29. The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.
30. The chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31. Their duty included the ark, and the table, and the lampstand, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary they minister with, and the hanging, and all its service.
32. Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites and to have the oversight of those who kept the guard 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 numbered of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and older, were six thousand two hundred.
35. The chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36. Under the oversight and guard of the sons of Merari were the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the sockets, all their accessories, all the service pertaining to these,
37. and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, and pins, and cords.
38. But those who were to camp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tent of meeting on the east side, were Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the guard of the sanctuary for the guard of the children of Israel, and the foreigner who approached was to be put to death.
39. All who were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and older, were twenty-two thousand.
40. The Lord said to Moses: Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and older and take the number of their names.
41. You will 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 numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
43. All the firstborn males, by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
44. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: