1 Chronicles 23

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

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

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

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

3 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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

7 Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei.

The sons of Gershom: Ladan and Shimei.

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

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

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

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

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

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

11 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.

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.

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

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

13 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 Yhwh, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever.

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.

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

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

15 The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer.

The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

16 Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.

The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the first.

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

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.

18 Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief.

The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the first.

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

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

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

The sons of Uzziel: Micah the first, 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.

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

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

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

24 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 Yhwh, from the age of twenty years and upward.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

28 Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of Yhwh, 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;

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.

29 Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for grain 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;

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.

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

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

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

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.

32 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 Yhwh.

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.