1 Chronicles 23

1 When David was old and near the end of his life, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

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

2 He gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and Levites.

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

3 The Levites who were thirty years old and older were counted. They numbered thirty-eight thousand.

And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward; and their number, by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand.

4 “Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of Yahweh's house, and six thousand were officers and judges.

Of these, twenty-four thousand were to preside over the work of the house of Jehovah; and six thousand were officers and judges;

5 Four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand were to praise Yahweh with the instruments that I made to give praise,” David said.

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

6 He divided them into groups that corresponded to Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

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

7 From the clans descended from Gershon, there were Ladan and Shimei.

Of the Gershonites: Laadan and Shimei.

8 There were three of Ladan's sons: Jehiel the leader, Zetham, and Joel.

The sons of Laadan: the head was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

9 There were three of Shimei's sons: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. These were the leaders of the clans of Ladan.

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

10 There were four of Shimei's sons: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah.

And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza, and Jeush, and Beriah. These were the four sons of Shimei.

11 Jahath was the oldest, and Ziza the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were considered as one clan with the same duties.

And Jahath was the head, and Ziza the second; and Jeush and Beriah had not many sons: as father's house, therefore, they were reckoned as one.

12 There were four of Kohath's sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

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

13 These were Amram's sons: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was chosen to set apart the most holy things, that he and his descendants would offer incense before Yahweh, to serve him and to give blessings in his name forever.

The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was separated, that he should be hallowed as most holy, he and his sons for ever, to offer before Jehovah, to do service to him, and to bless in his name for ever.

14 But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were considered to be Levites.

— And as to Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.

15 Moses' sons were Gershom and Eliezer.

The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

16 Gershom's descendant was Shubael the oldest.

The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the head.

17 Eliezer's descendant was Rehabiah. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many descendants.

And the sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the head; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

18 Izhar's son was Shelomith the leader.

— The sons of Jizhar: Shelomith the head.

19 Hebron's descendants were Jeriah, the oldest, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

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

20 Uzziel's sons were Micah the oldest, and Ishijah the second.

The sons of Uzziel: Micah the head, and Jishijah the second.

21 Merari's sons were Mahli and Mushi. Mahli's sons were Eleazar and Kish.

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

22 Eleazar died without having any sons. He had only daughters. The sons of Kish married them.

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

23 Mushi's three sons were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

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

24 These were Levi's descendants corresponding to their clans. They were the leaders, counted and listed by name, of the clans that did the work in the service of Yahweh's house, from twenty years old and upward.

These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers' houses, the chief fathers, as they were reckoned, by number of names by their polls, who did the work of the service of the house of Jehovah, from twenty years old and upward.

25 For David said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people. He makes his home in Jerusalem forever.

For David said, Jehovah the God of Israel has given rest to his people, and he will dwell in Jerusalem for ever;

26 The Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all the equipment used in its service.”

and the Levites also have no more to carry the tabernacle, nor any of its vessels for its service.

27 For by David's last words the Levites were counted, from twenty years old and upward.

For by the last words of David was this [done], — the numbering of the sons of Levi from twenty years old and upward.

28 Their duty was to assist Aaron's descendants in the service of Yahweh's house. They were to care for the courtyards, the rooms, the ceremonial purification of all the things that belong to Yahweh, and other work in the service of God's house.

For their place was by the side of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of Jehovah, over the courts, and over the chambers, and over the purifying of all holy things, and [for] the work of the service of the house of God;

29 They also took care of the bread of the presence, the fine flour for grain offerings, the unleavened wafers, the baked offerings, the offerings mixed with oil, and all the measuring of the amounts and sizes of things.

and for the loaves to be set in rows, and for the fine flour for the oblation, and for the unleavened cakes, and for [what is baked in] the pan, and for that which is saturated [with oil], and for all measure of capacity and size;

30 They also stood every morning to thank and praise Yahweh. They also did this in the evening

and to stand every morning to thank and praise Jehovah, and likewise at even;

31 and whenever burnt offerings were offered to Yahweh, on the Sabbath and at the new moon festivals and feast days. A fixed number, assigned by decree, always had to be present before Yahweh.

and for all burnt-offerings offered up to Jehovah on the sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the ordinance concerning them, continually, before Jehovah;

32 They were in charge of the tent of meeting, the holy place, and helped their fellow descendants of Aaron in the service of Yahweh's house.

and they kept the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of Jehovah.