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 satisfied with days, and he causes his son Solomon to reign over Israel,
2 He gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and Levites.
and gathers all the heads of Israel, and 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 are numbered from a son of thirty years and upward, and their number, for their counted heads, is of thirty-eight thousand mighty men.
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 [are] to preside over the work of the house of YHWH, and six thousand 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 gatekeepers, and four thousand giving praise to YHWH, “with instruments that I made for praising,” [says David.]
6 He divided them into groups that corresponded to Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
And David distributes them into divisions of the sons of Levi—of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7 From the clans descended from Gershon, there were Ladan and Shimei.
Of the Gershonite: Laadan and Shimei.
8 There were three of Ladan's sons: Jehiel the leader, Zetham, and Joel.
Sons of Laadan: the head [is] 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.
Sons of Shimei: Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran—three; these [are] heads of the fathers of Laadan.
10 There were four of Shimei's sons: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah.
And sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah; these [are] 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 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.
12 There were four of Kohath's sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
Sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, 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.
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.
14 But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were considered to be Levites.
As for Moses, the man of God, his sons are called after the tribe of Levi.
15 Moses' sons were Gershom and Eliezer.
Sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.
16 Gershom's descendant was Shubael the oldest.
Sons of Gershom: Shebuel the head.
17 Eliezer's descendant was Rehabiah. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many descendants.
And sons of Eliezer are Rehabiah the head, and Eliezer had no other sons, and the sons of Rehabiah have multiplied exceedingly.
18 Izhar's son was Shelomith the leader.
Sons of Izhar: Shelomith the head.
19 Hebron's descendants were Jeriah, the oldest, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
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.
Sons of Uzziel: Micah the head, and Ishshiah the second.
21 Merari's sons were Mahli and Mushi. Mahli's sons were Eleazar and Kish.
Sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi; 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 dies, and he had no sons, but daughters, and their brothers, sons of Kish, take them.
23 Mushi's three sons were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.
Sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth—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 [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,
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, “YHWH, God of Israel, has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem for all time”;
26 The Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all the equipment used in its service.”
and also of the Levites, “None [are] to carry the Dwelling Place and all 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 they [took] the number of the sons of Levi from a son of twenty years 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 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,
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 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;
30 They also stood every morning to thank and praise Yahweh. They also did this in the evening
and to stand, morning by morning, to give thanks, and to give praise to YHWH, and so at evening;
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 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.
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 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.
