וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֛ה בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינַ֖י בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד בְּאֶחָד֩ לַחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֜י בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשֵּׁנִ֗ית לְצֵאתָ֛ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לֵאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year of their exodus from the land of Egypt, saying:

שְׂא֗וּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֙ כָּל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּמִסְפַּ֣ר שֵׁמ֔וֹת כָּל־זָכָ֖ר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָֽם׃

Take a census of the entire congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their patrilineal house, according to the number of names. This is not merely a technical count, as it will include both the names of those counted as well as the group to which they belong. Since this is a military census, it will not encompass the entire people, but only every male, by their head count. The census will be performed in their presence, so that their heads can be counted.

מִבֶּ֨ן עֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה כָּל־יֹצֵ֥א צָבָ֖א בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל תִּפְקְד֥וּ אֹתָ֛ם לְצִבְאֹתָ֖ם אַתָּ֥ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן׃

From twenty years old and above, all those fit for military service in Israel: You shall count them according to their hosts, you and Aaron.

וְאִתְּכֶ֣ם יִהְי֔וּ אִ֥ישׁ אִ֖ישׁ לַמַּטֶּ֑ה אִ֛ישׁ רֹ֥אשׁ לְבֵית־אֲבֹתָ֖יו הֽוּא׃

With you shall be a man for each tribe. One man shall be appointed over every tribe of Israel, and each man is the head of his patrilineal house, the leader of that tribe.

וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ שְׁמ֣וֹת הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַֽעַמְד֖וּ אִתְּכֶ֑ם לִרְאוּבֵ֕ן אֱלִיצ֖וּר בֶּן־שְׁדֵיאֽוּר׃

These are the names of the men who shall stand with you to administer the counting of their tribes. From the continuation below, it is evident that these men served as heads of their tribes with regard to other matters as well (7:10–84). For Reuben, Elitzur son of Shede’ur.

לְשִׁמְע֕וֹן שְׁלֻמִיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־צוּרִֽישַׁדָּֽי׃

For Simeon, Shelumiel son of Tzurishadai.

לִֽיהוּדָ֕ה נַחְשׁ֖וֹן בֶּן־עַמִּינָדָֽב׃

For Judah, Nahshon son of Aminadav.

לְיִ֨שָּׂשכָ֔ר נְתַנְאֵ֖ל בֶּן־צוּעָֽר׃

For Issachar, Netanel son of Tzuar.

לִזְבוּלֻ֕ן אֱלִיאָ֖ב בֶּן־חֵלֹֽן׃

For Zebulun, Eliav son of Helon. The six sons of Leah, in order of birth, have now all been mentioned.

לִבְנֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף לְאֶפְרַ֕יִם אֱלִישָׁמָ֖ע בֶּן־עַמִּיה֑וּד לִמְנַשֶּׁ֕ה גַּמְלִיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־פְּדָהצֽוּר׃

Following the sons of Leah, the sons of Rachel are listed. For the sons of Joseph: for Ephraim, Elishama son of Amihud; for Manasseh, Gamliel son of Pedatzur.

לְבִ֨נְיָמִ֔ן אֲבִידָ֖ן בֶּן־גִּדְעֹנִֽי׃

For Benjamin, Avidan son of Gidoni.

לְדָ֕ן אֲחִיעֶ֖זֶר בֶּן־עַמִּֽישַׁדָּֽי׃

Next are the tribes of the sons of the maidservants. For Dan, the firstborn of these maidservants, Ahiezer son of Amishadai.

לְאָשֵׁ֕ר פַּגְעִיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־עָכְרָֽן׃

For Asher, Pagiel son of Okhran.

לְגָ֕ד אֶלְיָסָ֖ף בֶּן־דְּעוּאֵֽל׃

For Gad, Elyasaf son of De’uel.

לְנַ֨פְתָּלִ֔י אֲחִירַ֖ע בֶּן־עֵינָֽן׃

For Naphtali, Ahira son of Einan.

אֵ֚לֶּה קריאי [קְרוּאֵ֣י] הָעֵדָ֔ה נְשִׂיאֵ֖י מַטּ֣וֹת אֲבוֹתָ֑ם רָאשֵׁ֛י אַלְפֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הֵֽם׃

These are the distinguished of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they are the heads of the thousands of Israel.

וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹ֑ן אֵ֚ת הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִקְּב֖וּ בְּשֵׁמֽוֹת׃

Moses and Aaron took these men, listed above, who were also designated by name by God, and selected by Him for their important role.

וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־הָעֵדָ֜ה הִקְהִ֗ילוּ בְּאֶחָד֙ לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י וַיִּתְיַֽלְד֥וּ עַל־מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּמִסְפַּ֣ר שֵׁמ֗וֹת מִבֶּ֨ן עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֛ה וָמַ֖עְלָה לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָֽם׃

They assembled the entire congregation on the first of the second month, and they verified their lineages by their families, by their patrilineal house. They all provided proof of their ancestry. The tribes were not merely formal units; they were also comprised of groups and subgroups: families and houses of fathers. The lists included only the Israelites, and not members of other nations who left Egypt with them. These foreigners apparently lived in a different section of the camp. The Israelites were counted according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, by their head count.

כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַֽיִּפְקְדֵ֖ם בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי׃ (פ)

As the Lord had commanded Moses, he counted them in the wilderness of Sinai.