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 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,2 Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers;3 From thirty years old and upward, even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, 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, about the most holy things.5 And when the camp moveth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it:6 And shall put on it the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staffs of it.7 And upon the table of show-bread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put on it the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover with: and the continual bread shall be upon it.8 And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staffs of it.9 And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and its lamps, and its tongs, and its snuff-dishes, and all its oil vessels, with which they minister to it:10 And they shall put it, and all its vessels, within a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it upon a bar.11 And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to it its staffs.12 And 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 upon it:14 And they shall put upon it all its vessels, with which they minister about it, even the censers, the flesh-hooks, and the shovels, and the basins, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers' skins, and put to it its staffs.15 And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to move forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear 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 And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertain the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat-offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, in the sanctuary, and in its vessels.17 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,18 Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:19 But thus do to them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach to the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden:20 But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.21 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,22 Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the house of their fathers, by their families;23 From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number 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 burdens:25 And 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 above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,26 And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.27 At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint to them in charge all their burdens.28 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.29 As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;30 From thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.31 And this is the charge 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 of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge 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 chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites after their families, and after the house of their fathers,35 From thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation:36 And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.37 These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.38 And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers,39 From thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,40 Even those that were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty.41 These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD.42 And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers,43 From thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,44 Even those that were numbered of them after their families, were three thousand and two hundred.45 These are those that 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 that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, after their families, and after the house of their fathers,47 From thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation,48 Even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and eighty.49 According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered by him, as the LORD commanded Moses.