They shall carry the tabernacle and all its articles, care for it, and camp around it.
51 Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to be pitched, the Levites are to set it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death.
52 The Israelites are to camp by their divisions, each man in his own camp and under his own standard. 53 But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.”
54 Thus the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
The Order of the Camps
2 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron: 2 “The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance from it, each man under his standard, with the banners of his family.
3 On the east side, toward the sunrise, the divisions of Judah are to camp under their standard:
The leader of the descendants of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab, 4 and his division numbers 74,600.
5 The tribe of Issachar will camp next to it. The leader of the Issacharites is Nethanel son of Zuar, 6 and his division numbers 54,400.
7 Next will be the tribe of Zebulun. The leader of the Zebulunites is Eliab son of Helon, 8 and his division numbers 57,400.
9 The total number of men in the divisions of the camp of Judah is 186,400; they shall set out first.
10 On the south side, the divisions of Reuben are to camp under their standard:
The leader of the Reubenites is Elizur son of Shedeur, 11 and his division numbers 46,500.
12 The tribe of Simeon will camp next to it. The leader of the Simeonites is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, 13 and his division numbers 59,300.
14 Next will be the tribe of Gad. The leader of the Gadites is Eliasaph son of Deuel,[1] 15 and his division numbers 45,650.
16 The total number of men in the divisions of the camp of Reuben is 151,450; they shall set out second.
17 In the middle of the camps, the Tent of Meeting is to travel with the camp of the Levites. They are to set out in the order they encamped, each in his own place under his standard.
18 On the west side, the divisions of Ephraim are to camp under their standard:
The leader of the Ephraimites is Elishama son of Ammihud, 19 and his division numbers 40,500.
20 The tribe of Manasseh will be next to it. The leader of the Manassites is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, 21 and his division numbers 32,200.
22 Next will be the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of the Benjamites is Abidan son of Gideoni, 23 and his division numbers 35,400.
24 The total number of men in the divisions of the camp of Ephraim is 108,100; they shall set out third.
- ↑ 14 Many MT manuscripts, SP, and Vulgate (see also Numbers 1:14); most MT manuscripts Reuel
