1 Chronicles 23

1 And David was old and satisfied with days, and he causes his son Solomon to reign over Israel,

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

2 and gathers all the heads of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites;

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

3 and the Levites are numbered from a son of thirty years and upward, and their number, for their counted heads, is of thirty-eight thousand mighty men.

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.

4 Of these, twenty-four thousand [are] to preside over the work of the house of YHWH, and six thousand officers and judges,

Of these were twenty and four thousand to superintend the work of the house of the Lord; and six thousand were officers and judges;

5 and four thousand gatekeepers, and four thousand giving praise to YHWH, “with instruments that I made for praising,” [says David.]

And four thousand were gatekeepers: and four thousand those who praised the Lord with the instruments which I have made, to praise therewith.

6 And David distributes them into divisions of the sons of Levi—of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

And David divided them into divisions after the sons of Levi, after Gershon, Kehath, and Merari.

7 Of the Gershonite: Laadan and Shimei.

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

8 Sons of Laadan: the head [is] Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel—three.

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

9 Sons of Shimei: Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran—three; these [are] heads of the fathers of Laadan.

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

10 And sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah; these [are] the four sons of Shimei.

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

11 And Jahath is the head, and Zizah the second, and Jeush and Beriah have not multiplied sons, and they become the house of a father by one numbering.

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.

12 Sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four.

The sons of Kehath: 'Amram, Yizhar, Hebron, and 'Uzziel, four.

13 Sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron is separated for his sanctifying the Holy of Holies, he and his sons, for all time, to make incense before YHWH, to serve Him, and to bless in His Name for all time.

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.

14 As for Moses, the man of God, his sons are called after the tribe of Levi.

But as regardeth Moses the man of God, his sons were named after the tribe of Levi.

15 Sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eli'ezer.

16 Sons of Gershom: Shebuel the head.

Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.

17 And sons of Eliezer are Rehabiah the head, and Eliezer had no other sons, and the sons of Rehabiah have multiplied exceedingly.

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.

18 Sons of Izhar: Shelomith the head.

Of the sons of Yizhar, was Shelomith the chief.

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

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

20 Sons of Uzziel: Micah the head, and Ishshiah the second.

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

21 Sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi; sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

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

22 And Eleazar dies, and he had no sons, but daughters, and their brothers, sons of Kish, take them.

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

23 Sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth—three.

The sons of Mushi: Machli, and 'Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

24 These [are] sons of Levi, by the house of their fathers, heads of the fathers, by their appointments, in the number of names, by their counted heads, doing the work for the service of the house of YHWH, from a son of twenty years and upward,

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.

25 for David said, “YHWH, God of Israel, has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem for all time”;

For David said, The Lord the God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, and he dwelleth in Jerusalem for evermore.

26 and also of the Levites, “None [are] to carry the Dwelling Place and all its vessels for its service”;

And also the Levites are no more bound to carry the tabernacle, and all its vessels for the service thereof.

27 for by the last words of David they [took] the number of the sons of Levi from a son of twenty years and upward,

Therefore by the last words of David were there numbered of the Levites those who were from twenty years old and above;

28 for their station [is] at the side of the sons of Aaron, for the service of the house of YHWH, over the courts, and over the chambers, and over the cleansing of every holy thing, and the work of the service of the house of God,

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;

29 and for the bread of the arrangement, and for fine flour for present, and for the thin unleavened cakes, and for [the work of] the pan, and for that which is stirred, and for all [liquid] measure and [solid] measure;

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;

30 and to stand, morning by morning, to give thanks, and to give praise to YHWH, and so at evening;

And to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and so also at evening,

31 and for all the burnt-offerings—burnt-offerings to YHWH for Sabbaths, for new moons, and for appointed times, by number, according to the ordinance on them continually, before YHWH.

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;

32 And they have kept the charge of the Tent of Meeting, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of their brothers, the sons of Aaron, for the service of the house of YHWH.

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.