Numbers 1 - Easy To Read Version

¹ The Lord spoke to Moses in the Meeting Tent. [1] This was in the Sinai Desert. It was on the first day of the second month of the second year after the people of Israel left Egypt. The Lord said to Moses:

² “Count all the people of Israel. List the name of each man with his family and his family group.

³ You and Aaron must count all the men of Israel who are 20 years old or older. (These are the men who serve in the army of Israel.) List them by their group. [2]

⁴ One man from each and every family group {will help you}. This man will be the leader of his family group.

⁵ These are the names of the men who will stand with you {and help you}:

⁶ from Simeon’s family group—Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

⁷ from Judah’s family group—Nahshon son of Amminadab;

⁸ from Issachar’s family group—Nethanel son of Zuar;

⁹ from Zebulun’s family group—Eliab son of Helon;

¹⁰ from the descendants of Joseph from Ephraim’s family group—Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh’s family group—Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

¹¹ from Benjamin’s family group—Abidan son of Gideoni;

¹² from Dan’s family group—Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

¹³ from Asher’s family group—Pagiel son of Ocran;

¹⁴ from Gad’s family group—Eliasaph son of Deuel [3] ;

¹⁵ from Naphtali’s family group—Ahira son of Enan.”

¹⁶ All those men are the leaders of their families. The people also chose them to be leaders of their family groups.

¹⁷ Moses and Aaron took these men who had been chosen to be leaders.

¹⁸ And Moses and Aaron called all the people of Israel together. Then the people were listed by their families and their family groups. All the men who were 20 years old or older were listed.

¹⁹ Moses did exactly what the Lord commanded—Moses counted the people while they were in the Sinai desert.

²⁰ They counted Reuben’s family group. (Reuben was the firstborn [4] son of Israel.) The names of all the men who were 20 years old or older and able to serve in the army were listed. They were listed with their families and family groups.

²¹ The total number of men counted from Reuben’s family group was 46,500.

²² They counted Simeon’s family group. The names of all the men who were 20 years old or older and able to serve in the army were listed. They were listed with their families and family groups.

²³ The total number of men counted from Simeon’s family group was 59,300.

²⁴ They counted Gad’s family group. The names of all the men who were 20 years old or older and able to serve in the army were listed. They were listed with their families and family groups.

²⁵ The total number of men counted from Gad’s family group was 45,650.

²⁶ They counted Judah’s family group. The names of all the men who were 20 years old or older and able to serve in the army were listed. They were listed with their families and family groups.

²⁷ The total number of men counted from Judah’s family group was 74,600.

²⁸ They counted Issachar’s family group. The names of all the men who were 20 years old or older and able to serve in the army were listed. They were listed with their families and family groups.

²⁹ The total number of men counted from Issachar’s family group was 54,400.

³⁰ They counted Zebulun’s family group. The names of all the men who were 20 years old or older and able to serve in the army were listed. They were listed with their families and family groups.

³¹ The total number of men counted from Zebulun’s family group was 57,400.

³² They counted Ephraim’s family group. (Ephraim was Joseph’s son.) The names of all the men who were 20 years old or older and able to serve in the army were listed. They were listed with their families and family groups.

³³ The total number of men counted from Ephraim’s family group was 40,500.

³⁴ They counted Manasseh’s family group. (Manasseh was also Joseph’s son.) The names of all the men who were 20 years old or older and able to serve in the army were listed. They were listed with their families and family groups.

³⁵ The total number of men counted from Manasseh’s family group was 32,200.

³⁶ They counted Benjamin’s family group. The names of all the men who were 20 years old or older and able to serve in the army were listed. They were listed with their families and family groups.

³⁷ The total number of men counted from Benjamin’s family group was 35,400.

³⁸ They counted Dan’s family group. The names of all the men who were 20 years old or older and able to serve in the army were listed. They were listed with their families and family groups.

³⁹ The total number of men counted from Dan’s family group was 62,700.

⁴⁰ They counted Asher’s family group. The names of all the men who were 20 years old or older and able to serve in the army were listed. They were listed with their families and family groups.

⁴¹ The total number of men counted from Asher’s family group was 41,500.

⁴² They counted Naphtali’s family group. The names of all the men who were 20 years old or older and able to serve in the army were listed. They were listed by name with their families and family groups.

⁴³ The total number of men counted from Naphtali’s family group was 53,400.

⁴⁴ Moses, Aaron, and the twelve leaders of Israel counted these men. (There was one leader from each family group.)

⁴⁵ They counted every man who was 20 years old or older and able to serve in the army. Each man was listed with his family.

⁴⁶ The total number of men counted was 603,550 men.

⁴⁷ The families from the Levi family group were not counted with the other people of Israel.

⁴⁸ The Lord had told Moses:

⁴⁹ “Don’t count the men from Levi’s family group or include them with the other people of Israel.

⁵⁰ Tell the men of Levi that they are responsible for the Holy Tent [5] of the Agreement. They must take care of that tent and all the things that are with it. They must carry the Holy Tent and everything in it. They must make their camp around it and take care of it.

⁵¹ Whenever the Holy Tent is moved, the men of Levi must do it. Whenever the Holy Tent is set up, the men of Levi must do it. They are the men who will take care of the Holy Tent. If any person who is not from Levi’s family group tries to take care of the tent, he must be killed.

⁵² The people of Israel will make their camps in separate groups. [6] Each person should camp near his family flag.

⁵³ But the men of Levi must make their camp around the Holy Tent. The men of Levi will guard the Holy Tent of the Agreement. {They will protect the Holy Tent} so that nothing bad will happen to the people of Israel.”

⁵⁴ So the people of Israel obeyed all the things that the Lord commanded Moses.