< 1 Chronicles 23 >

1 David was a very old man [DOU] when he appointed his son Solomon to be the next king.
וְדָוִ֥יד זָקֵ֖ן וְשָׂבַ֣ע יָמִ֑ים וַיַּמְלֵ֛ךְ אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹ֥ה בְנ֖וֹ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
2 David gathered the leaders of Israel and the priests and other descendants of Levi.
וַיֶּאֱסֹף֙ אֶת־כָּל־ שָׂרֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְהַלְוִיִּֽם׃
3 He [commanded some of his officials to] count the descendants of Levi who were at least thirty years old, and they found out that there were 38,000 of them.
וַיִּסָּֽפְרוּ֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם מִבֶּ֛ן שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וָמָ֑עְלָה וַיְהִ֨י מִסְפָּרָ֤ם לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם֙ לִגְבָרִ֔ים שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וּשְׁמוֹנָ֖ה אָֽלֶף׃
4 Then David said, “From those 38,000 men, I want 24,000 of them to supervise the work at the temple of Yahweh, and I want 6,000 of them to be officials and judges.
מֵאֵ֗לֶּה לְנַצֵּ֙חַ֙ עַל־מְלֶ֣אכֶת בֵּית־יְהוָ֔ה עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֖ה אָ֑לֶף וְשֹׁטְרִ֥ים וְשֹׁפְטִ֖ים שֵׁ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִֽים׃
5 I want 4,000 to be guards at the gates, and 4,000 to praise Yahweh, using the musical instruments that I have provided for them.”
וְאַרְבַּ֥עַת אֲלָפִ֖ים שֹׁעֲרִ֑ים וְאַרְבַּ֤עַת אֲלָפִים֙ מְהַֽלְלִ֣ים לַיהוָ֔ה בַּכֵּלִ֕ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתִי לְהַלֵּֽל׃
6 David divided the descendants of Levi into three family groups; each group consisted of men who were descendants of one of the three sons of Levi—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
וַיֶּֽחָלְקֵ֥ם דָּוִ֖יד מַחְלְק֑וֹת ס לִבְנֵ֣י לֵוִ֔י לְגֵרְשׁ֖וֹן קְהָ֥ת וּמְרָרִֽי׃ ס
7 From the descendants of Gershon there were Ladan and Shimei.
לַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֖י לַעְדָּ֥ן וְשִׁמְעִֽי׃ ס
8 There were three sons of Ladan: Jehiel was the oldest, and his [younger] brothers Zetham and Joel.
בְּנֵ֣י לַעְדָּ֗ן הָרֹ֧אשׁ יְחִיאֵ֛ל וְזֵתָ֥ם וְיוֹאֵ֖ל שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ ס
9 There were three of the sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. They were all leaders of the clans of Ladan.
בְּנֵ֣י שִׁמְעִ֗י שלמות וַחֲזִיאֵ֛ל וְהָרָ֖ן שְׁלֹשָׁ֑ה אֵ֛לֶּה רָאשֵׁ֥י הָאָב֖וֹת לְלַעְדָּֽן׃ ס
10 There were four men who were other sons of Shimei:
וּבְנֵ֣י שִׁמְעִ֔י יַ֣חַת זִינָ֔א וִיע֖וּשׁ וּבְרִיעָ֑ה אֵ֥לֶּה בְנֵי־שִׁמְעִ֖י אַרְבָּעָֽה׃
11 Jahath, who was his oldest son, and his [younger] brothers Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah. Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were counted as though they were one family.
וַֽיְהִי־יַ֣חַת הָרֹ֔אשׁ וְזִיזָ֖ה הַשֵּׁנִ֑י וִיע֤וּשׁ וּבְרִיעָה֙ לֹֽא־הִרְבּ֣וּ בָנִ֔ים וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ לְבֵ֣ית אָ֔ב לִפְקֻדָּ֖ה אֶחָֽת׃ ס
12 Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
בְּנֵ֣י קְהָ֗ת עַמְרָ֥ם יִצְהָ֛ר חֶבְר֥וֹן וְעֻזִּיאֵ֖ל אַרְבָּעָֽה׃ ס
13 There were two sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart to dedicate the very holy things, to offer sacrifices to Yahweh, to serve in his presence, and to declare [to the people] what Yahweh [MTY] would do to bless them. They were to do those things forever.
בְּנֵ֥י עַמְרָ֖ם אַהֲרֹ֣ן וּמֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּבָּדֵ֣ל אַהֲרֹ֡ן לְֽהַקְדִּישׁוֹ֩ קֹ֨דֶשׁ קָֽדָשִׁ֤ים הֽוּא־וּבָנָיו֙ עַד־עוֹלָ֔ם לְהַקְטִיר֩ לִפְנֵ֨י יְהוָ֧ה לְשָׁרְת֛וֹ וּלְבָרֵ֥ךְ בִּשְׁמ֖וֹ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃
14 The sons of Moses, the man who served God [well], were counted as part of the tribe of Levi.
וּמֹשֶׁ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים בָּנָ֕יו יִקָּרְא֖וּ עַל־שֵׁ֥בֶט הַלֵּוִֽי׃
15 The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.
בְּנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה גֵּרְשֹׁ֖ם וֶאֱלִיעֶֽזֶר׃
16 The oldest son of Gershom was Shubael.
בְּנֵ֥י גֵרְשׁ֖וֹם שְׁבוּאֵ֥ל הָרֹֽאשׁ׃
17 Rehabiah was the oldest son of Eliezer. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many sons.
וַיִּֽהְי֥וּ בְנֵי־אֱלִיעֶ֖זֶר רְחַבְיָ֣ה הָרֹ֑אשׁ וְלֹא־הָיָ֤ה לֶאֱלִיעֶ֙זֶר֙ בָּנִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וּבְנֵ֥י רְחַבְיָ֖ה רָב֥וּ לְמָֽעְלָה׃
18 The oldest son of Izhar was Shelomith.
בְּנֵ֥י יִצְהָ֖ר שְׁלֹמִ֥ית הָרֹֽאשׁ׃ ס
19 Hebron had four sons. Jeriah was his oldest son, and his [younger] brothers were Amariah, Jahaziel, and Jekameam.
בְּנֵ֖י חֶבְר֑וֹן יְרִיָּ֤הוּ הָרֹאשׁ֙ אֲמַרְיָ֣ה הַשֵּׁנִ֔י יַחֲזִיאֵל֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י וִֽיקַמְעָ֖ם הָרְבִיעִֽי׃
20 Uzziel had two sons. Micah was the oldest son, and his [younger] brother was Isshiah.
בְּנֵ֖י עֻזִּיאֵ֑ל מִיכָ֣ה הָרֹ֔אשׁ וְיִשִּׁיָּ֖ה הַשֵּׁנִֽי׃ ס
21 Merari had two sons: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish.
בְּנֵ֤י מְרָרִי֙ מַחְלִ֣י וּמוּשִׁ֔י בְּנֵ֥י מַחְלִ֖י אֶלְעָזָ֥ר וְקִֽישׁ׃
22 Eleazar had no sons; he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.
וַיָּ֙מָת֙ אֶלְעָזָ֔ר וְלֹא־הָ֥יוּ ל֛וֹ בָּנִ֖ים כִּ֣י אִם־בָּנ֑וֹת וַיִּשָּׂא֥וּם בְּנֵי־קִ֖ישׁ אֲחֵיהֶֽם׃
23 The three sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.
בְּנֵ֣י מוּשִׁ֗י מַחְלִ֥י וְעֵ֛דֶר וִירֵמ֖וֹת שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃
24 Those were the descendants of Levi, whose names were listed according to their families/clans. They were chosen for special jobs by (casting lots/throwing small marked stones). Each person who was at least 20 years old was listed. They all worked in the temple of Yahweh.
אֵ֣לֶּה בְנֵֽי־לֵוִי֩ לְבֵ֨ית אֲבֹתֵיהֶ֜ם רָאשֵׁ֧י הָאָב֣וֹת לִפְקוּדֵיהֶ֗ם בְּמִסְפַּ֤ר שֵׁמוֹת֙ לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָ֔ם עֹשֵׂה֙ הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה לַעֲבֹדַ֖ת בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה מִבֶּ֛ן עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וָמָֽעְלָה׃
25 David had said previously, “Yahweh, the God to whom we Israeli people belong, has enabled us to have peace, and he [has come to] live in Jerusalem forever.
כִּ֚י אָמַ֣ר דָּוִ֔יד הֵנִ֛יחַ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְעַמּ֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁכֹּ֥ן בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם עַד־לְעוֹלָֽם ׃
26 Therefore, the descendants of Levi no longer need to carry the Sacred Tent and the items used in the work there.”
וְגַ֖ם לַלְוִיִּ֑ם אֵין־לָשֵׂ֧את אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ן וְאֶת־כָּל־כֵּלָ֖יו לַעֲבֹדָתֽוֹ׃
27 Obeying the final instructions of David [before he died, instructions for doing this work at the temple], they counted only the descendants of Levi who were at least 20 years old.
כִּ֣י בְדִבְרֵ֤י דָוִיד֙ הָאַ֣חֲרֹנִ֔ים הֵ֖מָּה מִסְפַּ֣ר בְּנֵי־לֵוִ֑י מִבֶּ֛ן עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וּלְמָֽעְלָה׃
28 The work of those descendants of Levi was to assist the descendants of Aaron in their work in the temple of Yahweh: To be in charge of the temple courtyards and the side rooms, the ceremonies for purifying all the sacred things, and to do other work at the temple.
כִּ֣י מַעֲמָדָ֞ם לְיַד־בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֗ן לַעֲבֹדַת֙ בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה עַל־הַחֲצֵרוֹת֙ וְעַל־הַלְּשָׁכ֔וֹת וְעַֽל־טָהֳרַ֖ת לְכָל־קֹ֑דֶשׁ וּמַֽעֲשֵׂ֔ה עֲבֹדַ֖ת בֵּ֥ית הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃
29 They were also in charge of the sacred loaves of bread that were placed [each week] on the table [in the temple], the flour for the grain offerings, the wafers that were made without yeast, and the measuring the ingredients and mixing them and baking that bread and those wafers.
וּלְלֶ֨חֶם הַֽמַּעֲרֶ֜כֶת וּלְסֹ֤לֶת לְמִנְחָה֙ וְלִרְקִיקֵ֣י הַמַּצּ֔וֹת וְלַֽמַּחֲבַ֖ת וְלַמֻּרְבָּ֑כֶת וּלְכָל־מְשׂוּרָ֖ה וּמִדָּֽה׃
30 They were also told to stand every morning [at the temple] and thank Yahweh and praise him. They were also required to do the same thing every evening.
וְלַעֲמֹד֙ בַּבֹּ֣קֶר בַּבֹּ֔קֶר לְהֹד֥וֹת וּלְהַלֵּ֖ל לַיהוָ֑ה וְכֵ֖ן לָעָֽרֶב׃
31 And they were to do the same thing whenever offerings that were to be completely burned [on the altar] were presented/offered to Yahweh on Sabbath days and during the new moon celebrations and other religious festivals. They were told how many of them should be there and what they should do each time.
וּלְכֹ֨ל הַעֲל֤וֹת עֹלוֹת֙ לַיהוָ֔ה לַשַּׁבָּת֔וֹת לֶחֳדָשִׁ֖ים וְלַמֹּעֲדִ֑ים בְּמִסְפָּ֨ר כְּמִשְׁפָּ֧ט עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם תָּמִ֖יד לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
32 So the descendants of Levi did the work that was assigned to them by their fellow Israelis who were descendants of Aaron. They did that work in the area surrounding the Sacred Tent, and in the Sacred Tent, and [later] at the temple.
וְשָׁמְר֞וּ אֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֗ד וְאֵת֙ מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וּמִשְׁמֶ֕רֶת בְּנֵ֥י אַהֲרֹ֖ן אֲחֵיהֶ֑ם לַעֲבֹדַ֖ת בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃ פ

< 1 Chronicles 23 >