King James Version, Updated™

(1) The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

(2) "Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by the house of their fathers,

(3) from 30 years old and up to 50 years old, all that enter the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

(4) This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, the most holy things;

(5) When the camp prepares to set out on its journey, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering veil, and cover the ark of testimony with it;

(6) Then they shall put on it the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth entirely of blue, and shall put in its poles.

(7) On the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put on it the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover with them; and the continual bread shall be on it.

(8) They shall spread on them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in its poles.

(9) And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and its lamps, and its tongs, and its snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels of it, with which they minister to it.

(10) They shall put it and all its vessels within a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it on a bar.

(11) And on the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in its poles.

(12) They shall take all the instruments of ministry, with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put them on a bar.

(13) And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it.

(14) And they shall put on it all its vessels, with which they minister about it, the censers, the forks, and the shovels, and the basins, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of badgers' skins, and put in its poles.

(15) And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is set to go forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

(16) To the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest has the responsibility for the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels of it."

(17) The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

(18) "YOU are not to cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites;

(19) But do this to them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach the most holy things; Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them each to his service and to his burden,

(20) But they shall not go in to watch when the holy things are covered, lest they die."

(21) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

(22) "Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by the houses of their fathers, by their families;

(23) From 30 years old and up to 50 years old you shall count them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

(24) This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for bearing burdens;

(25) They shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, its covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is on it above, and the covering for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

(26) and the coverings of the court, and the covering for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and all around by the altar, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them; so shall they serve.

(27) Aaron and his sons shall appoint all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service; and YOU are in charge and shall appoint to them all their burdens.

(28) This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation, and their duties shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

(29) As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them according to their families, by the house of their fathers;

(30) From 30 years old up to 50 years old you shall number them, everyone who enters into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.

(31) And this is the duty of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation: the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets,

(32) and the pillars around the court, and their sockets, pins, cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service; and by name YOU shall appoint the instruments of the duty of their burden.

(33) This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest."

(34) And Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites according to their families, and according to the house of their fathers,

(35) from 30 years old and up to 50 years old, everyone who entered into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation;

(36) Those who were numbered of them by their families were 2,750.

(37) These were those who were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all who might serve in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

(38) Those who were numbered of the sons of Gershon, by their families, and by the house of their fathers,

(39) from 30 years old and up to 50 years old, everyone who entered into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,

(40) even those who were numbered of them, by their families, by the house of their fathers, were 2,630.

(41) These are those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all that might serve in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD.

(42) Those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, by their families, by the house of their fathers,

(43) from 30 years old and up to 50 years old, everyone who entered into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,

(44) even those who were numbered of them according to their families, were 3,200.

(45) These are those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

(46) All those who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel numbered, according to their families, and according to the house of their fathers,

(47) from 30 years old and up to 50 years old, everyone who came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation,

(48) those that were numbered of them, were 8,580.

(49) According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, everyone according to his service, and according to his burden; thus were they numbered by him, as the LORD commanded Moses.