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Saturday, April 18th, 2026
the Second Week after Easter
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Numbers 4:18

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Levites;   Tabernacle;   Thompson Chain Reference - Kohathites;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Levites, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Tabernacle;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Punishments;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Kohathites;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Kohath, Kohathites;   Moses;   Numbers, Book of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Badgers' Skins;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Table;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Koliath;   Tabernacle;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Burden;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Priesthood, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Punishments;   Tribe;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
"Don't cut off the tribe of the families of the Kehati from among the Levites;
King James Version
Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:
Lexham English Bible
"You must not cut off the tribe of the clan of the Kohathites from the midst of the Levites.
New Century Version
"Don't let the Kohathites be cut off from the Levites.
New English Translation
"Do not allow the tribe of the families of the Kohathites to be cut off from among the Levites;
Amplified Bible
"Do not cut off (eliminate, destroy) the tribe of the families of the Kohathites [who are only Levites and not priests], from among the Levites [by exposing them to the sin of touching the most holy things].
New American Standard Bible
"Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be eliminated from among the Levites.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Ye shal not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Leuites:
Legacy Standard Bible
"Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be cut off from among the Levites.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Do not cut off the clan of K'hat from among the L'vi'im;
Darby Translation
Ye shall not cut off the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites,
Easy-to-Read Version
"Be careful! Don't let these Kohathite men be destroyed.
English Standard Version
"Let not the tribe of the clans of the Kohathites be destroyed from among the Levites,
George Lamsa Translation
You shall not destroy the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites;
Good News Translation
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Christian Standard Bible®
“Do not allow the Kohathite tribal clans to be wiped out from the Levites.
Literal Translation
Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Ye shal not destroye the trybe of the kynred of the Rahathites amoge the Leuites,
American Standard Version
Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites;
Bible in Basic English
Do not let the family of the Kohathites be cut off from among the Levites;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Ye shall not cut of the tribe of the kinred of the Caathites, from among the Leuites:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites;
King James Version (1611)
Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites, from among the Leuites.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Ye shall not destroy the family of Caath from the tribe out of the midst of the Levites.
English Revised Version
Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:
Berean Standard Bible
"Do not allow the Kohathite tribal clans to be cut off from among the Levites.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Nyle ye leese the puple of Caath fro the myddis of Leuytis;
Young's Literal Translation
`Ye do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathite from the midst of the Levites;
Update Bible Version
Don't cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites;
Webster's Bible Translation
Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:
World English Bible
"Don't cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites;
New King James Version
"Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites;
New Living Translation
"Do not let the Kohathite clans be destroyed from among the Levites!
New Life Bible
"Do not let the family group of the Kohathites be destroyed from among the Levites.
New Revised Standard
You must not let the tribe of the clans of the Kohathites be destroyed from among the Levites.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be cut off out of the midst of the Levites.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Destroy not the people of Caath from the midst of the Levites:
Revised Standard Version
"Let not the tribe of the families of the Ko'hathites be destroyed from among the Levites;
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be cut off from among the Levites.

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

Eleazar and the priests would be chargeable with the death of the Kohathites, if they failed to give them proper cautions and directions; or permitted them to gaze with irreverence or curiosity upon the holy things, which they might carry, but not see - Numbers 4:20. Numbers 16:32, Numbers 17:10, Numbers 18:5, Exodus 19:21, Leviticus 10:1, Leviticus 10:2, 1 Samuel 6:19, 2 Samuel 6:6, 2 Samuel 6:7, Jeremiah 38:23

Cross-References

Genesis 5:21
When Enoch was sixty-five years old, he had Methuselah. Enoch walked steadily with God. After he had Methuselah, he lived another 300 years, having more sons and daughters. Enoch lived a total of 365 years.
Genesis 36:2
Esau married women of Canaan: Adah, daughter of Elon the Hittite; Oholibamah, daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite; and Basemath, daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites. Or give no occasion, as the Targum of Jonathan; or be not the cause of their cutting off, as Jarchi, through negligence or inadvertency of theirs, in packing up the above things, and delivering them to them.


 
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