Numbers 4
Wycliffe's Bible
1And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron, and said, 2Take thou the sum, or the number, of the sons of Kohath, from the midst of (the) Levites, by their houses and families, 3from the thirtieth year and above unto the fiftieth year, of all that enter, that they stand and minister in the tabernacle of the bond of peace. (from thirty years of age up to fifty years old, of all who enter to serve in the Tabernacle of the Covenant.) 4This is the religion of the sons of Kohath; Aaron and his sons shall enter into the tabernacle of the bond of peace, and into the holy of holy things, (This is the service of the sons of Kohath; Aaron and his sons shall enter into the Tabernacle of the Covenant, and into the Most Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies,)

5when the tents shall be moved; and they shall do down the veil that hangeth before the gates, and they shall wrap in it the ark of witnessing; (when the tents shall be moved; and they shall take down the Veil that hangeth before the Ark, and they shall wrap the Ark of the Witnessing, that is, the Box containing the tablets of the Law, in it;) 6and they shall cover it again with a veil of jacinthine skins, and they shall stretch forth above (that) a mantle all of jacinth, and they shall lead in [the] bearing staves. (and they shall wrap it with a leather cover, and put a blue mantle over that, and then put in the carrying bars.) 7Also they shall wrap the board of proposition, that is, (of) setting forth, in a mantle of jacinth, and they shall put therewith [the] censers, and spoons of gold, little cups, and great cups to flowing sacrifices to be shed (out); loaves shall ever[more] be in the board. (And they shall wrap the table of proposition, that is, the table of setting forth, in a blue mantle, and they shall put the censers, and the gold saucers, and the little cups, and the great cups for the wine offerings upon it; and loaves shall be on the table forevermore.) 8And they shall stretch forth thereabove a red mantle, which they shall cover again with a covering of jacinthine skins, and they shall lead in the bearing staves. (And they shall spread a red mantle over them, and put a leather cover over that, and then put in the carrying bars.) 9They shall take also a mantle of jacinth with which they shall cover the candlestick, with his lanterns, and tongs, and snuffers, and all the oil vessels that be needful to the lanterns to be ordained; (And they shall take a blue mantle with which they shall cover the lamp-stand, with its lanterns, and tongs, and snuffers, and all the oil vessels that be needed for the lanterns to be lit;) 10and upon all these things they shall put a covering of jacinthine skins, and they shall bring, or lead, in the bearing staves. (and they shall wrap all these things in a leather cover, and then put it on a carrying bar, or a carrying pole.) 11Also they shall wrap the golden altar in a cloth of jacinth; and they shall stretch forth above it a covering of jacinthine skins, and they shall lead in [the] bearing staves. (And they shall wrap the gold altar in a blue mantle; and they shall wrap that in a leather cover, and then put in the carrying bars.) 12They shall wrap in a mantle of jacinth all the vessels in which it is ministered in the saintuary, and they shall stretch forth above it a covering of jacinthine skins, and they shall lead in the bearing staves. (And they shall wrap all the vessels with which they minister in the sanctuary in a blue mantle, and they shall wrap that in a leather cover, and then put it on a carrying bar, or a carrying pole.) 13But also they shall cleanse the altar from (all) ashes, and (then) they shall wrap it in a cloth of purple. 14And they shall put with it all the vessels which they use in the service thereof, that is, the resets of fire, the tongs, and fleshhooks, and other hooks, and the censers, or the pans of coals; they shall cover all the vessels of the altar (al)together in a veil of jacinthine skins, and they shall lead in the bearing staves. (And they shall put on the altar all the vessels which they use in its service, that is, the fire receptacles, the tongs, and flesh-hooks, and other hooks, and the censers, or the pans, for the coal; and they shall cover all the vessels of the altar with a leather cover, and then put in the carrying bars.) 15And when Aaron and his sons have wrapped the saintuary, and all [the] vessels thereof, in the moving of tents, then the sons of Kohath shall enter, that they bear the things wrapped, and touch not the vessels of the saintuary, lest they die. These be the burdens of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace, (And when Aaron and his sons have wrapped up the sanctuary, and all its vessels, in the moving of the tents, then the sons of Kohath shall enter to carry the things that be wrapped up, but they must not touch the sanctuary vessels, or they shall die/for if they touch them, then they must be put to death. These be the loads for the sons of Kohath in the Tabernacle of the Covenant.)

16on which Eleazar, the son of Aaron, (the) priest, shall be; to whose care the oil pertaineth (with which) to ordain (the) lanterns, and the incense which is made by craft, and the sacrifice which is offered ever[more], that is, in each day, and the oil of anointing, and whatever thing pertaineth to the adorning of the tabernacle, and of all vessels that be in the saintuary. (And Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, shall be in charge of the oil to fuel the lanterns, and the incense which is made by craft, and the offering which is offered forevermore, that is, on each day, and the oil of anointing, for he is in charge of whatever pertaineth to the service of the Tabernacle, and of all the vessels that be in the sanctuary.)

17And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron, and said, 18Do not ye lose, or destroy, the people of Kohath from the midst of the Levites; (Do not ye allow the people of Kohath to be done away from the midst of the Levites;) 19but do ye this thing to them, that they live, and die not, if they touch the holy of holy things. Aaron and his sons shall enter, and they shall dispose the works of all the sons of Kohath, and they shall part (to each) what who oughteth to bear. (but do ye this thing for them, so that they shall live, and not die, when they approach the most holy things. Aaron and his sons shall enter, and they shall direct the works of all the sons of Kohath, and they shall assign to each what he ought to carry.) 20Other men see not by any curiosity those things that be in the saintuary, before that those be wrapped; else they shall die. (And let not other people who be curious see those things that be in the sanctuary, before that they be wrapped up; for if they do, then they shall die/then they must be put to death.)

21And the Lord spake to Moses, and said, 22Take thou the sum, or the number, also of the sons of Gershon, by their houses, and families, and kindreds; (Take thou also the sum, or the number, of the sons of Gershon, by their houses, and families, and kindreds;) 23number thou them from thirty years and above unto fifty years, all that enter and serve in the tabernacle of the bond of peace. (make thou a list of them from thirty years of age up to fifty years old, all who enter to serve in the Tabernacle of the Covenant.) 24This is the office of the sons of Gershonites, (This is the service of the sons of the Gershonites,) 25that they bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the roof, or covering, of the bond of peace, another covering, and the veil of jacinth that shall be above all things, and the tent that hangeth in the entry of the tabernacle of the bond of peace; (that they carry the curtains of the Tabernacle, and the Tent of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, another cover, the leather cover that shall be on top of it, and the curtain that hangeth in the entrance to the Tabernacle of the Covenant;) 26and the curtains of the great entry, and the veil in the entry, that is before the tabernacle (by compass). (and the curtains of the courtyard, that is all around the Tabernacle, and the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.) 27When Aaron commandeth and his sons, the sons of Gershon shall bear all things that pertain to the altar, the cords, and the vessels, or instruments, of their service; and all they shall know, to what charge they ought to be bound. (And when Aaron and his sons command, the sons of Gershon shall carry all the things that pertain to the altar, and the cords, and the vessels, or the instruments, of their service; and they all shall know, what each of them ought to carry.) 28This is the office of the families of Gershonites, in the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace (This is the service of the Gershonite families in the Tabernacle of the Covenant); and they shall be under the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron, [the] priest.

29Also thou shalt number the sons of Merari, by the families and houses of their fathers, 30from thirty years and above unto fifty years, all that enter to the office of their service, and to the adorning of the bond of peace of witnessing. (from thirty years of age up to fifty years old, all who enter to serve in the Tabernacle of the Covenant, that is, in the Tabernacle of the Witnessing.) 31These be their charges; they shall bear the tables of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, the pillars, and their foundaments (and their foundations, or their bases); 32also the pillars of the great entry by compass, with their foundaments, and their stakes, and their cords (and the pillars all around the courtyard, with their bases, and their stakes, and their cords); and they shall take all the instruments and the purtenance of the tabernacle, by number, and so they shall bear them. 33This is the office of the family of Merarites, and the service in the tabernacle of the bond of peace (These be the duties of the Merarite family, in their service in the Tabernacle of the Covenant); and they shall be under the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron, the priest.

34Therefore Moses and Aaron and the princes of the synagogue, numbered the sons of Kohath, by the kindreds, and houses of their fathers, (And so Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the congregation, listed, or registered, the Kohathites, by the kindreds, and houses of their fathers,) 35from thirty years and above unto the fiftieth year, all that enter to the service of the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace; (from thirty years of age up to fifty years old, all who entered to serve in the Tabernacle of the Covenant;) 36and they were found (to be) two thousand (and) seven hundred and fifty. 37This is the number of the people of Kohath, which entereth into the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace; Moses and Aaron numbered these, by the word of the Lord, by the hand of Moses. (This is the number of the people of Kohath, who served in the Tabernacle of the Covenant; Moses and Aaron listed them, obeying the word of the Lord, spoken by Moses.)

38And the sons of Gershon were numbered, by the kindreds and houses of their fathers, 39from thirty years and above unto fifty years, all that enter that they serve in the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace; (from thirty years of age up to fifty years old, all who entered to serve in the Tabernacle of the Covenant;) 40and they were found (to be) two thousand (and) six hundred and thirty. 41This is the people of Gershonites, that Moses and Aaron numbered, by the kindreds and houses, by the word of the Lord.

42And the sons of Merari were numbered, by the kindreds, and houses of their fathers, 43from thirty years and above unto fifty years, all that enter to fulfill the customs, or the services, of the tabernacle of the bond of peace; (from thirty years of age up to fifty years old, all who entered to serve in the Tabernacle of the Covenant;) 44and they were found (to be) three thousand and two hundred. 45This is the number of the sons of Merari, which Moses and Aaron numbered, by the commandment of the Lord, by the hand of Moses. (This is the number of the Merarites, whom Moses and Aaron listed, or registered, by the Lord’s command, spoken by Moses.)

46All that were numbered of the Levites, and which Moses and Aaron and the princes of Israel made to be numbered, by the kindreds, and houses of their fathers, 47from thirty years and above unto fifty years, and entered to the service of the tabernacle, and to bear the charges thereof, (from thirty years of age up to fifty years old, and entered to serve in the Tabernacle, and to carry its loads,) 48were (al)together eight thousand (and) five hundred and fourscore. 49By the word of the Lord Moses numbered them, each man by his office and his charges (each one according to his service and his loads), as the Lord commanded to him.

WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE

Comprising of
Wycliffe’s Old Testament

and

Wycliffe’s New Testament
(Revised Edition)


Translated by

JOHN WYCLIFFE
and JOHN PURVEY


A modern-spelling edition of their
14TH century Middle English translation,
the first complete English vernacular version,
with an Introduction by

TERENCE P. NOBLE

Used by Permission

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