25. At the tent of meeting their responsibility was the tabernacle: the tent and its covering, the curtain at the entrance of the tent of meeting,
26. the hangings of the court, the curtain at the entrance of the court enclosing both the tabernacle and the altar, and the ropes—whatever pertained to their maintenance.
27. To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these were the clans of the Kohathites.
28. Their enrollment, registering every male of a month or more, was eight thousand three hundred. They were the ones who performed the duties of the sanctuary.
29. The clans of the Kohathites camped on the south side of the tabernacle.
30. And the leader of their ancestral house of the clan of the Kohathites was Elizaphan, son of Uzziel.
31. Their responsibility was the ark, the table, the menorah, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, the veil, and everything pertaining to their maintenance.
32. The chief of the leaders of the Levites, however, was Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest; he was in charge of those who performed the duties of the sanctuary.
33. To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the clans of Merari.
34. Their enrollment, registering every male of a month or more, was six thousand two hundred.
35. The leader of the ancestral house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel, son of Abihail. They camped at the north side of the tabernacle.
36. The Merarites were assigned responsibility for the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, columns, pedestals, and all its fittings—and everything pertaining to their maintenance,
37. as well as the columns of the surrounding court with their pedestals, pegs and ropes.
38. East of the tabernacle, that is, in front of the tent of meeting, toward the sunrise, were camped Moses and Aaron and the latter’s sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary incumbent upon the Israelites. Any unauthorized person who came near was to be put to death.
39. The total enrollment of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron enrolled at the direction of the Lord, by clans, every male a month old or more, was twenty-two thousand.
40. The Lord then said to Moses: Enroll every firstborn male of the Israelites a month old or more, and count the number of their names.
41. Then take the Levites for me—I am the Lord—in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, as well as the Levites’ cattle, in place of all the firstborn among the cattle of the Israelites.
42. So Moses enrolled all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the Lord had commanded him.
43. All the firstborn males, registered by name, of a month or more, numbered twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.