First Book of Chronicles 23

¹ David, an old man now with his fill of days, made his son Solomon king over Israel.

² He gathered all the Israelite leaders together, with the priests and Levites.

³ A census was taken of those Levites thirty years old and upwards. On a count of heads their number was thirty-eight thousand;

⁴ twenty-four thousand of these were responsible for the services[*a] of the house of Yahweh; six thousand were scribes and judges;

⁵ four thousand were keepers of the gate; four thousand praised Yahweh on the instruments David had made for that purpose.

⁶ Then David divided the Levites into orders: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

⁷ For the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

⁸ Sons of Ladan: Jehiel first, Zetham, Joel; three in all.

⁹ Sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, Haran; three in all. These are the heads of families of Ladan.

¹⁰ Sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, Beriah; these were the sons of Shimei; four in all.

¹¹ Jahath was the eldest, Zizah the second, then Jeush and Beriah, who had not many children and were reckoned as one family.

¹² Sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, Uzziel; four in all.

¹³ Sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to consecrate the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense in the presence of Yahweh, to serve him and to bless in his name for ever.

¹⁴ Moses was a man of God whose sons were given the name of the tribe of Levi.

¹⁵ Sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

¹⁶ Sons of Gershom: Shebuel, the first.

¹⁷ Eliezer had sons: Rehabiah, the first. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.

¹⁸ Sons of Izhar: Shelomith, the first.

¹⁹ Sons of Hebron: Jeriah first, Amariah second, Jahaziel third, Jekameam fourth.

²⁰ Sons of Uzziel: Micah first, Isshiah second.

²¹ Sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. Sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

²² Eleazar died leaving no sons but only daughters; their kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married these.

²³ Sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, Jeremoth; three in all.

²⁴ These were the sons of Levi by their families, the heads of families, and those registered by name, individually; whoever was twenty years old or upwards had his function in the service of the Temple of Yahweh.

²⁵ For David had said, ‘Yahweh, the God of Israel, has given peace to his people; and he dwells in Jerusalem for ever.

²⁶ The Levites are no longer required to carry the tabernacle or any thing used in its service.’

²⁷ For, according to the last words of David, the Levites who had been registered were of twenty years and upwards.

²⁸ Their duty is to be at the disposal of the sons of Aaron for the service of the Temple of Yahweh, in the courts and chambers, to purify everything consecrated; their duty is to serve the Temple of God.

²⁹ They are also responsible for the loaves set out in rows, and for the flour for the oblation, the wafers of unleavened bread, the cakes baked on the griddle or mixed, and with the various measures of volume and of length.[*b]

³⁰ They have to be present every morning to give glory and praise to Yahweh, and also in the evening,

³¹ and at every offering of holocaust to Yahweh on the sabbath, New Moon or solemn feast-a set number of them laid down by rule. This is a perpetual obligation for them in the presence of Yahweh.

³² In serving the Temple of Yahweh they observe the ritual of the Tent of Meeting, the ritual of the sanctuary and the ritual of their kinsmen, the sons of Aaron.