1 Chronicles 23

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

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

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

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

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

The Levites were counted 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 to preside over the work of the house of Jehovah; and six thousand were officers and judges;

David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of Yahweh’s house, six thousand were officers and judges,

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

four thousand were doorkeepers, and four thousand praised Yahweh with the instruments which I made for giving praise.”

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

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

7 Of the Gershonites: Laadan and Shimei.

Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

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

The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, Zetham, and Joel, three.

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

The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan.

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

The sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

11 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.

Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah didn’t have many sons; therefore they became a fathers’ house in one reckoning.

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

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

13 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.

The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was separated that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before Yahweh, to minister to him, and to bless in his name forever.

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

But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among 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 head.

The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.

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

The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

18 — The sons of Jizhar: Shelomith the head.

The son of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.

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

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

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

The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief, and Isshiah 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 And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters; and their brethren the sons of Kish took them.

Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only; and their relatives, the sons of Kish, took them as wives.

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

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

24 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.

These were the sons of Levi after their fathers’ houses, even the heads of the fathers’ houses of those who were counted individually, in the number of names by their polls, who did the work for the service of Yahweh’s house, from twenty years old and upward.

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

For David said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people; and he dwells in Jerusalem forever.

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

Also the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service.”

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

For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were counted, from twenty years old and upward.

28 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;

For their duty was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of Yahweh’s house—in the courts, in the rooms, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of God’s house;

29 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;

for the show bread also, and for the fine flour for a meal offering, whether of unleavened wafers, or of that which is baked in the pan, or of that which is soaked, and for all measurements of quantity and size;

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

and to stand every morning to thank and praise Yahweh, and likewise in the evening;

31 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;

and to offer all burnt offerings to Yahweh on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before Yahweh;

32 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.

and that they should keep the duty of the Tent of Meeting, the duty of the holy place, and the duty of the sons of Aaron their brothers for the service of Yahweh’s house.