1. After the plague the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron,
2. “Take a census of the whole community of Israel by households. List those who are at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.”
3. So Moses and the priest Eleazar spoke to the Israelites on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho. They said,
4. “Take a census of those at least 20 years old, as the Lord commanded Moses.”These are the Israelites who came from Egypt:
5. Reuben was Israel’s firstborn. The descendants of Reuben were the family of Hanoch, the family of Pallu,
6. the family of Hezron, and the family of Carmi.
7. These were the families of Reuben. The total number of men was 43,730.
8. Eliab was the son of Pallu,
9. and Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram were the sons of Eliab. (It was Dathan and Abiram, men chosen by the community, who defied Moses and Aaron’s authority. They joined Korah’s followers when they defied the Lord’s authority.
10. The ground opened up and swallowed them along with Korah. They and their followers died when the fire consumed the 250 men. This was a warning.
11. But the descendants of Korah didn’t die.)
12. The families descended from Simeon were the family of Nemuel, the family of Jamin, the family of Jakin,