Numbers 1

2 "Take a census of the whole community of Israel by their clans and families. List the names of all the men

3 twenty years old or older who are able to go to war. You and Aaron are to direct the project,

4 assisted by one family leader from each tribe."

5 These are the tribes and the names of the leaders chosen for the task: [Tribe Leader] Reuben Elizur son of Shedeur

6 Simeon Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai

7 Judah Nahshon son of Amminadab

8 Issachar Nethanel son of Zuar

9 Zebulun Eliab son of Helon

10 Ephraim son of Joseph Elishama son of Ammihud Manasseh son of Joseph Gamaliel son of Pedahzur

11 Benjamin Abidan son of Gideoni

12 Dan Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai

13 Asher Pagiel son of Ocran

14 Gad Eliasaph son of Deuel

15 Naphtali Ahira son of Enan

16 These tribal leaders, heads of their own families, were chosen from among all the people.

17 Now Moses and Aaron and the chosen leaders

18 called together the whole community of Israel on that very day.* All the people were registered according to their ancestry by their clans and families. The men of Israel twenty years old or older were registered, one by one,²

19 just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So Moses counted the people there in the wilderness of Sinai.

20 This is the number of men twenty years old or older who were able to go to war, each listed according to his own clan and family*: [Tribe Number] Reuben (Jacob's* oldest son) 46,500³

21 ⁴

22 Simeon 59,300

23

24 Gad 45,650

25

26 Judah 74,600

27

28 Issachar 54,400

29

30 Zebulun 57,400

31

32 Ephraim son of Joseph 40,500

33

34 Manasseh son of Joseph 32,200

35

36 Benjamin 35,400

37

38 Dan 62,700

39

40 Asher 41,500

41

42 Naphtali 53,400

43

44 These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, all listed according to their ancestral descent.

45 They were counted by families--all the men of Israel who were twenty years old or older and able to go to war.

46 The total number was 603,550.

47 But this total did not include the Levites.

48 For the LORD had said to Moses,

49 "Exempt the tribe of Levi from the census; do not include them when you count the rest of the Israelites.

50 You must put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant,* along with its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and its equipment as you travel, and they must care for it and camp around it.⁵

51 Whenever the Tabernacle is moved, the Levites will take it down and set it up again. Anyone else who goes too near the Tabernacle will be executed.

52 Each tribe of Israel will have a designated camping area with its own family banner.

53 But the Levites will camp around the Tabernacle of the Covenant to offer the people of Israel protection from the LORD's fierce anger. The Levites are responsible to stand guard around the Tabernacle."

54 So the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Read Numbers 2

1: Hebrew On the first day of the second month. This day of the Hebrew lunar calendar occurs in April or early May.

2: Hebrew on the first day of the second month; see 1:1.

3: In the Hebrew text, number of men... family is repeated in 1:22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42.

4: In the Hebrew text, number of men... family is repeated in 1:22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42.

5: Or Tabernacle of the Testimony; also in 1:53.

^{New Living Translation Bible and Notes used with permission Tyndale House Publishers.}