1 Chronicles 23

1 Now, David, was old, and satisfied with days, —so he made Solomon his son king, over Israel;

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

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

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

3 Now the Levites were numbered, from thirty years old and upwards, —and their number by their polls, of mature men, was thirty-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 Yahweh, were twenty-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, were doorkeepers, —and, four thousand, were offerers of praise unto Yahweh, with instruments, which [said David] I made for offering praise.

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

6 And David divided them into courses, —pertaining to the sons of Levi, to Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

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

7 Of the Gershonites, Ladan and Shimei.

Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

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

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

9 The sons of Shimei, Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, three, —these, were the ancestral chiefs of Ladan.

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

10 And, the sons of Shimei, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah, —these, were the sons of Shimei, four.

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

11 And Jahath was chief, and Zizah the second, —but, Jeush and Beriah, had not many sons, so they became an ancestral house, by one reckoning.

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 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, to hallow the holy of holies, he and his sons, unto times age-abiding, to make a perfume before Yahweh, to be in attendance upon him, and to bless in his name, unto times age-abiding;

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 and, as for Moses, the man of God, his sons, were called unto the tribe of Levi.

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

15 The sons of Moses, were Gershom, and Eliezer.

The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

16 the sons of Gershom, were Shebuel the chief;

The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.

17 and the sons of Eliezer were Rehabiah the chief, —and Eliezer had no other sons, but, the sons of Rehabiah, were very many.

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

18 The sons of Izhar, Shelomith the chief.

The son of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.

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

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

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

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

21 The sons of Merari, were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli, were Eleazar and Kish.

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

22 But Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only, —and so the sons of Kish their brethren took them.

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

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

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

24 These, were the sons of Levi by their ancestral house, the ancestral chiefs of them who were counted in the number of their names, by their polls, doing the work, for the service of the house of Yahweh, —from twenty years old, and upwards.

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, said David, Yahweh the God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, —and hath taken up his habitation in Jerusalem, unto times age-abiding;

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

26 moreover also, as for the Levites, they have no need to bear the habitation, nor any of its vessels in the laborious work thereof.

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, the same, were the number of the sons of Levi, —from twenty years old, and upwards.

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

28 For, their duty, was—to be in attendance upon the sons of Aaron, in the laborious work of the house of Yahweh, over the courts, and over the chambers, and over the purifying of everything holy, —and doing the laborious work, 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 set in array, and for the fine meal for the meal-offering, and for the unleavened cakes, even for that which is baked in a pan, for the moistened food, —even of every measure, and size;

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 offer praise unto Yahweh, —and, likewise, at even;

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

31 and for all the offering of ascending-sacrifices unto Yahweh, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts, —by number, according to the manner prescribed for them continually, before Yahweh; —

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 shall keep the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, —in the laborious work of the house of Yahweh.

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.