David Assigns the Levites Their Duties
1 David was old when he chose his son Solomon to be king of Israel. 2 Some time later, David called together all of Israel's leaders, priests, and Levites. 3 He then counted the Levite men who were at least 30 years old, and the total was 38,000. 4 He said, “Twenty-four thousand of the Levites will be in charge of the temple, 6,000 will be temple officials and judges, 5 4,000 will be guards at the temple, and 4,000 will praise the Lord by playing the musical instruments I have given them.”
6 David then divided the Levites into three groups according to the clans of Levi's sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7 Gershon had two sons: Ladan and Shimei. 8 Ladan was the father of Jehiel, Zetham, and Joel. 9 They were all family leaders among their father's descendants. Shimei was the father of Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. 10-11 Later, Shimei had four more sons, in the following order: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah. But Jeush and Beriah didn't have many children, so their descendants were counted as one family.
12 Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 13 Amram was the father of Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were chosen to be in charge of all the sacred things. They served the Lord by offering sacrifices to him and by blessing the people in his name. 14-15 Moses, the man of God, was the father of Gershom and Eliezer, and their descendants were considered Levites. 16 Gershom's oldest son was Shebuel. 17 Rehabiah, who was Eliezer's only son, had many children. 18 The second son born to Kohath was Izhar, and his oldest son was Shelomith. 19 Hebron, the third son of Kohath, was the father of Jeriah, Amariah, Jahaziel, and Jekameam. 20 Kohath's youngest son, Uzziel, was the father of Micah and Isshiah.
21 Merari had two sons: Mahli and Mushi. Mahli was the father of Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar had no sons, only daughters, and they married their uncle's sons. 23 Mushi the second son of Merari, was the father of Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.
24 These were the clans and families of the tribe of Levi. Those who were 20 years and older were assigned to work at the Lord's temple.
25 David said:
The Lord God of Israel has given his people peace, and he will live in Jerusalem forever. 26 And so, the Levites won't need to move the sacred tent and the things used for worship from place to place. 27 From now on, all Levites at least 20 years old 28 will serve the Lord by helping Aaron's descendants do their work at the temple, by keeping the courtyards and rooms of the temple clean, and by making sure that everything used in worship stays pure. 29 They will also be in charge of the sacred loaves of bread, the flour for the grain sacrifices, the thin wafers, any offerings to be baked, and the flour mixed with olive oil. These Levites will weigh and measure these offerings.
30 Every morning and evening, the Levites are to give thanks to the Lord and sing praises to him. 31 They must also give thanks and sing praises when sacrifices are offered on each Sabbath, as well as during New Moon Festivals and other religious feasts. There must always be enough Levites on duty at the temple to do everything that needs to be done. 32 They were once in charge of taking care of the sacred tent; now they are responsible for the temple and for helping Aaron's descendants.
1 So when Dauid was olde and full of dayes, he made Salomon his sonne King ouer Israel. 2 And hee gathered together all the princes of Israel with the Priestes and the Leuites. 3 And the Leuites were numbred from ye age of thirtie yeere and aboue, and their nomber according to their summe was eight and thirtie thousand men. 4 Of these foure and twentie thousande were set to aduance the worke of the house of the Lord, and sixe thousand were ouerseers and iudges. 5 And foure thousand were porters, and foure thousande praised the Lord with instruments which he made to praise the Lord. 6 So Dauid deuided offices vnto them, to wit, to the sonnes of Leui, to Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 7 Of the Gershonites were Laadan and Shimei. 8 The sonnes of Laadan, the chiefe was Iehiel, and Zetham and Ioel, three. 9 The Sonnes of Shimei, Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haram, three: these were the chiefe fathers of Laadan. 10 Also the sonnes of Shimei were Iahath, Zina, Ieush, and Beriah: these foure were ye sonnes of Shimei. 11 And Iahath was the chiefe, and Zizah the seconde, but Ieush and Beriah had not many sonnes: therfore they were in the families of their father, counted but as one. 12 The sonnes of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron aud Vzziel, foure. 13 The sonnes of Amram, Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated to sanctifie the most holy place, hee and his sonnes for euer to burne incense before the Lord, to minister to him, and to blesse in his Name for euer. 14 Moses also the man of God, and his children were named with the tribe of Leui. 15 The sonnes of Moses were Gershom, and Eliezer, 16 Of the sonnes of Gershom was Shebuel the chiefe. 17 And the sonne of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chiefe: for Eliezer had none other sonnes: but the sonnes of Rehabiah were very many. 18 The sone of Izhar was Shelomith ye chiefe. 19 The sonnes of Hebron were Ieriah the first, Amariah the second, Iahaziel the third, and Iekamiam the fourth. 20 The sones of Vzziel were Michah the first, and Isshiah the second. 21 The sonnes of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sonnes of Mahli, Eleazar and Kish. 22 And Eleazar dyed, and had no sonnes, but daughters, and their brethren the sonnes of Kish tooke them. 23 The sonnes of Mushi were Mahli, and Eder, and Ierimoth, three. 24 These were the sonnes of Leui according to the house of their fathers, euen the chiefe fathers according to their offices, according to the nomber of names and their summe that did the worke for the seruice of the house of the Lord from the age of twentie yeeres and aboue. 25 For Dauid sayde, The Lord God of Israel hath giuen rest vnto his people, that they may dwell in Ierusalem for euer. 26 And also the Leuites shall no more beare the Tabernacle and al the vessels for the seruice thereof. 27 Therefore according to the last wordes of Dauid, the Leuites were nombred from twentie yeere and aboue, 28 And their office was vnder the hand of the sonnes of Aaron, for the seruice of the house of the Lord in the courtes, and chambers, and in the purifiyng of all holy thinges, and in the worke of the seruice of the house of God, 29 Both for the shewbread, and for the fine floure, for the meate offring, and for the vnleauened cakes, and for the fryed things, and for that which was rosted, and for all measures and cise, 30 And for to stand euery morning, to giue thanks and praise to the Lord, and likewise at euen, 31 And to offer all burnt offrings vnto the Lord, in the Sabbaths, in the moneths, and at the appointed times, according to the nomber and according to their custome continually before the Lord, 32 And that they should keepe the charge of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and the charge of ye holy place, and the charge of ye sonnes of Aaron their brethren in the seruice of ye house of the Lord.