Numbers 4

¹And the Lord spak to Moises and to Aaron,

²and seide, Take thou the summe of the sones of Caath, fro the myddis of Leuytis,

³bi her housis and meynees, fro the threttithe yeer and aboue `til to the fiftithe yeer, of alle that entren, that thei stonde and mynystre in the tabernacle of boond of pees.

⁴This is the religioun of the sones of Caath; Aaron and his sones schulen entren in to the tabernacle of boond of pees, and in to the hooli of hooli thingis,

⁵whanne the tentis schulen be moued; and thei schulen do doun the veil that hangith bifore the yatis, and thei schulen wlappe in it the arke of witnessyng;

⁶and thei schulen hile eft with a veil of `skynnys of iacynt, and thei schulen stretche forth aboue a mentil al of iacynt, and thei schulen putte in barris `on the schuldris of the bereris.

⁷Also thei schulen wlappe the boord of proposicioun in a mentil of iacynt, and thei schulen putte therwith cenceris, and morteris of gold, litil cuppis, and grete cuppis to fletyng sacrifices `to be sched; looues schulen euere be in the boord.

⁸And thei schulen strecche forth aboue a reed mentil, which thei schulen hile eft with an hilyng of `skynnes of iacynt, and thei schulen putte yn barris.

⁹Thei schulen take also a mentil of iacynt with which thei schulen hile the candilstike, with hise lanternes, and tongis, and snytels, and alle the `vessels of oile that ben nedeful to the lanternes to be ordeyned;

¹⁰and on alle thingis thei schulen putte an hilyng of `skynnys of iacynt, and thei schulen putte in barris.

¹¹Also and thei schulen wlappe the goldun auter in a clooth of iacynt; and thei schulen stretche forth aboue an hilyng of `skynnys of iacynt, and thei schulen putte in barris.

¹²Thei schulen wlappe in a mentil of iacynt alle the vessels in whiche it is mynystrid in the seyntuarie, and thei schulen strecche forth aboue an hilyng of `skynnys of iacynt, and thei schulen putte yn barris.

¹³But also thei schulen clense the auter fro aische, and thei schulen wlappe it in a clooth of purpur.

¹⁴And thei schulen putte with it alle vessels whiche thei vsen in the seruyce therof, that is, ressettis of firis, tongis, and fleischokis, hokis, and censeris, ether pannys of coolis; thei schulen hile alle the vessels of the auter togidere in a veil of `skynnes of iacynt, and thei schulen putte in barris.

¹⁵And whanne Aaron and hise sones han wlappid the seyntuarie, and alle vessels therof, in the mouyng of tentis, thanne the sones of Caath schulen entre, that thei bere the thingis wlappid, and touche not the vessels of the seyntuarie, lest thei dien.

¹⁶Thes ben the birthuns of the sones of Caath, in the tabernacle of boond of pees, on whiche Eleazar, the sone of Aaron, preest, schal be; to whois cure `the oile perteyneth to ordeyne lanternes, and the encense which is maad bi craft, and the sacrifice which is offrid euere, and the oile of anoyntyng, and what euere thing perteyneth to the ournyng of the tabernacle, and of alle vessels that ben in the seyntuarie.

¹⁷And the Lord spak to Moises and to Aaron, and seide,

¹⁸Nyle ye leese the puple of Caath fro the myddis of Leuytis;

¹⁹but do ye this thing to hem, that thei lyue, and die not, if thei touchen the hooli of hooli thingis. Aaron and hise sones schulen entre, and thei schulen dispose the werkis of alle men, and thei schulen departe `what who owith to bere.

²⁰Othere men se not bi ony curiouste tho thingis that ben in the seyntuarie, bifore that tho ben wlappid; ellis thei schulen die.

²¹And the Lord spak to Moises,

²²and seide, Take thou the summe also of the sones of Gerson, bi her housis, and meynees, and kynredis; noumbre thou

²³fro thretti yeer and aboue `til to fifti yeer alle that entren and mynystren in the tabernacle of boond of pees.

²⁴This is the office of the sones of Gersonytis, that thei bere the curteyns of the tabernacle, and the roof of the boond of pees, an other hilyng,

²⁵and a veil of iacynt aboue alle thingis, and the tente which hangith in the entryng of the tabernacle of the boond of pees;

²⁶and the curteyns of the greet street, and the veil in the entryng , `which veil is bifor the tabernacle.

²⁷Whanne Aaron comaundith and hise sones, the sones of Gerson schulen bere alle thingis that perteynen to the auter, the coordis, and vessels of seruyce ; and alle schulen wite, to what charge thei owen to be boundun.

²⁸This is the office of the meynee of Gersonytis, in the tabernacle of boond of pees; and thei schulen be vndur the hond of Ythamar, the sone of Aaron, preest.

²⁹Also thou schalt noumbre the sones of Merary, bi the meynees and housis of her fadris,

³⁰fro thretti yeer and aboue `til to fifti yeer, alle that entren to the office of her seruice, and to the ournyng of the boond of pees of witnessyng.

³¹These ben `the chargis of hem; thei schulen bere the tablis of the tabernacle, and the barris therof, the pilers and her foundementis; also the pilers of the greet street bi cumpas,

³²with her foundementis, and her stakis, and coordis; thei schulen take alle instrumentis and purtenaunce at noumbre, and so thei schulen bere.

³³This is the office of `the meynee of Meraritis, and the seruyce in the tabernacle of boond of pees; and thei schulen be vndur the hond of Ythamar, the sone of Aaron, preest.

³⁴Therfor Moises and Aaron and the princes of the synagoge noumbriden the sones of Caath, bi the kynredis and housis of her fadris,

³⁵fro thretti yeer and aboue `til to the fiftithe yeer, alle that entren to the seruyce of the tabernacle of boond of pees;

³⁶and thei weren foundun two thousynde seuene hundrid and fifti.

³⁷This is the noumbre of the puple of Caath, which entrith in to the tabernacle of boond of pees; Moises and Aaron noumbriden these, bi the word of the Lord, bi the hond of Moises.

³⁸And the sones of Gerson weren noumbrid, bi the kyneredis and housis of her fadris,

³⁹fro thretti yeer and aboue `til to `the fiftithe yeer, alle that entren that thei mynystre in the tabernacle of boond of pees;

⁴⁰and thei weren foundun two thousynde sixe hundrid and thretti.

⁴¹This is the puple of Gersonytis, which Moises and Aaron noumbriden, bi the `word of the Lord.

⁴²And the sones of Merary weren noumbrid, bi the kynredis and housis of her fadris,

⁴³fro threttithe yeer and aboue `til to `the fiftithe yere, alle that entren to fille the customs, ether seruices, of the tabernacle of boond of pees;

⁴⁴`and thei weren foundun thre thousynde and two hundrid.

⁴⁵This is the noumbre of the sones of Merari, whiche Moyses and Aaron noumbriden, bi `the comaundement of the Lord, bi the hoond of Moises.

⁴⁶Alle that weren noumbrid of Leuytis, and whiche Moyses and Aaron and the princes of Israel maden to be noumbrid, bi the kynredis and housis of her fadris,

⁴⁷fro thretti yeer and aboue `til to `the fiftithe yeer, and entriden to the seruyce of the tabernacle, and to bere chargis,

⁴⁸weren togidere eiyte thousynde fyue hundrid and foure scoor.

⁴⁹By the `word of the Lord Moises noumbride hem, ech man bi his office and hise chargis, as the Lord comaundide to hym.

Numbers 4

¹And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

²Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers,

³From 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.

⁴This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:

⁵And 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:

⁶And 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.

⁷And 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:

⁸And 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.

⁹And 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:

¹⁰And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put it upon a bar.

¹¹And 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:

¹²And 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:

¹³And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:

¹⁴And 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.

¹⁵And 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.

¹⁶And 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.

¹⁷And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

¹⁸Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:

¹⁹But 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:

²⁰But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

²¹And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

²²Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families;

²³From 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.

²⁴This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens:

²⁵And 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,

²⁶And 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.

²⁷At 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.

²⁸This 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.

²⁹As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;

³⁰From 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.

³¹And 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,

³²And 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.

³³This 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.

³⁴And 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,

³⁵From 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:

³⁶And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.

³⁷These 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.

³⁸And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers,

³⁹From 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,

⁴⁰Even those that were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty.

⁴¹These 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.

⁴²And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers,

⁴³From 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,

⁴⁴Even those that were numbered of them after their families, were three thousand and two hundred.

⁴⁵These 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.

⁴⁶All 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,

⁴⁷From 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,

⁴⁸Even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore.

⁴⁹According 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.