Each Levite family receives specific work in carrying the tabernacle and its furnishings. The Kohathites carry the holy things, which they must not touch directly.
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto 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 upward even until fifty years old , all that enter into the host , to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation .
4 This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation , about the most holy things :
5 And when the camp setteth forward , Aaron shall come , and his sons , and they shall take down the covering vail , and cover the ark of testimony with it:
6 And shall put thereon the covering of badgers ' skins , and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue , and shall put in the staves thereof.
7 And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue , and put thereon the dishes , and the spoons , and the bowls , and covers to cover withal : and the continual bread shall be thereon:
8 And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet , and cover the same with a covering of badgers ' skins , and shall put in the staves thereof.
9 And they shall take a cloth of blue , and cover the candlestick of the light , and his lamps , and his tongs , and his snuffdishes , and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it:
10 And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers ' skins , and shall put it upon a bar .
11 And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue , and cover it with a covering of badgers ' skins , and shall put to the staves thereof:
12 And they shall take all the instruments of ministry , wherewith they minister in the sanctuary , and put them in a cloth of blue , and cover them with a covering of badgers ' skins , and shall put them on a bar :
13 And they shall take away the ashes from the altar , and spread a purple cloth thereon:
14 And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers , the fleshhooks , and the shovels , and the basons , all the vessels of the altar ; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers ' skins , and put to the staves of it.
15 And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary , and all the vessels of the sanctuary , as the camp is to set forward ; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing , lest they die . These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation .
16 And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light , and the sweet incense , and the daily meat offering , and the anointing oil , and the oversight of all the tabernacle , and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary , and in the vessels thereof.
17 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron , saying ,
18 Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites :
19 But thus do unto them, that they may live , and not die , when they approach unto the most holy things : Aaron and his sons shall go in , and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden :
20 But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered , lest they die .
21 And the LORD spake unto 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 upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service , to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation .
24 This is the service of the families of the Gershonites , to serve , and for burdens :
25 And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle , and the tabernacle of the congregation , his covering , and the covering of the badgers ' skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation ,
26 And the hangings of the court , and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court , which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about , and their cords , and all the instruments of their service , and all that is made for them: so shall they serve .
27 At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites , in all their burdens , and in all their service : and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens .
28 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation : and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest .
29 As for the sons of Merari , thou shalt number them after their families , by the house of their fathers ;
30 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service , to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation .
31 And this is the charge of their burden , according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation ; the boards of the tabernacle , and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof,
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 ye shall reckon 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 tabernacle of the congregation , under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest .
34 And Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites after their families , and after the house of their fathers ,
35 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old , every one that entereth into the service , for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation :
36 And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty .
37 These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites , all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation , which Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses .
38 And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon , throughout their families , and by the house of their fathers ,
39 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old , every one that entereth into the service , for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation ,
40 Even those that were numbered of them, throughout their families , by the house of their fathers , were two thousand and six hundred and thirty .
41 These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon , of all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation , whom Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD .
42 And those that 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 upward even unto fifty years old , every one that entereth into the service , for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation ,
44 Even those that were numbered of them after their families , were three thousand and two hundred .
45 These be those that were numbered 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 that were numbered of the Levites , whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered , after their families , and after the house of their fathers ,
47 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old , every one that came to do the service of the ministry , and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation ,
48 Even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore .
49 According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses , every one according to his service , and according to his burden : thus were they numbered of him, as the LORD commanded Moses .