1 Chronicles 23

1 And David being old and full of days, made Solomon his son king over Israel.

SO when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

2 And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, and the priests and 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 upwards: and there were found of them thirty-eight thousand men.

Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.

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

Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the Lord; and six thousand were officers and judges:

5 Moreover four thousand were porters: and as many singers singing to the Lord with the instruments, which he had made to sing with.

Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the Lord with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.

6 And David distributed them into courses by the families of the sons of Levi, to wit, of Gerson, and of Caath, and of Merari.

And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7 The sons of Gerson were Leedan and Semei.

Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei.

8 The sons of Leedan: the chief Jahiel, and Zethan, and Joel, three.

The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

9 The sons of Semei: Salomith, and Hosiel, and Aran, three: these were the heads of the families of Leedan.

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

10 And the sons of Semei were Leheth, and Ziza, and Jaus, and Baria: these were the sons of Semei, four.

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

11 And Leheth was the first, Ziza the second: but Jaus and Baria had not many children, and therefore they were counted in one family, and in one house.

And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father’s house.

12 The sons of Caath were Amram, and Isaar, Hebron, and Oziel, four.

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

13 The sons of Amram, Aaron, and Moses. And Aaron was separated to minister in the holy of holies, he and his sons for ever, and to burn incense before the Lord, according to his ceremonies, and to bless 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 for ever, to burn incense before the Lord, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever.

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

Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.

15 The sons of Moses were Gersom and Eliezer:

The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer.

16 The sons of Gersom: Subuel the first.

Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.

17 And the sons of Eliezer were: Rohobia the first: and Eliezer had no more sons. But the sons of Rohobia were multiplied exceedingly.

And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

18 The sons of Isaar: Salomith the first.

Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief.

19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriau the first, Amarias the second, Jahaziel the third, Jecmaam the fourth.

Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

20 The sons of Oziel: Micha the first, Jesia the second.

Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah the first, and Jesiah the second.

21 The sons of Merari: Moholi, and Musi. The sons of Moholi: Eleazar and Cia.

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 the sons of Cis their brethren took them.

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

23 The sons of Musi: Moholi, and Eder, and Jerimoth, three.

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

24 These are the sons of Levi in their kindreds and families, princes by their courses, and the number of every head that did the works of the ministry of the house of the Lord from twenty years old and upward.

These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from the age of twenty years and upward.

25 For David said: The Lord the God of Israel hath given rest to his people, and a habitation in Jerusalem for ever.

For David said, The Lord God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever:

26 And it shall not be the office of the Levites to carry any more the tabernacle, and all the vessels for the service thereof.

And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.

27 So according to the last precepts of David, the sons of Levi are to be numbered from twenty years old and upward.

For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above:

28 And they are to be under the hand of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, in the porches, 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.

Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God;

29 And the priests have the charge of the leaves of proposition, and of the sacrifice of fine flour, and of the unleavened cakes, and of the fryingpan, and of the roasting, and of every weight and measure.

Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;

30 And the Levites are to stand in the morning to give thanks, and to sing praises to the Lord: and in like manner in the evening,

And to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at even;

31 As well in the oblation of the holocausts of the Lord, as in the sabbaths and in the new moons, and the rest of the solemnities, according to the number and ceremonies prescribed for every thing, continually before the Lord.

And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the Lord:

32 And let them keep the observances of the tabernacle of the covenant, and the ceremonies of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, that they may minister in the house of the Lord.

And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the Lord.