Numbers 1
Counted by Name in the Wilderness
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The Command to Take a Census
1:1The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Testimony, on the first day of the second month of the second year after they came out of the land of Egypt, saying:
1:2Take a total of the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families and their ancestral houses, counting their names, head by head, every male:
1:3From twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out in Israel’s army: register them with their army; you and Aaron shall register them.
Appointment of Tribal Leaders
1:4With you shall be one of the rulers from each tribe; they shall represent their ancestral houses.
1:5These are the names of the men who shall stand with you. For Reuben: Elizur son of Shedeur.
1:6For Simeon: Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
1:7For Judah: Nahshon son of Amminadab.
1:8For Issachar: Nethanel son of Zuar.
1:9For Zebulun: Eliab son of Helon.
1:10For the sons of Joseph: for Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; for Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
1:11For Benjamin: Abidan son of Gideoni.
1:12For Dan: Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
1:13For Asher: Pagiel son of Ocran.
1:14For Gad: Eliasaph son of Reuel.
1:15For Naphtali: Ahira son of Enan.
1:16These were the men designated from the congregation, rulers of the tribes by ancestral houses; they were commanders of Israel’s thousands.
Assembly and Registration
1:17Moses and Aaron took these men who had been called by name.
1:18They assembled the whole congregation on the first day of the month of the second year and registered them by their descent and ancestral houses, counting their names, from twenty years old and upward, every male, head by head.
1:19As the Lord instructed Moses, they were registered in the wilderness of Sinai.
The Tribal Census Counts
1:20The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn: by their families, divisions, and ancestral houses, by the number of their names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out in the army.
1:21The enrollment from the tribe of Reuben was forty-six thousand five hundred.
1:22The sons of Simeon: by their families, divisions, and ancestral houses, by the number of their names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out in the army.
1:23The enrollment from the tribe of Simeon was fifty-nine thousand three hundred.
1:24The sons of Judah: by their families, divisions, and ancestral houses, by the number of their names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out in the army.
1:25The enrollment from the tribe of Judah was seventy-four thousand six hundred.
1:26The sons of Issachar: by their families, divisions, and ancestral houses, by the number of their names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out in the army.
1:27The enrollment from the tribe of Issachar was fifty-four thousand four hundred.
1:28The sons of Zebulun: by their families, divisions, and ancestral houses, by the number of their names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out in the army.
1:29The enrollment from the tribe of Zebulun was fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
1:30The sons of Joseph, the sons of Ephraim: by their families, divisions, and ancestral houses, by the number of their names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out in the army.
1:31The enrollment from the tribe of Ephraim was forty thousand five hundred.
1:32The sons of Manasseh: by their families, divisions, and ancestral houses, by the number of their names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out in the army.
1:33The enrollment from the tribe of Manasseh was thirty-two thousand two hundred.
1:34The sons of Benjamin: by their families, divisions, and ancestral houses, by the number of their names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out in the army.
1:35The enrollment from the tribe of Benjamin was thirty-five thousand four hundred.
1:36The sons of Gad: by their families, divisions, and ancestral houses, by the number of their names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out in the army.
1:37The enrollment from the tribe of Gad was forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.
1:38The sons of Dan: by their families, divisions, and ancestral houses, by the number of their names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out in the army.
1:39The enrollment from the tribe of Dan was sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
1:40The sons of Asher: by their families, divisions, and ancestral houses, by the number of their names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out in the army.
1:41The enrollment from the tribe of Asher was forty-one thousand five hundred.
1:42The sons of Naphtali: by their families, divisions, and ancestral houses, by the number of their names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out in the army.
1:43The enrollment from the tribe of Naphtali was fifty-three thousand four hundred.
Total Census Count
1:44This was the enrollment made by Moses, Aaron, and the rulers of Israel, twelve men, one man for each tribe, according to the tribe of their ancestral houses.
1:45The whole enrollment of the sons of Israel with their army, from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to fight in Israel—
1:46Was six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.
Exemption and Duties of the Levites
1:47The Levites, from their ancestral tribe, were not registered among the sons of Israel.
1:48The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
1:49See that you do not register the tribe of Levi together with them or take their number among the sons of Israel.
1:50Appoint the Levites over the Tent of Testimony, over all its furnishings, and over everything in it. They shall carry the Tent and all its furnishings, minister in it, and camp around it.
1:51When the Tent sets out, the Levites shall take it down; when it camps, they shall erect it. Let an outsider who approaches die.
1:52The sons of Israel shall camp, each in his own formation and each according to his own command, with their army.
1:53Let the Levites camp before the Lord around the Tent of Testimony, and there shall be no offense among the sons of Israel. The Levites themselves shall keep charge of the Tent of Testimony.
1:54The sons of Israel did everything that the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron; so they did.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.