1 Chronicles
Chapter 23
1 When David was old, he made his son Solomon the king of Israel.
2 He brought together all the leaders of Israel, the priests, and the Levites.
3 The Levites were counted starting at age thirty and older: altogether, they were 38,000 men.
4 24,000 people were to work on God’s house, and 6,000 were officers and judges.
5 Also, four thousand were gatekeepers; and four thousand praised God with the instruments that I, David, made for praising.
6 David split them into groups among Levi’s sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7 From the Gershon family were Laadan and Shimei.
8 Laadan’s sons were leader Jehiel, Zetham, and Joel, three in total.
9 Shimei’s sons were Shelomith, Haziel, and Haran—three in total. They were the leaders of the Laadan family.
10 Shimei had four sons: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah.
11 Jahath was the leader, Zizah was next, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many children, so they were counted as one family.
12 Kohath’s sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in total.
13 Amram’s sons were Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to make the most sacred things holy, along with his sons forever. They burned incense before God, served him, and blessed his name always.
14 About Moses, a man of God, his sons were called from the Levi tribe.
15 Moses had two sons named Gershom and Eliezer.
16 Shebuel was the main son of Gershom.
17 Eliezer’s sons were led by Rehabiah. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many.
18 Izhar’s son was chief, and his name was Shelomith.
19 Hebron’s sons were: Jeriah first, Amariah second, Jahaziel third, and Jekameam fourth.
20 Uzziel’s sons were: Micah first, and Jesiah second.
21 Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi. Mahli’s sons were Eleazar and Kish.
22 Eleazar died without sons, only daughters; and Kish’s sons, their cousins, married them.
23 Mushi’s sons were Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three in total.
24 These were Levi’s sons by their family lines; the heads of the families, who were counted by name, did the work for serving in God’s house, starting at age twenty and older.
25 David said, God of Israel has given his people peace so they can live in Jerusalem forever.
26 And also to the Levites; they will not carry the tent or any of its equipment for its service anymore.
27 David’s final instructions were to count the Levites who were 20 years old or older.
28 Their job was to help Aaron’s sons in serving God’s house, in the courtyards, rooms, and in cleaning all holy items, and in the work of serving in God’s house.
29 For the bread displayed, for the fine flour for grain offerings, for the unleavened bread, for what is baked in the pan, for what is fried, and for all kinds of measurements and amounts.
30 And to stand every morning to thank and praise God, and also in the evening.
31 To offer all burnt sacrifices to God on the sabbaths, at the new moons, and during the set festivals, in the amount and way God told them, always before God.
32 They must take care of the meeting tent, the holy area, and be responsible for the service of their brothers, the sons of Aaron, in God’s house.