Solomon Reigns

23 (A)Now when David [a]reached old age, (B)he made his son Solomon king over Israel. And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites.

Offices of the Levites

(C)Now the Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward, and (D)their number by [b]head count of men was thirty-eight thousand. Of these, twenty-four thousand were (E)to oversee the work of the house of the Lord; and six thousand were (F)officers and judges, and four thousand were gatekeepers, and (G)four thousand were praising the Lord with the instruments which [c]David made for giving praise. David divided them into divisions (H)according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Gershonites

Of the Gershonites there were [d]Ladan and Shimei. The sons of Ladan were Jehiel the first, and Zetham and Joel, three. The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan. 10 The sons of Shimei were Jahath, [e]Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 11 Jahath was the first and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became a father’s household, one group for duty.

Kohathites

12 The sons of Kohath were four in number: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 13 (I)The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And (J)Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, (K)to burn incense before the Lord, to serve Him and bless in His name forever. 14 But as for (L)Moses, the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. 15 The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The [f]son of Gershom was [g]Shebuel the chief. 17 The [h]son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18 The [i]son of Izhar was [j]Shelomith the chief. 19 The sons of Hebron were Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20 The sons of Uzziel were Micah the first and Isshiah the second.

Merarites

21 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar died and had no sons, but only daughters; so their relatives, the sons of Kish, took them as wives. 23 The sons of Mushi were three: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.

Duties Revised

24 (M)These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers’ households, the heads of the fathers’ households of those among them who were [k]counted, in the number of names by their [l]head count, doing the work for the service of the house of the Lord, (N)from twenty years old and upward. 25 For David said, “The Lord God of Israel (O)has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26 Also, (P)the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service.” 27 For by the last words of David, the sons of Levi were counted from twenty years old and upward. 28 For their office is [m]to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of the Lord, in the courtyards and in the chambers, and in the purification of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God, 29 (Q)and with the showbread, and (R)the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or (S)what is baked in the pan or (T)what is well-mixed, and (U)all measures of volume and size. 30 They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the Lord, and likewise at evening, 31 and to offer all burnt offerings to the Lord, (V)on the Sabbaths, the new moons and (W)the appointed festivals, in the number determined by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the Lord. 32 So (X)they are to perform the [n]duties of the tent of meeting, the holy place, and (Y)of assisting the sons of Aaron their relatives, for the service of the house of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 23:1 Lit became old and sated with days
  2. 1 Chronicles 23:3 Lit their heads
  3. 1 Chronicles 23:5 Lit I made
  4. 1 Chronicles 23:7 In Ex 6:17, Libni
  5. 1 Chronicles 23:10 In v 11, Zizah
  6. 1 Chronicles 23:16 Lit sons
  7. 1 Chronicles 23:16 In 24:20, Shubael
  8. 1 Chronicles 23:17 Lit sons...were
  9. 1 Chronicles 23:18 Lit sons
  10. 1 Chronicles 23:18 In 24:22, Shelomoth
  11. 1 Chronicles 23:24 Lit mustered
  12. 1 Chronicles 23:24 Lit heads
  13. 1 Chronicles 23:28 Lit at the hand of
  14. 1 Chronicles 23:32 Lit duty of...the duty of...

23 And David is old, and satisfied with days, and causeth his son Solomon to reign over Israel,

and gathereth all the heads of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites;

and the Levites are numbered from a son of thirty years and upward, and their number, by their polls, is of mighty men thirty and eight thousand.

Of these to preside over the work of the house of Jehovah [are] twenty and four thousand, and officers and judges six thousand,

and four thousand gatekeepers, and four thousand giving praise to Jehovah, `with instruments that I made for praising,' [saith David.]

And David distributeth them into courses: Of the sons of Levi: of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Of the Gershonite: Laadan and Shimei.

Sons of Laadan: the head [is] Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

Sons of Shimei [are] Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three; these [are] heads of the fathers of Laadan.

10 And sons of Shimei [are] Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah; these [are] sons of Shimei, four.

11 And Jahath is the head, and Zizah the second, and Jeush and Beriah have not multiplied sons, and they become the house of a father by one numbering.

12 Sons of Kohath [are] Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.

13 Sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron is separated for his sanctifying the holy of holies, he and his sons -- unto the age, to make perfume before Jehovah, to serve Him, and to bless in His name -- unto the age.

14 As to Moses, the man of God, his sons are called after the tribe of Levi.

15 Sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

16 Sons of Gershom: Shebuel the head.

17 And sons of Eliezer are Rehabiah the head, and Eliezer had no other sons, and the sons of Rehabiah have multiplied exceedingly.

18 Sons of Izhar: Shelomith the head.

19 Sons of Hebron: Jeriah the head, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

20 Sons of Uzziel: Micah the head, and Ishshiah, the second.

21 Sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi; sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

22 And Eleazar dieth, and he had no sons, but daughters, and sons of Kish their brethren take them.

23 Sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth, three.

24 These [are] sons of Levi, by the house of their fathers, heads of the fathers, by their appointments, in the number of names, by their polls, doing the work for the service of the house of Jehovah, from a son of twenty years and upward,

25 for David said, `Jehovah, God of Israel, hath given rest to His people, and He doth tabernacle in Jerusalem unto the age;'

26 and also of the Levites, `None [are] to bear the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service;'

27 for by the last words of David they [took] the number of the sons of Levi from a son of twenty years and upward,

28 for their station [is] at the side of the sons of Aaron, for the service of the house of Jehovah, over the courts, and over the chambers, and over the cleansing of every holy thing, and the work of the service of the house of God,

29 and for the bread of the arrangement, and for fine flour for present, and for the thin unleavened cakes, and for [the work of] the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all [liquid] measure and [solid] measure;

30 and to stand, morning by morning, to give thanks, and to give praise to Jehovah, and so at evening;

31 and for all the burnt-offerings -- burnt-offerings to Jehovah for sabbaths, for new moons, and for appointed seasons, by number, according to the ordinance upon them continually, before Jehovah.

32 And they have kept the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, for the service of the house of Jehovah.