“Do not allow the tribe of the families of the Kohathites to be cut off ¹  from among the Levites;

Now the leader of the clan of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.

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

And the Kohathites set out, carrying the articles for the sanctuary; ¹  the tabernacle was to be set up ²  before they arrived. ³ 

They were assigned to the Kohathite clans of the Levites who were descendants of Aaron, ¹  for the first lot belonged to them.

The rest of the Kohathite clans received ten cities and their grazing areas.

From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites. ¹ 

Some of the Kohathites, their relatives, were in charge of preparing the bread that is displayed each Sabbath.

Then some Levites, from the Kohathites and Korahites, got up and loudly praised the Lord God of Israel. ¹ 

The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted cities from the tribe of Ephraim.

“Take a census ¹  of the Kohathites from among the Levites, by their families and by their clans,

The families of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.

These were those numbered from the families of the Kohathites, everyone who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord by the authority of Moses.

And these are the Levites who were numbered according to their families: from Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; from Merari, the family of the Merarites.

The first lot belonged to ¹  the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

These are the ones who served along with their sons: From the Kohathites: Heman the musician, son of Joel, son of Samuel,

These were the areas where Aaron’s descendants lived: ¹  The following belonged to the Kohathite clan, for they received the first allotment: ² 

This is the service of the Kohathites in the tent of meeting, relating to the most holy things. ¹ 

But the Kohathites ¹  are not to go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, or they will die.”

The following Levites prepared to carry out the king’s orders: ¹  From the Kohathites: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah; from the Merarites: Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel; from the Gershonites: Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah;