1 Chronicles 23

1 And 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 And then were numbered the Levites from thirty years old and upward: and their number by their polls, of men, 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 these were twenty and four thousand to superintend the work of the house of the Lord; 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 And four thousand were gatekeepers: and four thousand those who praised the Lord with the instruments which I have made, 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 divisions after the sons of Levi, after Gershon, Kehath, and Merari.

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

7 Of the Gershunites: La'dan, and Shim'i.

The sons of Gershom: Ladan and Shimei.

8 The sons of La'dan: The chief was Jechiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

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

9 The sons of Shim'i: Shelomith, and Chaziel, and Haran, three. These were the chiefs of the families of La'dan.

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

10 And the sons of Shim'i were, Jachath, Zina, and Je'ush, and Beri'ah. These four were the sons of Shim'i.

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

11 And Jachath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Je'ush and Beri'ah had not many sons: therefore were they accounted as one family division in the numbering.

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 Kehath: 'Amram, Yizhar, 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 set apart, to sanctify him as most holy, he with his sons for ever, to burn incense before the Lord, 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 But as regardeth Moses the man of God, his sons were named after 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 Eli'ezer.

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 Eli'ezer were, Rechahyah the chief. And Eli'ezer had no other sons; but the sons of Rechahyah became exceedingly numerous.

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 Yizhar, was Shelomith the chief.

The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the first.

19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriyahu the chief, Amaryah the second, Jachaziel the third, and Jekam'am the fourth.

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

20 The sons of 'Uzziel: Michah the chief, and Yishiyah the second.

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

21 The sons of Merari: Machli, and Mushi. The sons of Machli: El'azar, and Kish.

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

22 And El'azar died, and had no sons, but daughters; and the sons of Kish, their brethren, took them [for wives].

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: Machli, and 'Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

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

24 These were the sons of Levi after their family divisions, even the chiefs of the families, as they were counted by numbering the names after their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from twenty years old 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, The Lord the God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, and he dwelleth in Jerusalem for evermore.

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 the Levites are no more bound to carry the tabernacle, and all its vessels 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 Therefore by the last words of David were there numbered of the Levites those who were 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 station was to be at the side of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, in the courts, and in the chambers, and by the purification 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 And for the shew-bread, which was put in rows, 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 sodden, and for all manner of dry and wet measure;

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 the Lord, and so also at evening,

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

31 And at all the offering of burnt-offerings unto the Lord on the sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the appointed feasts, according to the number, and after the manner prescribed for them, continually before the Lord;

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 sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the Lord.

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.