1上主在西乃山上與梅瑟交談的時候，亞郎和梅瑟的後裔如下： 1These are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord spoke to Moses in mount Sinai.
2亞郎兒子的名字是：長子納達布、阿彼胡、厄肋阿匝爾和依塔瑪爾： 2And these the names of the sons of Aaron: his firstborn Nadab, then Abiu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3這是亞郎兒子的名字，他們都是受傅的司祭，受祝聖盡司祭之職。 3These the names of the sons of Aaron the priests that were anointed, and whose hands were filled and consecrated, to do the functions of priesthood.
4納達布和阿彼胡在西乃曠野於上主面前獻了凡火，立即死於上主面前，沒有留下兒子；只有厄肋阿匝爾和依塔瑪爾，在他們父親亞郎面前執行司祭的職務。 4Now Nadab and Abiu died, without children, when they offered strange fire before the Lord, in the desert of Sinai: and Eleazar and Ithamar performed the priestly office in the presence of Aaron their father.
5上主訓示梅瑟說： 5And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
6「叫肋未支派前來，站在亞郎司祭面前，協助他服務。 6Bring the tribe of Levi, and make them stand in the sight of Aaron the priest to minister to him, and let them watch,
7他們應代亞郎和全會眾，在會幕前盡應盡的義務，在會幕內服役， 7And observe whatsoever appertaineth to the service of the multitude before the tabernacle of the testimony,
8管理會幕內的一切器具，代以色列子民盡應盡之職，在會幕內服役。 8And let them keep the vessels of the tabernacle, serving in the ministry thereof.
9你應將肋未人全交給亞郎和他的兒子，代以色列子民作亞郎的侍役； 9And thou shalt give the Levites for a gift,
10你要委任亞郎和他的兒子執行司祭的職務；俗人擅自走近，應處死刑。」 10To Aaron and to his sons, to whom they are delivered by the children of Israel. But thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons over the service of priesthood. The stranger that approacheth to minister, shall be put to death.
11上主訓示梅瑟說： 11And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
12「看，我由以色列子民中揀選了肋未人，以代替以色列子民中一切頭胎的長子，所以肋未人應歸於我， 12I have taken the Levites from the children of Israel, for every firstborn that openeth the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.
13因為凡首生的，都是我的；自我在埃及國擊殺了一切首生之日起，凡以色列首生的，無論是人或是獸，都應祝聖歸我，屬於我：我是上主。」 13For every firstborn is mine: since I struck the firstborn in the land of Egypt: I have sanctified to myself whatsoever is firstborn in Israel both of man and beast, they are mine: I am the Lord.
14上主在西乃曠野訓示梅瑟說： 14And the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying:
15「你應依照肋未人的宗族和家系，統計肋未的子孫，由一月以上，所有的男性都應登記。」 15Number the sons of Levi by the houses of their fathers and their families, every male from one month and upward.
16於是梅瑟就照上主吩咐的命令，統計了他們。 16Moses numbered them as the Lord had commanded.
17肋未兒子的名字是：革爾雄、刻哈特和默辣黎。 17And there were found sons of Levi by their names, Gerson and Caath and Merari.
18按族系，革爾雄兒子的名字是：里貝尼和史米。 18The sons of Gerson: Lebni and Semei.
19按族系，刻哈特的兒子是阿默蘭和依茲哈爾，赫貝龍和烏齊耳。 19The sons of Caath: Amram, and Jesaar, Hebron and Oziel:
20按族系，默辣黎的兒子是瑪赫里和慕史：這些人按他們的家族都屬肋未族系。 20The sons of Merari: Moholi and Musi.
21里貝尼族和史米族出自革爾雄：這是革爾雄人的家族。 21Of Gerson were two families, the Lebnites, and the Semeites:
22凡一月以上登記的男性，共計七千五百。 22Of which were numbered, people of the male sex from one month and upward, seven thousand five hundred.
23革爾雄人的家族在會幕後面西方紮營； 23These shall pitch behind the tabernacle on the west,
24革爾雄人的領袖，是拉耳的兒子厄里雅撒夫。 24Under their prince Eliasaph the son of Lael.
25革爾雄的子孫在會幕內的職務，是照管帳幕、幕篷頂和會幕內的門簾， 25And their charge shall be in the tabernacle of the covenant:
26並庭院的帷幔，圍繞帳幕與祭壇的庭院的門簾，以及庭院應用的一切繩索。 26The tabernacle itself and the cover thereof, the hanging that is drawn before the doors of the tabernacle of the covenant, and the curtains of the court: the hanging also that is hanged in the entry of the court of the tabernacle, and whatsoever belongeth to the rite of the altar, the cords of the tabernacle, and all the furniture thereof.
27阿默蘭族、依茲哈爾族、赫貝龍族和烏齊耳族出自刻哈特：這是刻哈特人的家族。 27Of the kindred of Caath come the families of the Amramites and Jesaarites and Hebronites and Ozielites. These are the families of the Caathites reckoned up by their names:
28凡由一月以上登記的男性，共計八千六百；他們管理聖所。 28All of the male sex from one month and upward, eight thousand six hundred: they shall have the guard of the sanctuary,
29刻哈特子孫的家族在帳幕南邊紮營。 29And shall camp on the south side.
30刻哈特族的家族領袖，是烏齊耳的兒子厄里匝番。 30And their prince shall be Elisaphan the son of Oziel:
31他們的職務是管理約櫃、桌子、燈台、兩祭壇、聖所內應用的一切聖器、帷幔和為帷幔應盡的各種職務。 31And they shall keep the ark, and the table and the candlestick, the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary, wherewith they minister, and the veil, and all the furniture of this kind.
32亞郎大司祭的兒子厄肋阿匝爾是肋未人的最高領袖，監督在聖所服務的人。 32And the prince of the princes of the Levites, Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, shall be over them that watch for the guard of the sanctuary.
33瑪赫里族和慕史族出自默辣黎：這是默辣黎人的家族。 33And of Merari are the families of the Moholites, and Musites, reckoned up by their names:
34凡一月以上登記的男性，共計六千二百。 34All of the male kind from one month and upward, six thousand two hundred.
35默辣黎族的家族領袖，是阿彼海耳的兒子族黎耳。他們在會幕北邊紮營。 35Their prince Suriel the son of Abihaiel: they shall camp on the north side.
36默辣黎的兒子的職務，是照管會幕的木板、橫木、柱子、卯座，一切用具，並為會幕應盡的各種職務， 36Under their custody shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars, and the pillars and their sockets, and all things that pertain to this kind of service:
37還管理庭院四周的柱子及其卯座、木樁及繩索。 37And the pillars of the court round about with their sockets, and the pins with their cords.
38在會幕前面東方，即在會幕前朝日出的一面紮營的，是梅瑟和亞郎其他的兒子；他們代替以色列子民服務，管理聖所；俗人擅自走近，應處死刑。 38Before the tabernacle of the covenant, that is to say on the east side, shall Moses and Aaron camp, with their sons, having the custody of the sanctuary, in the midst of the children of Israel. What stranger soever cometh unto it, shall be put to death.
39梅瑟和亞郎照上主的命令，統計了所有的肋未人，按家族凡一月以上的男性都統計了，共計二萬二千人。 39All the Levites, that Moses and Aaron numbered according to the precept of the Lord, by their families, of the male kind from one month and upward, were twenty-two thousand.
40此後，上主又對梅瑟說：「以色列子民，凡一月以上首生的男性都要統計，登記他們的姓名； 40And the Lord said to Moses: Number the firstborn of the male sex of the children of Israel, from one month and upward, and thou shalt take the sum of them.
41應將肋未人獻於我，我是上主，以代替以色列子民中所有的長子；又將肋未人的牲畜獻於我，以代替以色列子民中一切頭胎的牲畜。」 41And thou shalt take the Levites to me for all the firstborn of the children of Israel, I am the Lord: and their cattle for all the firstborn of the cattle of the children of Israel:
42梅瑟便照上主所吩咐的，統計了以色列子民中所有的長子， 42Moses reckoned up, as the Lord had commanded, the firstborn of the children of Israel:
43凡一月以上的頭胎男兒，依名統計了，共計二萬二千二百七十三人。 43And the males by their names, from one month and upward, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
44上主訓示梅瑟說： 44And the Lord spoke to Moses, saving:
45「你要以肋未人替代以色列子民中所有的長子，以肋未人的牲畜替代他們的頭胎牲畜；肋未人應屬於我：我是上主。 45Take the Levites for the firstborn of the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites for their cattle, and the Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord.
46至於那超過肋未人數目，而應贖回的二百七十三個以色列子民的長子， 46But for the price of the two hundred and seventy-three, of the firstborn of the children of Israel, that exceed the number of the Levites,
47為每一個，應照聖所的『協刻耳』，徵收五個『協刻耳』，──一『協刻耳』，合二十『革辣』；── 47Thou shalt take five sides for every head, according to the weight of the sanctuary. A sicle hath twenty obols.
48將這錢交給亞郎和他的兒子，作為超額人數的贖價。」 48And then shalt give the money to Aaron and his sons, the price of them that are above.
49梅瑟就為那超過肋未人數而應贖回的人，徵收了贖金。 49Moses therefore took the money of them that were above, and whom they had redeemed from the Levites,
50由以色列子民的長子所徵收的銀子，依聖所的『協刻耳』，共計一千三百六十五『協刻耳』。 50For the firstborn of the children of Israel, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five sicles, according to the weight of the sanctuary,
51梅瑟依照上主的命令，將這贖金交給了亞郎和他的兒子，全照上主吩咐梅瑟的。 51And gave it to Aaron and his sons, according to the word that the Lord had commanded him.
3:1-4
祝圣的礼仪，见出29:1-37；肋8:1-13。纳达布和阿彼胡猝死之事，见肋10:1-3。
3:5-13
古代民族中，虽然有时长子充作司祭，但在以色列子民中，长子虽具有特权，但无法证明也是司祭。依照圣经的记载：因为天主领以民出埃及之夜，击杀了埃及人的长子，而救护了以民的长子。这些长子应属於上主，所以应该赎回（出13:1-15）。长子属於天主，但天主立定了肋未的子孙，以替代长子，作自己的司祭。