Numbers 3–4
1 These also are 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 as priests. 4 Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they brought strange fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children, and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the sight of Aaron their father.
5 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, and they will minister to him. 7 They will keep his directives, and serve the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8 They will keep all the instruments of the tent of meeting, and attend to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9 You will give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him from the children of Israel. 10 You will appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will attend to their priesthood, and the foreigner that approaches will be put to death.
11 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 12 I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that open the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites will be Mine 13 because all the firstborn are Mine, for on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I set apart to Me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They will be Mine. I am the Lord.
14 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying: 15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families. You will number every male from a month old and older. 16 Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded.
17 These were the sons of Levi by their names:
Gershon, and 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, and Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel;
20 The sons of Merari by their families:
Mahli and Mushi.
These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.
21 From Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites. These are the families of the Gershonites. 22 Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and older, those who were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred. 23 The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the west side of the tabernacle. 24 The chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25 The charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the hanging for the door of the tent of meeting, 26 The hangings of the court, the curtain for the opening of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords—all the service pertaining to these.
27 Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites. 28 The number of all the males, from a month old and older, were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the guard of the sanctuary. 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: 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 will be Mine. I am the Lord. 46 For those who are to be redeemed of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites, 47 you will take five shekels apiece by the poll; according to the shekel of the sanctuary you will take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs). 48 And you will give the money, by which the number of them is to be redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.
49 Moses took the redemption money of those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites. 50 Of the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 51 And Moses gave the money of those who were redeemed to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Chapter 4
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: 2 Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, 3 from thirty years old and older, even to fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tent of meeting.
4 This will be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the holiest things. 5 And when the camp sets out, Aaron will come, and his sons, and they will take down the covering curtain, and cover the ark of the testimony with it, 6 and will put on it the covering of porpoise skins, and will spread over it a cloth completely of blue, and will put in its poles.
7 Upon the table of showbread they will spread a cloth of blue, and put the dishes on it, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover it, and the showbread will be on it. 8 And they will spread on them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of porpoise skins, and will put in its poles.
9 They will take a cloth of blue, and cover the lampstand of the light, and its lamps, and its tongs, and its snuff dishes, and all its oil vessels, with which they minister to it. 10 And they will put it and all its vessels within a covering of porpoise skins and will put it on a carrying pole.
11 Upon the golden altar they will spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of porpoise skins, and will put in its poles.
12 And they will take all the instruments of ministry, with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of porpoise skins, and will put them on a carrying pole.
13 And they will take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth on it. 14 They shall put on it all the instruments with which they minister there, the censers, the flesh hooks, the shovels, the basins, all the utensils of the altar. And they will spread on it a covering of porpoise skins and insert its poles.
15 When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the instruments of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set out, after that, the sons of Kohath will come to carry it. But they will not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting.
16 To the office of Eleazar, Aaron the priest’s son, pertains the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, in the sanctuary, and in the instruments thereof.
17 The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: 18 Do not cut the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites. 19 But do this to them, that they may live and not die, when they approach the most holy things. Aaron and his sons will go in, and appoint each one to his service and to his burden. 20 But they will not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.
21 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 22 Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families. 23 From thirty years old and older to fifty years old you will number them, all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting.
24 This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and to work. 25 And they will carry the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tent of meeting, its covering, and the covering of the porpoise skins that is on it, and the hanging for the door of the tent of meeting, 26 and the hangings of the courtyard, and the hanging for the opening of the gate of the courtyard, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar all around, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them. So they will serve. 27 At the appointment of Aaron and his sons will be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service. And you shall assign to them all their tasks as their duty. 28 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting. And their charge will be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
29 As for the sons of Merari, you will number them by their families, by the house of their fathers. 30 From thirty years old and older, even to fifty years old, you will number them, everyone who enters into the service, to do the work of the tent of meeting. 31 This is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tent of meeting. The boards of the tabernacle, and its bars thereof, and its pillars, and its sockets, 32 and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service, and by name you will list the instruments of the charge of their burden. 33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tent of meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
34 Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families, and by the house of their fathers, 35 from thirty years old and older to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for the work in the tent of meeting. 36 And those who were numbered by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37 These were the ones listed of the families of the Kohathites, all who might do service in the tent of meeting, which Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
38 Those who were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers, 39 from thirty years old and older to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for the work in the tent of meeting, 40 even those who were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand six hundred and thirty. 41 These were the ones listed by the families of the sons of Gershon, of all who might do service in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord.
42 Those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, 43 from thirty years old and older to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for the work in the tent of meeting, 44 even those who were numbered by their families, were three thousand two hundred. 45 These were the ones listed of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
46 All those who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families, and by the house of their fathers, 47 from thirty years old and older to fifty years old, everyone who came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the work in the tent of meeting, 48 even those who were numbered were eight thousand five hundred and eighty. 49 According to the commandment of the Lord they were numbered by the hand of Moses, each according to his service, and according to his burden.
Thus they were numbered by him, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Mark 3:20–35
20 Then they entered a house, and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat bread. 21 When His family heard of it, they went out to seize Him, for they said, “He is beside Himself.”
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub, and by the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”
23 So He called them to Him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan rises up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then he will plunder his house. 28 Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they speak. 29 But he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal condemnation.”
30 For they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
31 Then His mother and His brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to Him, calling Him. 32 The crowd sat around Him and said to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are outside asking for You.”
33 He answered, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”
34 Then He looked around at those who sat around Him and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother, and My sister, and My mother.”