1 Chronicles 23

1 When David was old and near the end of his life, 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 He gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and Levites.

And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with 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 were numbered from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.

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 and four thousand were to oversee the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were 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 were doorkeepers; and four thousand praised the LORD 'with the instruments which I made to praise therewith.'

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

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

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

Of the Gershonites: Ladan, and Shimei.

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

The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, 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.

The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers' houses of Ladan.

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

And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the 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 was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they became a fathers' house in one reckoning.

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

The 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.

The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was separated, that he should be sanctified as most holy, he and his sons for ever, to offer before the LORD, to minister unto Him, and to bless in His name for ever.

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

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

15 Moses' sons were Gershom and Eliezer.

The sons of Moses: Gershom, and Eliezer.

16 Gershom's descendant was Shubael the oldest.

The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.

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

And the sons of Eliezer were: Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had no other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

18 Izhar's son was Shelomith the leader.

The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.

19 Hebron's descendants were Jeriah, the oldest, 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 Uzziel's sons were Micah the oldest, and Ishijah the second.

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

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

The sons of Merari: Mahli, and Mushi. The 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 died, and had no sons, but daughters only; and their brethren the sons of Kish took them to wife.

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

The sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, 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 were the sons of Levi after their fathers' houses, even the heads of the fathers' houses, according to their muster, in the number of names by their polls, who did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from twenty years old 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: 'The LORD, the God of Israel, hath given rest unto His people, and He dwelleth in Jerusalem for ever;

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

and also the Levites shall no more have need to carry the tabernacle and all the vessels of it for the service thereof.'

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

For by the last ordinances of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old 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 was at the side of 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, even 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.

for the showbread also, and for the fine flour for a meal-offering, whether of unleavened wafers, or of that which is baked on the griddle, or of that which is soaked, and for all manner of measure and size;

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

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

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 to offer all burnt-offerings unto the LORD, on the sabbaths, on the new moons, and in the appointed seasons, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually, before the LORD;

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 that they should 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, for the service of the house of the LORD.