Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the tent of assembly, on the first of the month, in the second year after they came out of the land of Egypt, saying, “Take a census of the entire community of the Israelites according to their clans and their families, according to the number of names, every male individually from twenty years old and above, everyone in Israel who is able to go to war. You and Aaron must muster them for their wars. A man from each tribe will be with you, each man the head of his family. And these are the names of the men who will assist you: from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur; from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab; from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar; from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon. From the descendants of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. From Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni; from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran; from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel; and from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.” These are the ones summoned from the community, the leaders of their ancestors’ tribes; they are the heads of Israel’s clans.

So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, and they summoned the entire community on the first day of the second month. And they registered themselves among their clans according to their families, according to the number of names from those twenty years old and above individually, just as Yahweh commanded Moses. And he counted them in the desert of Sinai.

The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families, according to the number of names, every male individually from twenty years old and above, everyone who is able to go to war: those who were counted from the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.

From the descendants of Simeon, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families, those who were counted according to the number of their names, every individual male from twenty years old and above, everyone who is able to go to war: those who were counted from the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

From the descendants of Gad, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families, according to the number of names, from those twenty years old and above, everyone who is able to go to war: those who were counted from the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

From the descendants of Judah, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families, according to the number of names, from those twenty years old and above, everyone who is able to go to war: those who were counted from the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

From the descendants of Issachar, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families, according to the number of names, from those twenty years old and above, everyone who is able to go to war: those who were counted from the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

From the descendants of Zebulun, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families, according to the number of names, from those twenty years old and above, everyone who is able to go to war: those who were counted from the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

From the descendants of Joseph: from the descendants of Ephraim, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families, according to the number of names, from those twenty years old and above, everyone who is able to go to war: those who were counted from the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.

From the descendants of Manasseh, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families, according to the number of names, from those twenty years old and above, everyone who is able to go to war: those who were counted from the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

From the descendants of Benjamin, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families, according to the number of names, from those twenty years old and above, everyone who is able to go to war: those who were counted from the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

From the descendants of Dan, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families, according to the number of names, from those twenty years old and above, everyone who is able to go to war: those who were counted from the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

From the descendants of Asher, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families, according to the number of names, from those twenty years old and above, everyone who is able to go to war: those who were counted from the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.

From the descendants of Naphtali, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families, according to the number of names, from those twenty years old and above, everyone who is able to go to war: those who were counted from the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

These are the ones counted whom Moses and Aaron mustered, with the twelve leaders of Israel, each one from his family. So all those who were counted from the Israelites according to their families, from those twenty years old and above, everyone in Israel who is able to go to war. All of the ones counted were six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty. The Levites from their ancestors’ tribe were not mustered in their midst.

And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “You will not muster the tribe of Levi, and you will not take a census of them in the midst of the Israelites. You will appoint them over the tabernacle of the testimony, over all its vessels, and over all that belongs to it. They will carry the tabernacle and all its vessels, and they will care for it; and they will camp around the tabernacle. And when the tabernacle is set out, the Levites will take it down, and when encamping the tabernacle the Levites will set it up; the stranger that approaches it will be put to death. The Israelites will encamp, each in their own camp, and each by their own banner according to their divisions. But the Levites will encamp around the tabernacle of the testimony, and there will not be wrath on the community of the Israelites; and the Levites will keep the requirements of the tabernacle of the testimony.” And the Israelites did thus; they did everything that Yahweh commanded Moses.

Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “The Israelites will encamp each with his standard, with a banner according to their families; they will encamp around the tent of assembly. The ones who encamp on the eastern side, toward the sunrise, will be of the standard of the camp of Judah according to their divisions; and the leader of the descendants of Judah will be Nahshon son of Amminadab, and his division and the ones counted are seventy-four thousand six hundred. And the ones who encamp next to him will be the tribe of Issachar. And the leader of the descendants of Issachar will be Nethanel son of Zuar, and his division are fifty-four thousand four hundred. For the tribe of Zebulun: the leader of the descendants of Zebulun will be Eliab son of Helon, and his division and the ones counted are fifty-seven thousand four hundred. All those counted from the camp of Judah are one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred. They will set out first according to their divisions.

“The standard of the camp of Reuben will be to the south according to their divisions. The leader of the descendants will be Elizur son of Shedeur. And his division and the ones counted are forty-six thousand five hundred. Those encamped next to him will be the tribe of Simeon. The leader of the descendants of Simeon will be Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. And his division and the ones counted are fifty-nine thousand three hundred. For the tribe of Gad: the leader of the descendants of Gad will be Eliasaph son of Reuel. And his division and the ones counted are forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty. All those counted from the camp of Reuben are one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty. They will set out second according to their divisions.

“The tent of assembly the camp of the Levites will set out in the midst of the camps; they will set out just as they encamped, each according to their standards.

“The standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their divisions will be to the west. The leader of the descendants of Ephraim will be Elishama son of Ammihud. And his division and the ones counted are forty thousand five hundred. The tribe of Manasseh will be next to him. The leader of the descendants of the tribe of Manasseh will be Camaliel son of Pedahzur. And his division and the ones counted are thirty-two thousand two hundred. For the tribe of Benjamin: the leader of the descendants of Benjamin will be Abidan son of Gideoni. And his division and the ones counted are thirty-five thousand four hundred. All those counted from the camp of Ephraim are one hundred and eighty thousand one hundred. They will set out third according to their divisions.

“The standard of the camp of Dan according to their divisions will be to the west. The leader of the descendants of Dan will be Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. And his division and the ones counted are sixty-two thousand seven hundred. Those encamped next to him will be the tribe of Asher. The leader of the descendants of Asher will be Pagiel son of Ocran. And his division and the ones counted are forty-one thousand five hundred. For the tribe of Naphtali: the leader of the descendants of Naphtali will be Ahira son of Enan. And his division and the ones counted are fifty-three thousand four hundred. All the ones counted from the camp of Dan are one hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They will set out last according to their divisions.”

These were the ones counted of the Israelites according to their families; all those counted from the camps according to their divisions were six hundred and three thousand five hundred. The Levites were not counted in the midst of the Israelites, just as Yahweh commanded Moses.

And the Israelites did everything that Yahweh commanded Moses. They encamped according to their standards, and they set out each one according to their clans among their families.

For the music director. A psalm of David.

Hear my voice, O God, in my lamenting.

Preserve my life from the fear of the enemy.

Hide me from the secret plots of evildoers,

from the unrest of those who do iniquity,

who sharpen their tongue like a sword.

They bend their bow to shoot their arrows—bitter words,

to shoot from their hiding places at the blameless.

Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.

They encourage themselves in the evil matter.

They talk of secretly laying snares.

They say, “Who will see them?”

They carefully plot injustices saying,

“We have perfected the perfect plot!”

Both the inner thought and heart of a man are deep.

But God will shoot them;

with an arrow they will suddenly be wounded.

And they who would cause him to stumble,

their own tongue will be against them.

All who gaze on them will shake.

And then all men will fear,

and will declare the working of God,

and will understand his doing.

The righteous will rejoice in Yahweh and take refuge in him,

and all the upright in heart will boast.

Now faith is the realization of what is hoped for, the proof of things not seen. For by this the people of old were approved. By faith we understand the worlds were created by the word of God, in order that what is seen did not come into existence from what is visible.

By faith Abel offered to God a greater sacrifice than Cain, by which he was approved that he was righteous, because God approved him for his gifts, and through it he still speaks, although he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken up, so that he did not experience death, and he was not found, because God took him up. For before his removal, he had been approved as having been pleasing to God. Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and is a rewarder of those who seek him. By faith Noah, having been warned about things not yet seen, out of reverence constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family, by which he pronounced sentence on the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to a place that he was going to receive for an inheritance, and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived in the land of promise as a stranger, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the fellow heirs of the same promise. For he was expecting the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith also, with Sarah, he received the ability to procreate even past the normal age, because he regarded the one who had promised to be faithful. And therefore these were fathered from one man, and he being as good as dead, as the stars of heaven in number and like the innumerable sand by the shore of the sea.

These all died in faith without receiving the promises, but seeing them from a distance and welcoming them, and admitting that they were strangers and temporary residents on the earth. For those who say such things make clear that they are seeking a homeland. And if they remember that land from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac, and the one who received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son, with reference to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants will be named,” having reasoned that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which he received him back also as a symbol. By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things that were going to happen. By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, as he was dying, mentioned about the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions about his bones.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw the child was handsome, and they were not afraid of the edict of the king. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing instead to be mistreated with the people of God rather than to experience the transitory enjoyment of sin, considering reproach endured for the sake of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the anger of the king, for he persevered as if he saw the invisible one. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, in order that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land; the Egyptians, when they made the attempt, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been marched around for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace.

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, accomplished justice, obtained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, extinguished the effectiveness of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong from weakness, became mighty in battle, put to flight enemy battle lines. Women received back their dead by resurrection. But others were tortured, not accepting release, in order that they might gain a better resurrection. And others experienced mocking and flogging, and in addition bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by murder with a sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, impoverished, afflicted, mistreated, of whom the world was not worthy, wandering about on deserts and mountains and in caves and in holes in the ground. And although they all were approved through their faith, they did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.

Until next time, keep meditating on the word of God.

Scripture quotations are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.