The First Census of Israel
And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after their going out of the land of Egypt, saying,
“Lift the head count of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names — every male, head by head.
From twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to war in Israel — you shall muster them by their hosts, you and Aaron.
And with you there shall be a man from each tribe, each man the head of his fathers’ house.
The Leaders of the Tribes
And these are the names of the men who shall stand with you: for Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;
for Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;
for Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;
for Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar;
for Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;
for the sons of Joseph: for Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; for Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;
for Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;
for Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;
for Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran;
for Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;
for Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.”
These were the ones called from the congregation, the leaders of the tribes of their fathers; the heads of the thousands of Israel were they.
The Number of Every Tribe
And Moses and Aaron took these men, who had been designated by name,
and they assembled all the congregation on the first of the second month; and they registered themselves by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, head by head.
As the LORD had commanded Moses, so he mustered them in the wilderness of Sinai.
And the sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn — their generations by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to war:
those mustered of the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.
Of the sons of Simeon — their generations by their families, by their fathers’ houses, those mustered by the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to war:
those mustered of the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.
Of the sons of Gad — their generations by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to war:
those mustered of the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.
Of the sons of Judah — their generations by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to war:
those mustered of the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred.
Of the sons of Issachar — their generations by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to war:
those mustered of the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred.
Of the sons of Zebulun — their generations by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to war:
those mustered of the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
Of the sons of Joseph: of the sons of Ephraim — their generations by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to war:
those mustered of the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.
Of the sons of Manasseh — their generations by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to war:
those mustered of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.
Of the sons of Benjamin — their generations by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to war:
those mustered of the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.
Of the sons of Dan — their generations by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to war:
those mustered of the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
Of the sons of Asher — their generations by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to war:
those mustered of the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.
The sons of Naphtali — their generations by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to war:
those mustered of the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.
These are the ones mustered, whom Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel mustered — twelve men, one man for each of his fathers’ houses.
And all those mustered of the sons of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, everyone who goes out to war in Israel —
all those mustered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
The Exemption of the Levites
But the Levites, by the tribe of their fathers, were not mustered among them.
For the LORD had spoken to Moses, saying,
“Only the tribe of Levi you shall not muster, and their head count you shall not lift among the sons of Israel.
But you — appoint the Levites over the Dwelling of the testimony, and over all its vessels, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the Dwelling and all its vessels, and they shall minister to it; and around the Dwelling they shall camp.
And when the Dwelling sets out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the Dwelling camps, the Levites shall set it up. And the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
And the sons of Israel shall camp each man by his own camp, and each man by his own banner, by their hosts.
But the Levites shall camp around the Dwelling of the testimony, so that there is no wrath on the congregation of the sons of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the Dwelling of the testimony.”
And the sons of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses — so they did.