They said, “The Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelites; and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.

So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned specifically by name,

The Israelites did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses – that is what they did.

But the Levites were not numbered among the other Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.

You are to assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they will be assigned exclusively to him out of all the Israelites.

And for the redemption of the 273 firstborn males of the Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites,

“Take a census of the Kohathites from among the Levites, by their families and by their clans,

“Also take a census of the Gershonites, by their clans and by their families.

So Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the community numbered the Kohathites by their families and by clans,

Every man’s holy things will be his; whatever any man gives the priest will be his.’”

“‘Then the priest will write these curses on a scroll and then scrape them off into the bitter water.

The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah.

And so you are to separate the Levites from among the Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.

And the Kohathites set out, carrying the articles for the sanctuary; the tabernacle was to be set up before they arrived.

I am not able to bear this entire people alone, because it is too heavy for me!

So they went up and investigated the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, at the entrance of Hamath.

Then all the community raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night.

And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, two of those who had investigated the land, tore their garments.

I will strike them with the pestilence, and I will disinherit them; I will make you into a nation that is greater and mightier than they!”

But truly, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.