My other websites: Catholic, Prophets today, For Kids

Read Today’s Bible Verses following here:

Numbers 1

The Census.

1In the second year after the Israelites’ departure from the land of Egypt, on the first day of the second month, the LORD said to Moses at the tent of meeting in the wilderness of Sinai:

2^* Take a census of the whole community of the Israelites,^a by clans and ancestral houses, registering by name each male individually.

3You and Aaron shall enroll in companies all the men in Israel of twenty years or more who are fit for military service.

Moses’ Assistants.

4With you there shall be a man from each tribe, each the head of his ancestral house.

5^b These are the names of those who are to assist you:

from Reuben: Elizur, son of Shedeur;

6from Simeon: Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai;

7from Judah:^c Nahshon, son of Amminadab;

8from Issachar: Nethanel, son of Zuar;

9from Zebulun: Eliab, son of Helon;

10for the descendants of Joseph: from Ephraim: Elishama, son of Ammihud; and from Manasseh: Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur;

11from Benjamin: Abidan, son of Gideoni;

12from Dan: Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai;

13from Asher: Pagiel, son of Ochran;

14from Gad: Eliasaph, son of Reuel;

15from Naphtali: Ahira, son of Enan.

16^d These were the elect of the community, leaders of their ancestral tribes, heads of the clans of Israel.

17So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name,

18and assembled the whole community on the first day of the second month. Every man of twenty years or more then registered individually his name and lineage according to clan and ancestral house,

19as the LORD had commanded Moses. So he enrolled them in the wilderness of Sinai.

Count of the Twelve Tribes.

20Of the descendants of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, registered individually by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service:

21those enrolled from the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.

22Of the descendants of Simeon, registered individually by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service:

23those enrolled from the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

24Of the descendants of Gad, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service:

25those enrolled from the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

26Of the descendants of Judah, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service:

27those enrolled from the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

28Of the descendants of Issachar, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service:

29those enrolled from the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

30Of the descendants of Zebulun, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service:

31those enrolled from the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

32Of the descendants of Joseph:

Of the descendants of Ephraim, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service:

33those enrolled from the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.

34Of the descendants of Manasseh, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service:

35those enrolled from the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

36Of the descendants of Benjamin, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service:

37those enrolled from the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

38Of the descendants of Dan, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service:

39those enrolled from the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

40Of the descendants of Asher, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service:

41those enrolled from the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.

42Of the descendants of Naphtali, registered by name and lineage according to their clans and ancestral houses, every male of twenty years or more, everyone fit for military service:

43those enrolled from the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

44It was these who were enrolled, each according to his ancestral house, by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel.

45The total enrollment of the Israelites of twenty years or more, according to their ancestral houses, everyone fit for military service in Israel—

46the total enrollment was six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty.

Levites Omitted in the Census.

47Now the Levites were not enrolled^e by their ancestral tribe with the others.^*

48For the LORD had told Moses,

49The tribe of Levi alone you shall not enroll nor include in the census along with the other Israelites.

50You are to give the Levites charge of the tabernacle of the covenant with all its equipment and all that belongs to it. It is they who shall carry the tabernacle with all its equipment and who shall be its ministers;^f and they shall camp all around the tabernacle.

51When the tabernacle is to move on, the Levites shall take it down; when the tabernacle is to be pitched, it is the Levites who shall set it up. Any unauthorized person who comes near^* it shall be put to death.^g

52The other Israelites shall camp according to their companies, each in their own divisional camps,^h

53but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the covenant to ensure that God’s wrath will not fall upon the Israelite community. The Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the covenant.ⁱ

54The Israelites complied; they did just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Numbers 2

Arrangement of the Tribes.

1The LORD said to Moses and Aaron:

2The Israelites shall camp, each in their own divisions, under the ensigns of their ancestral houses.^a They shall camp at some distance all around the tent of meeting.

3^* Encamped on the east side, toward the sunrise, shall be the divisional camp of Judah, arranged in companies. The leader of the Judahites is Nahshon, son of Amminadab,

4and the enrollment of his company is seventy-four thousand six hundred.

5Encamped beside it is the tribe of Issachar. The leader of the Issacharites is Nethanel, son of Zuar,

6and the enrollment of his company is fifty-four thousand four hundred.

7Also the tribe of Zebulun. The leader of the Zebulunites is Eliab, son of Helon,

8and the enrollment of his company is fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

9The total enrollment of the camp of Judah by companies is one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred. They shall be first on the march.

10The divisional camp of Reuben shall be on the south side, by companies. The leader of the Reubenites is Elizur, son of Shedeur,

11and the enrollment of his company is forty-six thousand five hundred.

12Encamped beside it is the tribe of Simeon. The leader of the Simeonites is Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai,

13and the enrollment of his company is fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

14Next is the tribe of Gad. The leader of the Gadites is Eliasaph, son of Reuel,

15and the enrollment of his company is forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

16The total enrollment of the camp of Reuben by companies is one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty. They shall be second on the march.

17Then the tent of meeting and the camp of the Levites shall set out in the midst of the divisions. As they camp, so also they will march, each in place, by their divisions.

18The divisional camp of Ephraim shall be on the west side, by companies. The leader of the Ephraimites is Elishama, son of Ammihud,

19and the enrollment of his company is forty thousand five hundred.

20Beside it shall be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader of the Manassites is Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur,

21and the enrollment of his company is thirty-two thousand two hundred.

22Also the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of the Benjaminites is Abidan, son of Gideoni,

23and the enrollment of his company is thirty-five thousand four hundred.

24The total enrollment of the camp of Ephraim by companies is one hundred and eight thousand one hundred. They shall be third on the march.

25The divisional camp of Dan shall be on the north side, by companies. The leader of the Danites is Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai,

26and the enrollment of his company is sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

27Encamped beside it shall be the tribe of Asher. The leader of the Asherites is Pagiel, son of Ochran,

28and the enrollment of his company is forty-one thousand five hundred.

29Also the tribe of Naphtali. The leader of the Naphtalites is Ahira, son of Enan,

30and the enrollment of his company is fifty-three thousand four hundred.

31The total enrollment of the camp of Dan is one hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall be the last on the march, by divisions.

32^b These are the enrollments of the Israelites according to their ancestral houses. The total enrollment of the camps by companies is six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

33The Levites, however, were not enrolled with the other Israelites, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

34The Israelites did just as the LORD had commanded Moses; both in camp and on the march they were in their own divisions, everyone by clan and according to ancestral house.

Numbers 3

The Sons of Aaron.

1These are the offspring of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.

2These are the names of Aaron’s sons: Nadab, the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.^a

3These are the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests whom he ordained to serve as priests.

4But Nadab and Abihu died^b in the presence of the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai; and they left no sons. So only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.

Levites in Place of the Firstborn.

5Now the LORD said to Moses:

6Summon the tribe of Levi and station them before Aaron the priest to serve him.^c

7They shall discharge his obligations and those of the whole community before the tent of meeting^d by maintaining the tabernacle.

8They shall have responsibility for all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and discharge the obligations of the Israelites by maintaining the tabernacle.

9You shall assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons;^e they have been assigned unconditionally to him from among the Israelites.

10But you will appoint only Aaron and his descendants to exercise the priesthood.^f Any unauthorized person who comes near shall be put to death.

11The LORD said to Moses:

12I hereby take the Levites from the Israelites in place of every firstborn that opens the womb among the Israelites.^g The Levites, therefore, are mine,

13because every firstborn is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to me every firstborn in Israel, human being and beast alike. They belong to me; I am the LORD.

Census of the Levites.

14The LORD said to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai:

15Enroll the Levites by their ancestral houses and clans, enrolling every male of a month or more.^h

16Moses, therefore, enrolled them at the direction of the LORD, just as the LORD had charged.

17ⁱ These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

18These were the names of the sons of Gershon, by their clans: Libni and Shimei.

19The sons of Kohath, by their clans, were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

20The sons of Merari, by their clans, were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites by their ancestral houses.

Duties of the Levitical Clans.

21To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites.

22Their enrollment, registering every male of a month or more, was seven thousand five hundred.

23The clans of the Gershonites camped behind the tabernacle, to the west.

24The leader of the ancestral house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph, son of Lael.

25^j 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,

26the 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.

27To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these were the clans of the Kohathites.

28Their 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.

29The clans of the Kohathites camped on the south side of the tabernacle.

30And the leader of their ancestral house of the clan of the Kohathites was Elizaphan, son of Uzziel.

31Their 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.^*

32The 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.

33To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the clans of Merari.

34Their enrollment, registering every male of a month or more, was six thousand two hundred.

35The 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,

37as well as the columns of the surrounding court with their pedestals, pegs and ropes.

38East 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.

39The 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.

Census and Ransom of Firstborn.

40The LORD then said to Moses: Enroll every firstborn male of the Israelites a month old or more, and count the number of their names.

41Then 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.

42So Moses enrolled all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him.

43All the firstborn males, registered by name, of a month or more, numbered twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

44The LORD said to Moses:

45Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of their cattle, that the Levites may belong to me. I am the LORD.

46As a redemption-price for the two hundred and seventy-three firstborn of the Israelites over and above the number of the Levites,

47you shall take five shekels for each individual, according to the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel.^k

48Give this money to Aaron and his sons as a redemption-price for the extra number.

49So Moses took the redemption money for those over and above the ones redeemed by the Levites.

50From the firstborn of the Israelites he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels according to the sanctuary shekel.

51He then gave this redemption money to Aaron and his sons, at the direction of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Sermons Rosary Prayers Catholic Answers

The complete Book of Numbers

THE BOOK OF NUMBERS

The Book of Numbers derives its name from the account of the two censuses taken of the Hebrew people, one near the beginning and the other toward the end of the journey in the wilderness (chaps. 1 and 26). It continues the story of that journey begun in Exodus, and describes briefly the experiences of the Israelites for a period of thirty-eight years, from the end of their encampment at Sinai to their arrival at the border of the promised land. Numerous legal ordinances are interspersed in the account, making the book a combination of law and history.

The book divides neatly into two parts. Each part begins with a census of the people (chaps. 1 and 26) and inaugurates a period of preparation prior to entering the promised land. In the first case these preparations come to a tragic end when scouts are sent forth to survey the promised land (chaps. 13–14). Upon their return, the people are so disheartened by the description of the native inhabitants and the seemingly impossible task that lies in front of them that they refuse to enter the land. This results in a decision to doom that entire generation to death and to allow another generation the chance to enter. After the death of the first generation, then, a second census is taken (chap. 26) and again preparations are made to enter the land. In this case, however, the birth of a new generation suggests these preparations will not be in vain. The book ends with the Israelites across the Jordan outside the land of Canaan, underscoring a chief theme of the Pentateuch as a whole: the people anticipating the fulfillment of God’s promise of the land.

In the New Testament numerous allusions to incidents in the Book of Numbers appear: the bronze serpent (Jn 3:14–15), the sedition of Korah and its consequences (1 Cor 10:10), the prophecies of Balaam (2 Pt 2:15–16), and the water gushing from the rock (1 Cor 10:4).

The chief divisions of the Book of Numbers are as follows:

Census and Preparation for the Departure from Sinai (1:1–10:10)
Departure, Rebellion, and Wandering in the Wilderness for Forty Years (10:11–25:18)
Second Census of a New Generation and Preparation to Enter the Promised Land (25:19–36:13)

I. CENSUS AND PREPARATION FOR THE DEPARTURE FROM SINAI

The book of Romans