1Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
2"Take a census of the Kohathite families within the tribe of Levi, specifically by their clans and their fathers' households,
3counting those from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who is eligible to serve and perform duties in the Meeting Tent."
4"This is the duty of the Kohathites in the Meeting Tent: handling the most sacred items.
5When the camp moves, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the screening curtain. They will use it to cover the Ark of the Covenant.
6Then they will put a covering of durable leather over it, and spread an all-blue cloth on top of that, and finally insert its carrying poles."
7On the table of the bread offered to God, they must spread a blue cloth. On it, they are to place the dishes, spoons, bowls, and cups used for pouring offerings. The bread that is always to be there must also be on it.
8They must spread a scarlet cloth over these items, then cover it with a seal-skin covering, and insert its carrying poles.
9They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand for the light, its lamps, its snuffers, its ash trays, and all its oil containers, which are used to care for it.
10They are to put the lampstand and all its parts inside a seal-skin covering and place it on a carrying frame.
11On the golden altar, they must spread a blue cloth and cover it with a seal-skin covering, then insert its carrying poles.
12They are to take all the vessels used for ministry in the holy place, put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a seal-skin covering, and place them on a carrying frame.
13They are to remove the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it.
14They are to place on it all the tools used with it: the fire pans, meat hooks, shovels, and basins—all the altar's utensils. Then they must spread a seal-skin covering over these items and insert its carrying poles.
15When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy place and all its furniture, as the camp prepares to move, then the sons of Kohath are to come and carry them. However, they must not touch the holy objects, otherwise they will die. These are the items the sons of Kohath are responsible for carrying in the Tent of Meeting.
16Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, will be responsible for the oil for the lamp, the sweet incense, the regular grain offering, and the anointing oil. He is in charge of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, including the holy place and its furnishings.
17Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
18"Do not let the families of the Kohathite tribe be cut off from among the Levites.
19Instead, do this for them so they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons must go in and assign each one his specific task and what he is to carry.
20But they must not go in to look at the holy objects, even for a moment, or they will die."
21Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
22"Also, take a census of the sons of Gershon by their fathers' households and by their families.
23You must count all who are from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who comes to serve and do work in the Tent of Meeting.
24"This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and carrying loads:
25They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, its covering, the seal-skin covering that is on top of it, and the screen for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting,
26as well as the hangings for the courtyard, the screen for the entrance gate of the courtyard (which is next to the tabernacle and around the altar), their ropes, all the equipment for their service, and whatever is done with these things. They are to serve in this way."
27Aaron and his sons will direct all the duties of the Gershonite descendants, including everything they must carry and all their other service. You must assign their specific tasks to them.
28This describes the duties of the Gershonite families in the Meeting Tent. Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest, will supervise their responsibilities.
29You must count the Merari descendants by their family groups and their fathers' households.
30You must count everyone between thirty and fifty years old who can perform tasks in the Meeting Tent.
31Their duty is to carry specific items as part of their service in the Meeting Tent. This includes the Tent's planks, bars, posts, and bases,
32as well as the posts, bases, pegs, and ropes of the surrounding courtyard, along with all their tools and other items used in their service. You must list by name the specific tools each one is responsible for carrying.
33This describes the duties of the Merari descendants for all their service in the Meeting Tent, under the supervision of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.
34Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the community counted the Kohathite descendants by their families and fathers' households.
35They counted everyone between thirty and fifty years old who could perform tasks in the Meeting Tent.
36The number of those counted from their families was two thousand seven hundred fifty.
37These are the ones counted from the Kohathite families, everyone who served in the Meeting Tent, whom Moses and Aaron counted as Yahweh commanded through Moses.
38Those counted from the Gershonite descendants, by their families and fathers' households,
39were between thirty and fifty years old, everyone who could perform tasks in the Meeting Tent.
40The number of those counted from their families and fathers' households was two thousand six hundred thirty.
41These are the ones counted from the Gershonite families, everyone who served in the Meeting Tent, whom Moses and Aaron counted as Yahweh commanded.
42Those counted from the Merari descendants, by their families and fathers' households,
43were between thirty and fifty years old, everyone who could perform tasks in the Meeting Tent.
44The number of those counted from their families was three thousand two hundred.
45These are the ones counted from the Merari families, whom Moses and Aaron counted as Yahweh commanded through Moses.
46Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by their families and fathers' households.
47Everyone from thirty to fifty years old who was assigned to serve and carry burdens in the Tent of Meeting,
48the total number of these men was 8,580.
49Moses counted them all according to Yahweh’s command, each one assigned to their particular service and burden. This is how they were counted, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.