1 Chronicles 23

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

And David being old and full of days, made Solomon his son 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 princes of Israel, and the priests and Levites.

3 And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old 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 upwards: and there were found of them thirty-eight thousand men.

4 Of these, twenty and four thousand were to oversee the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges:

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.

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

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

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

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

7 Of the Gershonites; Ladan and Shimei.

The sons of Gerson were Leedan and Semei.

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

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

9 The sons of Shimei; Shelomoth, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ [houses] of Ladan.

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

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

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

11 And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they became a fathers’ house in one reckoning.

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.

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

The sons of Caath were Amram, and Isaar, Hebron, and Oziel, 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 the LORD, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, for ever.

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.

14 But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.

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

15 The sons of Moses; Gershom and Eliezer.

The sons of Moses were Gersom and Eliezer:

16 The sons of Gershom; Shebuel the chief.

The sons of Gersom: Subuel 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.

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

18 The sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief.

The sons of Isaar: Salomith the first.

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

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

20 The sons of Uzziel; Micah the chief, and Isshiah the second.

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

21 The sons of Merari; Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar and Kish.

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

22 And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only: and their brethren the sons of Kish took them [to wife].

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

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

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

24 These were the sons of Levi after their fathers’ houses, even the heads of the fathers’ [houses] of those of them that were counted, in the number of names by their polls, who 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 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.

25 For David said, The LORD, the God of Israel, hath given rest unto his people; and he dwelleth in Jerusalem for ever:

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

26 and also the Levites shall no more have need to carry the tabernacle and all the vessels of it for the service thereof.

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

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

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

28 For 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, even the work of the service of the house of God;

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.

29 for the shewbread 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 manner of measure and size;

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.

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

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,

31 and to offer all burnt offerings unto the LORD, in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feast, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD:

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.

32 and that they should keep the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, for the service of the house of the LORD.

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.