1 Chronicles 23

1 And David is old, and satisfied with days, and causeth his son Solomon to reign over Israel,

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

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

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, by their polls, is of mighty men thirty and eight thousand.

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

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

David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of the LORD’s house, six thousand were officers and judges,

5 and four thousand gatekeepers, and four thousand giving praise to Jehovah, 'with instruments that I made for praising,' [saith David.]

four thousand were doorkeepers, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made for giving praise.”

6 And David distributeth them into courses: Of the sons of Levi: of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

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

7 Of the Gershonite: Laadan and Shimei.

Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

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

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

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

The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan.

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

The sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

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.

Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah didn’t have many sons; therefore they became a fathers’ house in one reckoning.

12 Sons of Kohath [are] Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.

The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, 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 — unto the age, to make perfume before Jehovah, to serve Him, and to bless in His name — unto the age.

The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was separated that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister to him, and to bless in his name forever.

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

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

15 Sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

16 Sons of Gershom: Shebuel the head.

The sons of Gershom: Shebuel 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.

The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

18 Sons of Izhar: Shelomith the head.

The son of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only; and their relatives, the sons of Kish, took them as wives.

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

The sons of Mushi: Mahli, 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 polls, doing the work for the service of the house of Jehovah, from a son of twenty years and upward,

These were the sons of Levi after their fathers’ houses, even the heads of the fathers’ houses of those who were counted individually, in the number of names by their polls, who did the work for the service of the LORD’s house, from twenty years old and upward.

25 for David said, 'Jehovah, God of Israel, hath given rest to His people, and He doth tabernacle in Jerusalem unto the age;'

For David said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people; and he dwells in Jerusalem forever.

26 and also of the Levites, 'None [are] to bear the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service;'

Also the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service.”

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,

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

28 for their station [is] at 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 cleansing of every holy thing, and the work of the service of the house of God,

For their duty was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the LORD’s house—in the courts, in the rooms, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of God’s house;

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 fried, and for all [liquid] measure and [solid] measure;

for the show bread 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 measurements of quantity and size;

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

and to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise in the evening;

31 and for all the burnt-offerings — burnt-offerings to Jehovah for sabbaths, for new moons, and for appointed seasons, by number, according to the ordinance upon them continually, before Jehovah.

and to offer all burnt offerings to the LORD on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD;

32 And they have kept the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, for the service of the house of Jehovah.

and that they should keep the duty of the Tent of Meeting, the duty of the holy place, and the duty of the sons of Aaron their brothers for the service of the LORD’s house.