath are to do regarding the Tent of Meeting and what's inside the Most Holy Place:

When the camp is about to travel, Aaron and his sons are to come and take down the veil of the curtain and cover the Ark of the Testimony with it.

They are to set a leather-dyed skin covering over it, cover it with a pure blue cloth, and then insert its poles.

"They are to spread a blue cloth over the table of the Presence and on top of it the dishes, pans, bowls, pitchers for drink offerings, and the bread of presence are to be on it continually.

They are to spread over them a scarlet cloth and a leather-dyed skin covering and then insert its poles.

"They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand for the light with its lamp, lamp-snuffers, censer, and all the utensils for its oil with which they minister.

Then they are to put them with all the other utensils on the leather-dyed skin covering and set them on the beams for transport.

"On the golden altar, they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with a leather-dyed skin covering, and then insert its poles.

Then they are to take all the utensils for service with which they minister at the sanctuary, set them on the blue cloth, cover them with the leather-dyed skin covering, and then set them on the beams for transport.

They are also to remove the ashes on the altar and spread a purple cloth over it.

Then they are to put all the instruments with which they minister there trays, forks, shovels, bowls, and all the utensils of the altar. They are to spread over it a leather-dyed skin covering and then insert its poles.

"When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the utensils of the sanctuary, and the camp is about to travel, then the descendants of Kohath are to come and carry them, but they are not to touch the most sacred objects, so they won't die. These are the duties of the descendants of Kohath at the Tent of Meeting."

"Now the duty of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest is to maintain the oil for the light, the spiced incense, the daily offerings, and the oil for anointing, to carry out all the duties of the tent and the sanctuary, and to maintain its utensils."

Then the LORD told Moses and Aaron,

But do this for them so that they may live and not die when they approach the Most Holy Place: Aaron and his sons are to go in and set specific responsibilities for each of them to carry out.

"Take a census of the descendants of Gershon according to their ancestral house and tribes.

the hangings for the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance to the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the tent, the altar, the ropes, all the service utensils, and everything made for them. This is to be their service area.

The descendants of Gershon are to carry out the instructions of Aaron and his sons. You are to assign them their responsibilities to carry out.

"For the descendants of Merari, number them according to their tribes and ancestral houses

from 30 to 50 years old as you count them, including everyone who can enter service and perform work at the Tent of Meeting.

the pillars around the courtyard, their sockets, their pegs, their ropes, and all the utensils for all their services. Assign the utensils by name to each person whose responsibility it will be to carry them.

Moses, Aaron, and the congregational leaders numbered the descendants of Kohath according to their tribes and ancestral houses

from the tribe of the descendants of Kohath, everyone who would be serving at the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to what the LORD had said, under the supervision of Moses.

The tribes and the ancestral houses of the descendants of Gershon were numbered

The total according to their tribes and ancestral house numbered 2,630

from the tribes of the descendants of Gershon, everyone who would be serving at the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to what the LORD had said.

The tribes and ancestral house of Merari were numbered

from the tribes of the descendants of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to what the LORD had said, under the supervision of Moses.

The total of those who were numbered from the descendants of Levi by Moses and Aaron; that is, from the leaders of Israel counted according to their tribes and ancestral houses

"Command the Israelis to send outside the encampment every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever is ritually defiled by contact with a corpse.

He is to confess the sin that he had committed, pay its full compensation, add one fifth to it, and give the compensation to whomever he offended.

But if the person has no related redeemer to whom compensation may be made, the payment is to be brought to the LORD and given to the priest, in addition to a ram for atonement with which he is to be atoned.

a man has sexual relations with her and she conceals it from her husband, keeping it secret although she has defiled herself with there being no witnesses against her, but she was caught anyway.

If an attitude of jealousy overcomes him so that he becomes jealous at his wife when she is defiled, or if an attitude of jealousy overcomes him and he becomes jealous of his wife even though she isn't defiled,

Then the priest is to bring it and make her stand in the LORD's presence.

The priest is to put some holy water into an earthen vessel, take some dust from the floor of the tent, and put it into the water.

The priest is to have the woman stand in the LORD's presence, uncover her head, and put the grain offering as a memorial, a reminder of jealousy, into her hands. The priest is also to have in his hand the contaminated water that carries a curse.

"The priest is to administer this oath to the woman: "If indeed another man didn't have sexual relations with you and you didn't become unfaithful to your husband, then may you be free from these waters that bring a curse.

But if you have become unfaithful to your husband and have become defiled because a man who isn't your husband has had sexual relations with you"'

then the priest is to have the woman commit to an oath by saying to the woman, "May the LORD make you a curse and a curse among your people. When the LORD makes your thigh waste away and your abdomen swell

and this water that brings a curse enters your abdomen, making it swell and your thigh waste away.' "Then the woman is to say "Amen.'

"Then the priest is to write all of these words in a document and wipe it off with the contaminated water.

The woman is to drink the bitter water that brings a curse and the water that brings a curse is to be considered contaminated.

The priest is to take the offering of jealousy from the woman's hand, wave the offering in the LORD's presence, and have her approach the altar.

The priest is to take a handful of grain from the memorial and offer a sacrifice on the altar, after which he is to have the woman drink the water.

When he has had her drink the water, if she was defiled and had acted unfaithfully toward her husband, then the contaminated water that brings a curse will enter her and infect her, causing her abdomen to swell and her thigh to waste away. Then she is to be a cursed woman among her people.

But if the woman isn't defiled, then she is to be freed and will be able to bear children.

When a man becomes under the control of an attitude of jealousy regarding his wife, he is to present her to the Lord, and the priest is to apply this entire statute to her.

then is to remain separate from wine and strong drink. He is not to drink vinegar or strong drink made from wine. He is not to drink grape juice or eat grapes, whether fresh or dried.

He is not to defile himself on account of his father, mother, brother, and sister when they die, because the crown of his consecration to God is on his head.

Then the priest is to offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to make atonement for him because of the guilt he incurred on account of his contact with the dead body. Then he is to consecrate his head on that day.

He is to bring an offering to the LORD, a year old male lamb, and a year old ewe female lamb, both without blemish, for a sin offering and a ram without blemish for a peace offering,

a basket of unleavened bread made from choice flour, cakes mixed with oil, a wafer of unleavened bread smeared with oil, along with grain and drink offerings.

The priest is to come into the LORD's presence and present his sin and burnt offerings.

He is to offer the ram, a sacrifice of peace offering to the LORD, along with the basket of unleavened bread. Then the priest is to present his grain and drink offerings.

The Nazirite is then to shave his head of consecration at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to take the lock of his head of consecration and set it over the fire where the peace offering for sacrifice is.

Then the priest is to take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one cake of unleavened bread from the basket, and one wafer of unleavened bread. He is to place them in the hands of the Nazirite, after he himself has shaved his symbol of consecration.

The priest is to wave the offerings, that is, the breast and the thigh offering in the LORD's presence. Then the Nazirite may drink wine afterward.

This is to be the law of the Nazirite when he commits his offering to the LORD on account of his consecration, over and beyond what he owns alone plus whatever he can provide, based on the vow from his own mouth that he vows to fulfill on account of the law of his consecration."

"Teach Aaron and his sons to bless the Israelis:

May the LORD bless you and guard you.

May the LORD's face enlighten you and bestow favor on you.

The same day that Moses finished setting up, anointing, and consecrating the tent and its utensils, he also anointed and consecrated the altar and its utensils.

They brought their offering into the LORD's presence, consisting of six covered carts and twelve oxen one cart each from two leaders and an ox from each one. After they presented them in front of the tent,

"Take these gifts from them and use them in service at the Tent of Meeting. Present them to the descendants of Levi, distributing them to each person according to his work."

So Moses took the carts and the oxen and presented them to the descendants of Levi.

Two carts and four oxen were given to the descendants of Gershon for their work.