Numbers 4:17

THE MESSAGE

God spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Don't let the tribal families of the Kohathites be destroyed from among the Levites. Protect them so they will live and not die when they come near the most holy things. To protect them, Aaron and his sons are to precede them into the Sanctuary and assign each man his task and what he is to carry. But the Kohathites themselves must not go in to look at the holy things, not even a glance at them, or they will die."

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The LORD spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying,

King James Version
And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying,

Lexham English Bible
Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

New Century Version
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

New English Translation
Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:

Amplified Bible
Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lord spake vnto Moses and to Aaron, saying,

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

Contemporary English Version
The Kohathites must not go near or even look at the sacred objects until Aaron and his sons have covered those objects. If they do, their entire clan will be wiped out. So make sure that Aaron and his sons go into the tent with them and tell them what to carry.

Complete Jewish Bible
(Maftir) Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon,

Darby Translation
And Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

English Standard Version
The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

Good News Translation
lass="passage-text">

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:

Literal Translation
And Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the LORDE spake vnto Moses and Aaron, & sayde:

American Standard Version
And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses and Aaron, saying:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:

King James Version (1611)
And the Lord spake vnto Moses, and vnto Aaron, saying,

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

English Revised Version
And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

Berean Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the Lord spak to Moises and to Aaron, and seide,

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

Update Bible Version
And Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

World English Bible
Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

New King James Version
Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

New Living Translation
Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

New Life Bible
Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

New Revised Standard
Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then spake Yahweh unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

Revised Standard Version
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

Contextual Overview

¹ God spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, "Number the Kohathite line of Levites by clan and family. Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age, all who enter the ministry to work in the Tent of Meeting. ⁴ "This is the assigned work of the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting: care of the most holy things. ⁵"When the camp is ready to set out, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the covering curtain and cover the Chest of The Testimony with it. Then they are to cover this with a dolphin skin, spread a solid blue cloth on top, and insert the poles. ⁷"Then they are to spread a blue cloth on the Table of the Presence and set the Table with plates, incense dishes, bowls, and jugs for drink offerings. The bread that is always there stays on the Table. They are to cover these with a scarlet cloth, and on top of that spread the dolphin skin, and insert the poles. ⁹"They are to use a blue cloth to cover the light-giving Lampstand and the lamps, snuffers, trays, and the oil jars that go with it. Then they are to wrap it all in a covering of dolphin skin and place it on a carrying frame. ¹¹ "They are to spread a blue cloth over the Gold Altar and cover it with dolphin skins and place it on a carrying frame. ¹² "They are to take all the articles used in ministering in the Sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover them with dolphin skins, and place them on a carrying frame. ¹³"They are to remove the ashes from the Altar and spread a purple cloth over it. They are to place on it all the articles used in ministering at the Altar—firepans, forks, shovels, bowls; everything used at the Altar—place them on the Altar, cover it with the dolphin skins, and insert the poles. ¹⁵ "When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and the camp is ready to set out, the Kohathites are to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are in charge of carrying all the things that are in the Tent of Meeting. ¹⁶ "Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, is to be in charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular Grain-Offering, and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the entire Dwelling and everything in it, including its holy furnishings and articles."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Genesis 5:18
When Jared was 162 years old, he had Enoch. After he had Enoch, he lived another 800 years, having more sons and daughters. Jared lived a total of 962 years. And he died.

Genesis 11:4
Then they said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city and a tower that reaches Heaven. Let's make ourselves famous so we won't be scattered here and there across the Earth."

2 Samuel 18:18
While alive, Absalom had erected for himself a pillar in the Valley of the King, "because," he said, "I have no son to carry on my name." He inscribed the pillar with his own name. To this day it is called "The Absalom Memorial."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron,.... And gave them a very solemn and awful charge about this affair of the Kohathites, it being a very hazardous one they were employed in:

saying; as follows.