Read the Bible

God Commands Moses to Take a Census

¹ Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the tent of assembly, on the first of the month, in the second year after they came out^[a] of the land of Egypt, saying, ² "Take a census of^[b] the entire community of the Israelites^[c] according to their clans and their families,^[d] according to the number of names, every male individually ³ from twenty years old^[e] and above, everyone in Israel who is able to go to war. You and Aaron must muster them^[f] for their wars. ⁴ A man from each tribe will be with you, each man the head of his family.^{[g] 5} And these are the names of the men who will assist you:^[h] from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur; ⁶ from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; ⁷ from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab; ⁸ from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar; ⁹ from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon. ¹⁰ From the descendants of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. ¹¹ From Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni; ¹² from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; ¹³ from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran; ¹⁴ from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel; ¹⁵ and from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan." ¹⁶ These are the ones summoned from the community, the leaders of their ancestors'^[i] tribes; they are the heads of Israel's clans.

¹⁷ So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, ¹⁸ and they summoned the entire community on the first day of the second month. And they registered themselves among their clans according to their families,^[j] according to the number of names from those twenty years old^[k] and above individually, ¹⁹ just as Yahweh commanded Moses. And he counted them in the desert of Sinai.

²⁰ The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[l] according to the number of names, every male individually from twenty years old^[m] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ²¹ those who were counted from the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.

²² From the descendants of Simeon, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[n] those who were counted according to the number of their names, every individual male from twenty years old^[o] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ²³ those who were counted from the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

²⁴ From the descendants of Gad, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[p] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[q] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ²⁵ those who were counted from the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

²⁶ From the descendants of Judah, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[r] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[s] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ²⁷ those who were counted from the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

²⁸ From the descendants of Issachar, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[t] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[u] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ²⁹ those who were counted from the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

³⁰ From the descendants of Zebulun, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[v] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[w] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ³¹ those who were counted from the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

³² From the descendants of Joseph: from the descendants of Ephraim, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[x] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[y] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ³³ those who were counted from the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.

³⁴ From the descendants of Manasseh, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[z] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[aa] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ³⁵ those who were counted from the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

³⁶ From the descendants of Benjamin, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[ab] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[ac] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ³⁷ those who were counted from the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

³⁸ From the descendants of Dan, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[ad] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[ae] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ³⁹ those who were counted from the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

⁴⁰ From the descendants of Asher, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[af] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[ag] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ⁴¹ those who were counted from the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.

⁴² From the descendants of Naphtali, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,^[ah] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old^[ai] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: ⁴³ those who were counted from the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

⁴⁴ These are the ones counted whom Moses and Aaron mustered,^[aj] with the twelve leaders of Israel, each one from his family.^{[ak] 45} So all those who were counted from the Israelites^[al] according to their families,^[am] from those twenty years old^[an] and above, everyone in Israel who is able to go to war. ⁴⁶ All of the ones counted were six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty. ⁴⁷ The Levites from their ancestors'^[ao] tribe were not mustered^[ap] in their midst.

⁴⁸ And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ⁴⁹ "You will not muster^[aq] the tribe of Levi, and you will not take a census of^[ar] them in the midst of the Israelites.^{[as] 50} You will appoint^[at] them over the tabernacle of the testimony,^[au] over all its vessels, and over all that belongs to it. They will carry the tabernacle and all its vessels, and they will care for it; and they will camp around the tabernacle. ⁵¹ And when the tabernacle is set out, the Levites will take it down,^[av] and when encamping the tabernacle the Levites will set it up; the stranger^[aw] that approaches it will be put to death. ⁵² The Israelites^[ax] will encamp, each in their own camp, and each by their^[ay] own banner according to their divisions. ⁵³ But the Levites will encamp around the tabernacle of the testimony,^[az] and there will not be wrath on the community of the Israelites;^[ba] and the Levites will keep the requirements of the tabernacle of the testimony."^{[bb] 54} And the Israelites^[bc] did thus; they did everything that Yahweh commanded Moses.