1 Chronicles 23

1 Then David, being old and full of days, appointed his son Solomon as king over Israel.

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

2 And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests as well as the Levites.

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

3 And the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward. And there were found thirty-eight thousand men.

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

4 Of these, twenty-four thousand were chosen and distributed to the ministry of the house of the Lord. Then six thousand were overseers and judges.

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

5 Moreover, four thousand were porters. And the same number were the singers of psalms to the Lord, with the musical instruments which he had made for the music.

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

6 And David distributed them into courses according to the sons of Levi, specifically, Gershom, and Kohath, and Merari.

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

7 The sons of Gershom: Ladan and Shimei.

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

8 The sons of Ladan: the leader Jahiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

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

9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the leaders of the families of Ladan.

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

10 Then the sons of Shimei: Jahath, and Zizah, and Jeush, and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei, four.

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

11 Now Jahath was first, Zizah second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, and for this reason they were reckoned as one family and one house.

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.

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

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

13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Now Aaron was separated so that he might minister in the Holy of Holies, he and his sons forever, and so that he might burn incense to the Lord, according to his rite, and so that he might bless his name in perpetuity.

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.

14 The sons of Moses, the man of God, were also numbered in the tribe of Levi.

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

15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

Moses' sons were Gershom and Eliezer.

16 The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the first.

Gershom's descendant was Shubael the oldest.

17 Now the sons of Eliezer were Rehabiah the first. And there were no other sons for Eliezer. But the sons of Rehabiah were multiplied exceedingly.

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

18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the first.

Izhar's son was Shelomith the leader.

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

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

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

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

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

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

22 Then Eleazar died, and had no sons, but only daughters. And so the sons of Kish, their brothers, married them.

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

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

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

24 These are the sons of Levi, in their kindred and families, leaders in turns, and the number of each of the heads who were doing the works of the ministry of the house of the Lord, from twenty years of age and upward.

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.

25 For David said: “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and a habitation in Jerusalem even unto eternity.

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

26 Neither shall it be the office of the Levites any more to carry the tabernacle with all its equipment for use in the ministry.”

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

27 Also, according to the last precepts of David, the sons of Levi shall be counted by number from twenty years of age and upward.

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

28 And they shall be under the hand of the sons of Aaron, in the care of the house of the Lord, in the vestibule, and in the chambers, and in the place of purification, and in the sanctuary, and in all the works of the ministry of the temple of the Lord.

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.

29 But the priests shall be over the bread of the presence, and the sacrifice of fine wheat flour, and the unleavened cakes, and the frying pan, and the roasting, and over every weight and measure.

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.

30 Yet truly, the Levites shall stand to confess and to sing to the Lord, in the morning, and similarly in the evening,

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

31 as much in the oblation of the holocausts of the Lord, as in the Sabbaths and new moons and other solemnities, according to the number and ceremonies for each and every matter, perpetually before the Lord.

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.

32 And let them keep the observances of the tabernacle of the covenant, and the rituals of the sanctuary, and the observance of the sons of Aaron, their brothers, so that they may minister in the house of the Lord.

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.