1 Chronicles 23

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

So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

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

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

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

Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.

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

Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges:

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

Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.

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

And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7 Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei.

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

The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

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

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

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

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

11 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.

And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father’s house.

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

The sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, 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 forever, to burn incense before Yahweh, to minister to him, and to bless in his name forever.

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 to him, and to bless in his name for ever.

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

Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.

15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer.

16 The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.

Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.

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

And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

18 The son of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.

Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief.

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

Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

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

Of the sons of Uzziel; Micah the first and Jesiah the second.

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

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

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

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

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

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

24 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 Yahweh’s house, from twenty years old and upward.

These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.

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

For David said, The LORD God of Israel has given rest to his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever:

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

And also to the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.

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

For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above:

28 For their duty was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of Yahweh’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;

Because 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, and the work of the service of the house of God;

29 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;

Both for the show bread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;

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

And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even:

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

And to offer all burnt sacrifices to the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded to them, continually before the LORD:

32 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 Yahweh’s house.

And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brothers, in the service of the house of the LORD.