1 Now this is the history of the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai. 2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office. 4 Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the presence of Aaron their father.

5 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6 "Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7 They shall keep his requirements, and the requirements of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8 They shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, and the obligations of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9 You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the behalf of the children of Israel. 10 You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood, but the stranger who comes near shall be put to death."

11 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12 "Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine, 13 for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I made holy to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be mine. I am the LORD."

14 The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15 "Count the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families. You shall count every male from a month old and upward."

16 Moses counted them according to the LORD’s word, as he was commanded.

17 These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

18 These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

19 The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20 The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi.

These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses.

21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites. These are the families of the Gershonites.

22 Those who were counted of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, even those who were counted of them were seven thousand five hundred.

23 The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.

24 Eliasaph the son of Lael shall be the prince of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites. 25 The duty of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting shall be the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting, 26 the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court which is by the tabernacle and around the altar, and its cords for all of its service.

27 Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites. 28 According to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred keeping the requirements of the sanctuary.

29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the south side of the tabernacle. 30 The prince of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31 Their duty shall be the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, the screen, and all its service. 32 Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, with the oversight of those who keep the requirements of the sanctuary.

33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari. 34 Those who were counted of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred.

35 The prince of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 The appointed duty of the sons of Merari shall be the tabernacle’s boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its instruments, all its service, 37 the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, and their cords.

38 Those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, in front of the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses, with Aaron and his sons, keeping the requirements of the sanctuary for the duty of the children of Israel. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death. 39 All who were counted of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the commandment of the LORD, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.

40 The LORD said to Moses, "Count all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. 41 You shall take the Levites for me—I am the LORD—instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel."

42 Moses counted, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel. 43 All the firstborn males according to the number of names from a month old and upward, of those who were counted of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.

44 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45 "Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock; and the Levites shall be mine. I am the LORD. 46 For the redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel who exceed the number of the Levites, 47 you shall take five shekels apiece for each one; according to the shekel of the sanctuary you shall take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs); 48 and you shall give the money, with which their remainder is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons."

49 Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites; 50 from the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 51 and Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the LORD’s word, as the LORD commanded Moses.

1 No tempo em que o Senhor falou a Moisés no Monte Sinai, eram os seguintes os filhos de Arão: Nadabe, o mais velho, Abiú, Eleazar e Itamar.

3 Eram todos ungidos como sacerdotes e separados para administrar as coisas sagradas no tabernáculo.

4 Contudo Nadabe e Abiú morreram perante o Senhor no deserto de Sinai quando lhe ofereceram fogo estranho que não era sagrado. E como não tinham filhos, ficaram apenas Eleazar e Itamar para assistirem a seu pai, Arão.

5 Então o Senhor disse a Moisés:

6 Convoca a tribo de Levi e apresenta-os a Arão e seus assistentes. Eles deverão seguir as suas instruções e cumprir com os deveres sagrados no tabernáculo a favor do povo de Israel. Ficam a seu cargo todo o material e mobiliário, assim como a manutenção do tabernáculo. Contudo apenas Arão e seus filhos poderão desempenhar as funções de sacerdote. Outra pessoa, seja quem for, que tentar executar essas funções deverá morrer.

11 E disse-lhe mais o Senhor:

12 Separei para mim os levitas em lugar dos filhos mais velhos do povo de Israel. Portanto os levitas são meus em troca de todos os primogénitos. Desde o dia em que matei os filhos mais velhos das famílias do Egipto, separei para mim os primeiros filhos a nascer aos casais israelitas, assim como também aos próprios animais! São meus. Eu sou Jeová.

14 O Senhor falou-lhe de novo na península de Sinai, dizendo: Recenseia a tribo de Levi, indicando o número de pessoas em cada família. Conta cada indivíduo, de sexo masculino, a partir da idade de um mês. Foi o que Moisés fez, sendo estes os nomes dos filhos de Levi e dos seus filhos.

21 Responsabilidade: Estas duas famílias de levitas têm a responsabilidade de cuidar da manutenção do tabernáculo: das suas cobertas, das cortinas da entrada, das que rodeiam o pátio das portas do pátio, do altar, e das cordas para atar todo o tabernáculo, sempre que preciso.

27 Responsabilidades: As responsabilidades destas quatro famílias incidem sobre a arca, a mesa, o candelabro, os altares, os vários utensílios usados no tabernáculo, o véu, e todas as reparações que for necessário fazer em cada uma dessas coisas ota: Eleazar, filho de Arão, será o administrador responsável sobre os chefes dos levitas, com a especial responsabilidade da superintendência geral do santuário.

33 Responsabilidades: Têm de cuidar de toda a estrutura do tabernáculo, das tábuas, das varas, das colinas, das bases, e também de todos os recipientes, assim como de equipamento necessário para o seu uso; e mais ainda das estacas e cordas.

38 A área oriental em relação ao tabernáculo foi reservada para as tendas de Moisés, de Arão e dos filhos, que tinham a responsabilidade superior do tabernáculo, a favor do Israel. Quem não fosse sacerdote nem levita e tentasse aproximar-se do tabernáculo teria de ser executado.

39 Assim, o total dos levitas, segundo a contagem de Moisés e de Arão, de acordo com a ordem do Senhor, foi de 22.000 indivíduos do sexo masculino, a partir de um mês de idade.

40 Então o Senhor disse a Moisés: Recenseia agora os filhos primogénitos dos israelitas a partir de um mês de idade, e faz o registo de cada nome. Quanto aos levitas, esses serão meus - eu sou Jeová - como substitutos dos primogénitos dos israelitas; também me pertencem as primeiras crias do gado do povo.

42 Assim fez Moisés. Tomou o censo dos filhos mais velhos do povo de Israel, tal como o Senhor lhe mandara, achando o total de 22.273.

44 Disse o Senhor a Moisés:

45 Dá-me os levitas em lugar dos primeiros filhos que nascerem aos israelitas, e também o gado dos levitas em lugar dos primeiros nascidos do gado de Israel. Sim, os levitas serão meus. Eu sou Jeová. Quanto aos 273 indivíduos que ultrapassam o número equivalente dos levitas (22.000) hão-de ser resgatados, dando a Arão e aos seus filhos a quantia de cinco moedas por cabeça. Cada moeda tem o valor de dez gramas de prata; conforme o peso do santuário.

49 Dessa forma recebeu Moisés o dinheiro em resgate dos primogénitos israelitas que estavam em excesso relativamente ao número dos levitas. O dinheiro assim colectado atingiu um montante de 13,65 quilos de prata, que Moisés deu a Arão e a seus filhos como o Senhor lhe mandara.