Study Desk

The number of every male a month old and older was 8,600. They did the duties of the holy place.

They took care of the special box with the Law, and the table, the lamp-stand, the altars, the things used in the holy place, and the curtain. They did all the work having to do with them.

The duties given to the sons of Merari were to take care of the parts made of wood of the meeting tent, its cross pieces, its pillars, its bases, and all the pieces that had to do with them. They took care of all these things,

Moses and Aaron and his sons were to set up their tents on the east side in front of the meeting tent, toward the sunrise. They did the duties of the meeting tent, whatever had to be done for the people of Israel. But the one who came near who was not a religious leader was to be put to death.

When the people leave to move on, Aaron and his sons will go in and take down the curtain in front of the special box with the Law inside. And they will cover the special box with it.

Then they will lay a covering of badgers' skins on it, and spread a pure blue cloth over that. And they will put in the long pieces of wood to carry it.

They will spread a blue cloth over the table of the bread before the Lord. They will put on it the plates, the dishes for special perfume, the pots, and the jars for the drink gift. And the bread will be on it always.

They will spread a red cloth over them, and cover that with badgers' skins. And they will put in its long pieces of wood to carry it.

They will take a blue cloth and cover the lamp-stand for the light, with its lamps, its objects to put out the light, its dishes and all its pots of oil used for the light.

They will put the lamp-stand and all its objects in a covering of badgers' skins. Then they will put it on the long pieces of wood used to carry it.

They will spread a blue cloth over the altar of gold, and cover it with badgers' skins. And they will put in the long pieces of wood to carry it.

They will take all the things used for the work done in the meeting tent. They will put them in a blue cloth and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins. And they will put them on the long pieces of wood to carry them.

Then they will take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it.

They will put on it all the things used for the work done on the altar: the fire-holders, meat-hooks, objects for picking up the ashes, and the pots. Then they will spread a covering of badgers' skins over it, and put in the long pieces of wood for carrying it.

Aaron and his sons will finish covering the holy objects and all the things of the meeting tent, as the people move on. After that the sons of Kohath will come to carry them. In this way they will not touch the holy objects and die. These are the things in the meeting tent which the sons of Kohath are to carry.

But do this to them so they may live and not die when they come near the most holy objects. Aaron and his sons must go in and give each of them their work and what they are to carry.

They will carry the curtains of the meeting tent and the meeting tent with its covering and the covering of badgers' skins that is over it. They will carry the curtain for the door of the meeting tent,

the curtains of the open space, and the curtain for the gate of the open space which is around the meeting tent and the altar. And they will carry the ropes for the curtains, and all the things used for their work. They will do whatever needs to be done with them.

All the work of the sons of the Gershonites will be what Aaron and his sons tell them to do. They will tell them what they are to carry and what work they are to do. You will tell them what things they have a duty to carry.

This is what they are to carry for their work in the meeting tent: the wood pieces of the meeting tent, its cross pieces, pillars and its bases.