Numbers · Chapter 3

[ edit] Thes ben þe generaciouns of Aaron and of Moyſes, in þe day þat þe Lord ſpak to Moiſes, in þe mownt of Synay. And þes þe names of þe ſones of Aaron; þe firſt goten of hym Nadab; aftirward, Abyu, and Eliazar, and Yþamar; þes þe names of þe ſones of Aaron, preſtis, þat ben anoynt, and of whom þe hoondes fulfillid and ſacrid ben, þat þei vſen preeſþod. Nadab and Abyu dieden, whanne þei offerden alien fier in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord, in deſert of Synay, wiþ outen free children; and Eliazar and Yþamar vſeden preeſþod before Aaron her fader.

And þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes, ſeiynge, Sett þe lynage of Leuy, and mak ſtonde in þe ſiȝt of Aaron, þe preeſt, þat þei mynyſtren to him; and waken, and weyten aboute al þing þat to þe heryynge perteyneþ of þe multitude, before þe tabernacle of witneſſynge; and þat þei kepen þe veſſels of þe tabernacle, ſeruynge in þe ſeruyce of hym. And þow ſhalt ȝyue bi ȝiftis Leuytes to Aaron, and to þe ſones of hym, to þe whiche þei ben take of þe ſones of Yrael. Aaron forſoþe and his ſones þow ſhalt ordeyne vpon þe heriynge of preeſþod; of anoþer kynrede þat goþ to mynyſtre, he ſhal die.

And þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes, ſeiynge, I toke þe Leuytes fro þe ſones of Yrael for al þe firſte geten þat openeþ þe wombe in þe ſones of Yrael; and þei ſhulen be my Leuytes, myn is forſoþe al þe firſt goten; ſiþen I ſmoot þe firſt gotun in þe loond of Egipte, I halowide to me al þing þat is firſt born in Yrael; fro man vnto beeſte myn þei ben; I þe Lord. And þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes, in deſert of Synay, ſeiynge, Noumbre þe ſones of Leuy, bi þe howſes of her faders, and meyneis, eche maal from a moneþ and aboue. And Moyſes noumbred, as þe Lord comaundide.

And þere ben founden þe ſones of Leuy, bi her names, Gerſon, and Caaþ, and Merary; þe ſones of Gerſon, Lebyn, and Semey; þe ſones of Caaþ, Amram, and Jeſſaar, and Ebron, and Oſiel; þe ſones of Merary, Mooly, and Muſy. Of Gerſon weren twey meyneis, Lebyntica, and Semetica; of þe whiche is noumbrid a puple of maal kynde, fro o moneþ and aboue, ſeuen þowſyndes and fyue hundred. Þes after þe tabernacle ſhulen ſette tentis at þe weſt, vndur þe prince Eliaſaph, þe ſone of Jael.

And þei ſhulen haue wacches in þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees, þilke tabernacle, and his couertour, þe tente þat is drawen before þe ȝates of þe roof of witneſſynge of boond of pees; and þe cortyns of þe porche, and þe tente þat is hongid in þe entre of þe porche of þe tabernacle, and al þing þat to þe rijt of þe auter perteyneþ, þe coordes of þe tabernacle, and alle vſable þinges of it. Þe kynred of Caaþ ſhal haue þe puples Amramytas, Jeſſaarytas, and Ebronytis, and Eſielites; þes ben þe meyneis of Caatices, noumbrid bi her names, of al maal kynd, fro a moneþ and aboue, eiȝt þouſyndes and ſix hundriþ.

And þei ſhulen haue biſy wardes of þe ſeyntuarie, and þei ſhulen ſette tentes at þe ſowþ plage; and þe prince of hem ſhal be Elyzaphan, þe ſone of Oziel. And þei ſhulen kepe þe ark, and þe table, and þe candelſtik, þe auters, and þe veſſels of þe ſeyntuarie in þe which it is mynyſtryd, and þe veyl, and al ſiche maner purtenaunce. Þe prince forſoþe of þe princes of Leuytes, Eleazar, þe ſone of Aaron, preeſt; and he ſhal be vpon þe wakers of þe warde of þe ſeyntuarie.

And forſoþe of Merarye ſhal be puples, Moolites, and Muſites, noumbred bi her names, of al maal kynde fro o moneþ and aboue, ſix þouſyndes and two hundreþ; þe prynce of hem Suryel, þe ſone of Abiahiel; in þe norþ plage þei ſhulen ſette tentes. Þere ſhulen be vnder þe warde of hem þe tables of þe tabernacle, and þe berynge ſtaues, and þe pilers, and þe feet of hem, and alle þinges þat to ſuche maner heriynge perteynen, and þe pilers of þe porche bi enuyroun, wiþ her feet, and þe ſtakis, wiþ þe coordes.

Þei ſhulen ſette tentes before þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees, þat is, at þe eeſt plage, Moyſes, and Aaron wiþ his ſones, hauynge warde of þe ſeyntuarye, in þe mydil of þe ſones of Yrael; who ſo euer alien come þer to, ſhal die. Alle þe Leuytes, þe whiche noumbreden Moiſes and Aaron, after þe heeſt of þe Lord, bi her meyneis, in maal kynde, fro o moneþ and aboue, weren two and twenti þouſyndes.

And þe Lord ſeiþ to Moyſes, Noumbre þe firſte geten of maal kynde of þe ſones of Iſrael, fro o moneþ and aboue; and þou ſhalt haue þe ſowm of hem; and þou ſhalt take Leuitis to me for alle þe firſt gotyn of þe ſones of Iſrael; I am þe Lord; and þe beeſtis of hem for alle þe firſt gotyn of þe ſones of Iſrael. And Moiſes tolde, as þe Lord comaundide, þe firſt goten of þe ſones of Iſrael; and þere weren maalis bi her names, fro o moneþ and aboue, two and twenti þouſandis two hundrid and ſeuenti and þre. And þe Lord ſpak to Moiſes, ſeiynge, Tak Leuites for þe firſt goten of þe ſones of Yrael, and þe beeſtis of Leuytes for þe beeſtis of hem, and Leuytes ſhulen be myn; I am þe Lord.

In þe prijs forſoþe of two hundriþ ſeuenti and þre, þat paſſen þe noumbre of Leuytes, of þe fyrſt gotun of þe ſones of Yrael, þow ſhalt take fyue ſiclis bi eche heedes, at þe meſure of þe ſeyntuarie; a cicle haþ twenti halfpens; and þou ſhalt ȝyue þe money to Aaron and his ſones, þe prijs of hem þat ben aboue. Þerfor Moyſes toke þe money of hem þat weren more ouer, and þe whiche þei aȝenbouȝten of þe Leuytes, for þe firſt gotun of þe ſones of Yrael, of a þouſynd þre hundrid and fyue and ſixti ſicles, after þe weiȝt of þe ſeyntuarie; and he ȝaue it to Aaron and his ſones, after þe word þat þe Lord comaundide to hym.