1 Chronicles 23
David Organizes the Levites
1 aWhen David was old and full of days, bhe made Solomon his son king over Israel.2David ▼
▼Hebrew He
assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. 3The Levites, dthirty years old and upward, were numbered, and ethe total was f38,000 men. 4“Twenty-four thousand of these,” David said, ▼▼Hebrew lacks David said
h“shall have charge of the work in the house of the Lord, 6,000 shall be iofficers and judges, 54,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the Lord with the instruments jthat I have made for praise.” 6 kAnd David organized them in divisions lcorresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 7 mThe sons of Gershon ▼
▼Vulgate (compare Septuagint, Syriac); Hebrew to the Gershonite
were Ladan and Shimei. 8The sons of Ladan: oJehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three. 9The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ houses of Ladan. 10And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 11Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, therefore they became counted as a single father’s house. 12 pThe sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. 13 qThe sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. rAaron was set apart to dedicate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever should smake offerings before the Lord and tminister to him and upronounce blessings in his name forever. 14But the sons of Moses the vman of God were named among the wtribe of Levi. 15The xsons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. 16The sons of Gershom: yShebuel the chief. 17The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. 19The zsons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20 aaThe sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second.
21 abThe sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and acKish. 22Eleazar died adhaving no sons, but only daughters; their aekinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them. 23 afThe sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
24 agThese were the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses, the heads of fathers’ houses ahas they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from aitwenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord. 25For David said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, ajhas given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26And so the Levites no longer need akto carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service.” 27For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from altwenty years old and upward. 28For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God. 29Their duty was also to assist with the amshowbread, the anflour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the aobaked offering, the apoffering mixed with oil, and all aqmeasures of quantity or size. 30And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening, 31and whenever burnt offerings were offered to the Lord aron Sabbaths, asnew moons, and feast days, ataccording to the number required of them, regularly before the Lord. 32Thus authey were to keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and to attend the sons of Aaron, their brothers, for the avservice of the house of the Lord.
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