1 Então o Senhor disse a Moisés e a Arão:
2 Tomem a soma do grupo familiar de Coate, da tribo de Levi. Serão contados todos os do sexo masculino, entre trinta e cinquenta anos, capazes de trabalharem no tabernáculo.
4 Estes são os seus deveres quanto às coisas santas:
5 Quando o acampamento for chamado a deslocar-se, Arão e os filhos entrarão primeiramente no tabernáculo e descerão o véu, cobrindo a arca com ele. Seguidamente cobrirão o próprio véu com a coberta de peles de texugo, e sobre esta, um pano azul. Porão ainda os varais na arca.
7 Depois deverão estender igualmente um pano azul sobre a mesa, na qual está exposto o pão da presença, e colocarão os pratos, as colheres, as taças, as tijelas e também o pão sobre esse tecido. Porão em cima disso tudo um pano carmezim e finalmente ainda uma coberta de pele de texugo. Então enfiarão os varais de transporte nos lados da mesa.
9 Após isso cobrirão o castiçal com um pano azul, assim como as lâmpadas, os apagadores, os espevitadores e o reservatório de azeite. Todo este conjunto de objectos será depois coberto duma pele de texugo, e feito o seu acondicionamento colocado sobre uma armação, para ser transportado.
11 Deverão depois estender um pano azul sobre o altar de ouro, cobri-lo com uma pele de texugo e pôr as varas nos seus cantos.
12 Todos os outros utensílios do tabernáculo deverão ser acondicionados num tecido azul, cobertos com pele de texugo e postos numa armação de transporte.
13 Hão-de ser tiradas as cinzas do altar, e este coberto com um pano de púrpura azul.
14 Todos os utensílios do altar devem ficar sobre ele - braseiros, garfos, pás, bacias e outros recipientes - e uma coberta de peles de texugo estendida sobre eles. Finalmente, as varas de transporte enfiadas lateralmente, nos seus lugares.
15 Quando Arão e os seus filhos tiverem terminado esta tarefa, os homens de Coate chegar-se-ão e carregarão os embrulhos, levando-os para onde o acampamento se deslocar. Mas não deverão tocar nos objectos sagrados, se não morrerão. Esta é portanto a sagrada tarefa dos descendentes de Coate.
16 Eleazar, filho de Arão, terá a responsabilidade do azeite para a iluminação, do incenso aromático, da oferta diária de cereais, do azeite da unção; na realidade, terá até a supervisão de todo o tabernáculo - tudo ali estará à sua responsabilidade.
17 Então o Senhor disse a Moisés e a Arão: Atenção que as famílias dos coatitas não se destruam a si mesmas! Para que eles não morram quando transportam as coisas santas, farás o seguinte: Arão e os seus filhos entrarão e indicarão a cada um o que deve transportar. No entanto, eles nunca deverão entrar no santuário, nem sequer por um momento, nem olhar para os objectos sagrados; se não morrerão.
21 Disse mais o Senhor a Moisés: Toma o número dos gersonitas da tribo de Levi, todos os homens entre trinta e cinquenta anos, capazes para o trabalho sagrado com o tabernáculo. Serão estas as suas funções:
25 Levarão as cortinas do tabernáculo, e propriamente o conjunto do tabernáculo, com as cobertas, as peles de texugo, a cortina da porta; e ainda as cortinas do pátio e as da entrada deste; também deverão transportar as suas cordas e todos os acessórios respectivos. São plenamente responsáveis por tudo isto que foi referido. Arão ou os seus filhos deverão indicar-lhe as tarefas; mas os gersonistas serão directamente responsáveis perante Itamar, sacerdote, filho de Arão.
29 Agora, conta os homens do grupo das famílias descendentes de Merari, da tribo de Levi, entre trinta e cinquenta anos, capazes para o serviço do tabernáculo. Quando o tabernáculo tiver de ser deslocado, deverão transportar toda a armação, as bases, as tábuas, assim como a estrutura envolvente do pátio, com as suas bases, estacas, cordas, e tudo o resto que esteja relacionado com isso e que sirva para a sua conservação. Distribui as tarefas por cada homem, notando o seu nome. A divisão de Merari será igualmente responsável perante Itamar, filho de Arão.
34 Assim Moisés, Arão e os outros chefes tomaram o número dos homens da divisão de Coate, dos que tinham entre trinta e cinquenta anos, capazes para o serviço do tabernáculo, e acharam que havia um total de 2.750. Tudo isto foi feito para dar cumprimento às instruções do Senhor a Moisés. Idêntica contagem foi feita à divisão de Gerson, totalizando 2.630 indivíduos. E quanto à de Merari, contaram-se 3.200. Assim Moisés, Arão e os chefes de Israel acharam que todos os levitas entre trinta e cinquenta anos, aptos para o serviço do tabernáculo e para o seu transporte, constituíam um total de 8.580 pessoas. Este censo foi realizado respondendo às ordens do Senhor a Moisés.
1 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses and unto Aaron saying:
2 Reckon up the sum of the sons of Kohath, out of the midst of the sons of Levi,by their families by their ancestral house:
3 from thirty years old, and upwards, even unto fifty years,every one that can enter into the host, to do service in the tent of meeting.
4 This, shall be the labour of the sons of Kohath, in the tent of meeting,the most holy things,
5 So then Aaron and his sons shall enter when the camp is to set forward, and take down the screening veil,and enwrap therein the ark of the testimony;
6 and put thereon a covering of badgers skin, and spread a complete wrapper of blue over above,and put in the staves thereof.
7 And over the Presence-table, shall they spread a wrapper of blue and put thereon the dishes and the pans and the bowls and the libation cups, the perpetual bread also, thereupon, shall remain;
8 and they shall spread over them a wrapper of crimson, and cover the same with a covering of badgers skin,and shall put in the staves thereof.
9 Then shall they take a wrapper of blue, and cover the light-giving lampstand, and the lamps thereof, and the snuffers thereof and the snuff-trays thereof,and all the oil-vessels, thereof, wherewith they minister thereunto;
10 and shall put the same and all the vessels thereof, within a covering of, badgers skin,and shall put it upon a frame.
11 And upon the altar of gold, shall they spread a wrapper of blue, and shall cover the same in a covering of badgers skin,and shall put in the staves thereof,
12 And they shall take all the utensils of attendance wherewith they attend in the sanctuary, and put them within a wrapper of blue, and cover the same in a covering of badgers skin,and put them on a frame.
13 Then shall they remove the fat-ashes from the altar,and spread over it a wrapper of purple;
14 and put thereupon all the utensils thereof wherewith they minister thereuponthe fire-pans, the flesh-hooksand the shovels and the tossing-bowls, all the utensils of the altar,and shall spread over it covering of badgers skin and put in the staves thereof.
15 So shall Aaron and his sons make an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the utensils of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set forward, then after that, shall the sons of Kohath enter to bear it, but they must not put forth a touch unto that which, is holy, else should they die, these, shall be the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting.
16 But the care of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, the light-giving oil, and the fragrant incense, and the perpetual meal-offering, and the anointing oil, the care of all the habitation, and all that is therein, both as to the sanctuary, and as to the furniture thereof.
17 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:
18 Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be cut off out of the midst of the Levites.
19 This, therefore, do ye for them, so shall they live and not die when they approach the most holy place,Aaron and his sons shall enter and set them man by man over his labour, and unto his burden;
20 but they shall not enter to see, for a moment, that which is holy, else should they die.
21 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses, saying:
22 reckon up the sum of the sons of Gershon even of them also,by their ancestral house by their families;
23 from thirty years old and upwards even to fifty years, shalt thou number them,All that may enter to take rank in the host, to do laborious work in the tent of meeting.
24 This, shall be the labour of the families of the Gershonites,in labouring and in bearing:
25 they shall bear the curtains of the habitation and the tent of meeting, the covering thereof and the covering of badgers skin which is over above it,and the screen, at the entrance of the tent of meeting;
26 and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the entrance of the gate of the court which is near the habitation and near the altar round about, and their cords, and all their articles of service, and all that is to be done to them when they shall do their labour,
27 At the bidding of Aaron and his sons, shall he all the labour of the sons of the Gershonites, to the extent of their every burden, and to the extent of all their labour,so shall ye appoint unto them in charge their every burden.
28 This, shall be the labour of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting,and, the charge of them, shall be in the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.
29 As for the sons of Merari,by their families by their ancestral house, shall ye number them;
30 from thirty years old and upwards even to fifty years, shall ye number them,all that enter into the host, to do laborious work in the tent of meeting,
31 And, this, shall be their charge of the burdens, to the extent of all their labour in the ten of meeting, the boards of the habitation, and the bars thereof and he pillars thereof and the sockets thereof:
32 and the pillars of the court round about and their sockets anti their pins and their cords, to the extent of all their articles, to the extent of all their labour, and by names, shall ye put under their care the articles of their charge of burdens.
33 This, shall be the labour of the families of the sons of Merari, to the extent of all their labour in the tent of meeting,in the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron, the priest.
34 Then did Moses and Aaron, and the princes of the assembly, number the sons of the Kohathites, by their families, and by their ancestral house;
35 from thirty years old and upwards, even unto fifty years old, all that might enter the host, to labour in the tent of meeting;
36 and they who were numbered of them, by their families, were found to be two thousand, seven hundred and fifty.
37 These, were they who were num-bered of the families of the Kohathites, all that might labour in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron did number, at the bidding of Yahweh by the mediation of Moses.
38 And they who were numbered of the sons of Gershon,by their families, and by their ancestral house;
39 from thirty years old and upwards, even to fifty years old, all that might enter the host, to labour in the tent of meeting,:
40 yea they who were numbered of them, by heir families, by their ancestral house,were found to betwo thousand, and six hundred, and thirty.
41 These, are they who were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, all who might labour in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron did number, at the bidding of Yahweh.
42 And they who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, by their families by their ancestral house;
43 from thirty years old and upwards, even unto fifty years old,all that might enter the host to labour in the tent of meeting;
44 yea they who were numbered of them, by their families, were found to bethree thousand and two hundred.
45 These, are they who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari,whom Moses and Aaron did number, at the bidding of Yahweh, by the mediation of Moses.
46 All they who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron and the princes of Israel did number, even the Levites, by their families and by their ancestral house;
47 from thirty years old and upwards, even unto fifty years old, all that might enter, to toil in the work of labouring and in the work of bearing burdens, in the tent of meeting,
48 yea, they who were numbered of them were found to beeight thousand, and five hundred, and eighty.
49 At the bidding of Yahweh, were they put in charge by the mediation of Moses, man by man, over his labour and over his burden,yea, they who were put in charge by him, were they, whom Yahweh commanded Moses.