Numbers Chapter 4
Duties of the Kohathites
1 Yahveh told Moses and Aaron,
2 “Count the descendants of Kohath by families 3 30-50 years old who serve in the Tent of Meeting. 4 This is the work of Kohath’s descendants with the most holy objects. 5 When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons will go in and take down the screen and cover the Ark of Testimony with it. 6 They’ll lay a dolphin-skin covering over it, spread a pure blue cloth over it, and insert its poles. 7 Over the table for the Bread of the Presence, they’ll spread a pure blue cloth and put on it the dishes, spoons, sacrificial bowls, liquid offering jars, and the continual bread that’s on it. 8 They’ll spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover it with a dolphin-skin covering, and insert its poles. 9 Then they’ll take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand, its lamps, snuffers, trays, and oil jars. 10 They’ll put it and its utensils in a dolphin-skin covering and put it on the carrying bars. 11 They’ll spread a blue cloth over the gold altar, and cover it with a dolphin-skin covering, and insert its bars. 12 They’ll take the utensils for service in the sanctuary, put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a dolphin-skin covering, and put them on the carrying bars. 13 Then they’ll take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. 14 They’ll put its utensils on it: the firepans, forks, shovels, and basins. They’ll spread a dolphin-skin covering over it and insert its poles.
Num 4:1-14
15 “After Aaron and his sons cover the holy objects and furnishings, the Kohathites will come to carry them so they won’t touch the holy objects and die.
16 “Eleazar is responsible for the olive oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the daily grain offering, and anointing oil—the Tabernacle and everything in it, the sanctuary and its furnishings.”
17Yahveh told Moses and Aaron,
18 “Don’t let the clans of Kohath get eliminated from the Levites. 19 Do this so they won’t die when they approach the most holy objects. Have Aaron and his sons go in and assign each of them his work and his load, 20 but they won’t go in to see the holy objects even for a moment; they’ll die.”
Num 4:15-20
21 Yahveh told Moses and Aaron,
22 “Count the clans of Gershon by families 23 30-50 years old who serve in the Tent of Meeting. 24 The Gershonites 25 will carry the curtains of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting with its covering and the dolphin-skin covering that’s on top of it, the screen for the door to the Tent of Meeting, 26 the hangings for the court, the screen for the door to the court that’s around the Tabernacle and the altar, their cords, and the equipment for their service and everything that’s to be done. 27 The Gershonites will serve under Aaron and his sons. You’ll assign them their loads. 28 Ithamar Ben-Aaron will direct the Gershonites’ service.
Num 4:21-28
29 “Count the descendants of Merari by families 30 30-50 years old who serve with the Tent of Meeting. 31 They’ll carry the boards of the Tabernacle, its bars, posts, and bases; 32 the posts around the court, their bases, pegs, and cords, with their equipment and service. 33 Assign each man by name what he’s supposed to carry. Ithamar will direct their service.”
Num 4:29-33
34 Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the community counted the Kohathites 35 30-50 years old who served with the Tent of Meeting: 36 2,750. [ 37 ]
38-41 The Gershonites 30-50 years old by family, numbered 2,630. 42 The men counted from the families of Merari 43 30-50 years old who served in the Tent of Meeting, numbered 44 3,200. [ 45 ]
46 The Levites that Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted 47 30-50 years old who carried the Tent of Meeting, numbered 48 8,580. 49 Moses counted them.
Num 4:34-49