1 Chronicles

The first book of the Chronicles, chapter 23, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 23 New English Translation

David Organizes the Levites

   1 When David was old and approaching the end of his life, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.
   2 David assembled all the leaders of Israel, along with the priests and the Levites. 3 The Levites who were thirty years old and up were counted; there were 38,000 men. 4 David said, "Of these, 24,000 are to direct the work of the LORD's temple; 6,000 are to be officials and judges; 5 4,000 are to be gatekeepers; and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I supplied for worship." 6 David divided them into groups corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
   7 The Gershonites included Ladan and Shimei.
   8 The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the oldest, Zetham, and Joel - three in all.
   9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran - three in all. These were the leaders of the family of Ladan.
   10 The sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These were Shimei's sons - four in all. 11 Jahath was the oldest and Zizah the second oldest. Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were considered one family with one responsibility.
   12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel - four in all.
   13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were chosen on a permanent basis to consecrate the most holy items, to offer sacrifices before the LORD, to serve him, and to praise his name. 14 The descendants of Moses the man of God were considered Levites.
   15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.
   16 The son of Gershom: Shebuel the oldest.
   17 The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah, the oldest. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many descendants.
   18 The son of Izhar: Shelomith the oldest.
   19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the oldest, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
   20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah the oldest, and Isshiah the second.
   21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
   22 Eleazar died without having sons; he had only daughters. The sons of Kish, their cousins, married them.
   23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth - three in all.
   24 These were the descendants of Levi according to their families, that is, the leaders of families as counted and individually listed who carried out assigned tasks in the LORD's temple and were twenty years old and up. 25 For David said, "The LORD God of Israel has given his people rest and has permanently settled in Jerusalem. 26 So the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the items used in its service." 27 According to David's final instructions, the Levites twenty years old and up were counted.
   28 Their job was to help Aaron's descendants in the service of the LORD's temple. They were to take care of the courtyards, the rooms, ceremonial purification of all holy items, and other jobs related to the service of God's temple. 29 They also took care of the bread that is displayed, the flour for offerings, the unleavened wafers, the round cakes, the mixing, and all the measuring. 30 They also stood in a designated place every morning and offered thanks and praise to the LORD. They also did this in the evening 31 and whenever burnt sacrifices were offered to the LORD on the Sabbath and at new moon festivals and assemblies. A designated number were to serve before the LORD regularly in accordance with regulations. 32 They were in charge of the meeting tent and the holy place, and helped their relatives, the descendants of Aaron, in the service of the LORD's temple.

King James Version

   1 So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
   2 ¶ And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.
   3 Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.
   4 Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges:
   5 Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.
   6 And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
   7 ¶ Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei.
   8 The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.
   9 The sons of Shimei; Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan.
   10 And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.
   11 And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father's house.
   12 ¶ The sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
   13 The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever.
   14 Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.
   15 The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer.
   16 Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.
   17 And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
   18 Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief.
   19 Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
   20 Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah the first, and Jesiah the second.
   21 ¶ The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish.
   22 And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and their brethren the sons of Kish took them.
   23 The sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
   24 ¶ These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.
   25 For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever:
   26 And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.
   27 For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above:
   28 Because their office was to wait on 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, and the work of the service of the house of God;
   29 Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;
   30 And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even;
   31 And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD:
   32 And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.