1 Chronicles 23

1 Then David, being old and full of days, appointed his son Solomon as king over Israel.

And David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

2 And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests as well as the Levites.

And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

3 And the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward. And there were found thirty-eight thousand men.

And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward; and their number, by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand.

4 Of these, twenty-four thousand were chosen and distributed to the ministry of the house of the Lord. Then six thousand were overseers and judges.

Of these, twenty-four thousand were to preside over the work of the house of Jehovah; and six thousand were officers and judges;

5 Moreover, four thousand were porters. And the same number were the singers of psalms to the Lord, with the musical instruments which he had made for the music.

and four thousand were doorkeepers; and four thousand praised Jehovah with the instruments which I made, [said David, ] to praise [therewith].

6 And David distributed them into courses according to the sons of Levi, specifically, Gershom, and Kohath, and Merari.

And David divided them into courses according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7 The sons of Gershom: Ladan and Shimei.

Of the Gershonites: Laadan and Shimei.

8 The sons of Ladan: the leader Jahiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

The sons of Laadan: the head was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the leaders of the families of Ladan.

The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief fathers of Laadan.

10 Then the sons of Shimei: Jahath, and Zizah, and Jeush, and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei, four.

And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza, and Jeush, and Beriah. These were the four sons of Shimei.

11 Now Jahath was first, Zizah second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, and for this reason they were reckoned as one family and one house.

And Jahath was the head, and Ziza the second; and Jeush and Beriah had not many sons: as father's house, therefore, they were reckoned as one.

12 The sons of Kohath: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel, four.

The sons of Kohath: Amram, Jizhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.

13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Now Aaron was separated so that he might minister in the Holy of Holies, he and his sons forever, and so that he might burn incense to the Lord, according to his rite, and so that he might bless his name in perpetuity.

The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was separated, that he should be hallowed as most holy, he and his sons for ever, to offer before Jehovah, to do service to him, and to bless in his name for ever.

14 The sons of Moses, the man of God, were also numbered in the tribe of Levi.

— And as to Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.

15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

16 The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the first.

The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the head.

17 Now the sons of Eliezer were Rehabiah the first. And there were no other sons for Eliezer. But the sons of Rehabiah were multiplied exceedingly.

And the sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the head; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the first.

— The sons of Jizhar: Shelomith the head.

19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.

The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the head, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah the first, Isshiah the second.

The sons of Uzziel: Micah the head, and Jishijah the second.

21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

22 Then Eleazar died, and had no sons, but only daughters. And so the sons of Kish, their brothers, married them.

And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters; and their brethren the sons of Kish took them.

23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

The sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

24 These are the sons of Levi, in their kindred and families, leaders in turns, and the number of each of the heads who were doing the works of the ministry of the house of the Lord, from twenty years of age and upward.

These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers' houses, the chief fathers, as they were reckoned, by number of names by their polls, who did the work of the service of the house of Jehovah, from twenty years old and upward.

25 For David said: “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and a habitation in Jerusalem even unto eternity.

For David said, Jehovah the God of Israel has given rest to his people, and he will dwell in Jerusalem for ever;

26 Neither shall it be the office of the Levites any more to carry the tabernacle with all its equipment for use in the ministry.”

and the Levites also have no more to carry the tabernacle, nor any of its vessels for its service.

27 Also, according to the last precepts of David, the sons of Levi shall be counted by number from twenty years of age and upward.

For by the last words of David was this [done], — the numbering of the sons of Levi from twenty years old and upward.

28 And they shall be under the hand of the sons of Aaron, in the care of the house of the Lord, in the vestibule, and in the chambers, and in the place of purification, and in the sanctuary, and in all the works of the ministry of the temple of the Lord.

For their place was by 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 purifying of all holy things, and [for] the work of the service of the house of God;

29 But the priests shall be over the bread of the presence, and the sacrifice of fine wheat flour, and the unleavened cakes, and the frying pan, and the roasting, and over every weight and measure.

and for the loaves to be set in rows, and for the fine flour for the oblation, and for the unleavened cakes, and for [what is baked in] the pan, and for that which is saturated [with oil], and for all measure of capacity and size;

30 Yet truly, the Levites shall stand to confess and to sing to the Lord, in the morning, and similarly in the evening,

and to stand every morning to thank and praise Jehovah, and likewise at even;

31 as much in the oblation of the holocausts of the Lord, as in the Sabbaths and new moons and other solemnities, according to the number and ceremonies for each and every matter, perpetually before the Lord.

and for all burnt-offerings offered up to Jehovah on the sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the ordinance concerning them, continually, before Jehovah;

32 And let them keep the observances of the tabernacle of the covenant, and the rituals of the sanctuary, and the observance of the sons of Aaron, their brothers, so that they may minister in the house of the Lord.

and they kept the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of Jehovah.