利未人的职务

23 大卫年纪老迈,寿数将尽,就立他儿子所罗门为以色列王。 他召集了以色列的众首领、祭司和利未人。 凡三十岁以上的利未人都在统计之列,共有三万八千男子, 其中有两万四千人在耶和华的殿里司职,六千人做官长和审判官, 四千人守门,四千人用大卫提供的乐器颂赞耶和华。 大卫将利未人革顺、哥辖和米拉利的子孙分成班次。

革顺的儿子有拉但和示每。 拉但有长子耶歇,还有细坦和约珥,共三个儿子, 都是拉但族的族长。示每的儿子有示罗密、哈薛和哈兰三人。 10 示每的儿子还有雅哈、细拿、耶乌施和比利亚四人。 11 雅哈是长子,细拿是次子。耶乌施和比利亚的子孙不多,所以合为一族。

12 哥辖有暗兰、以斯哈、希伯仑、乌薛四个儿子。 13 暗兰的儿子是亚伦和摩西。亚伦和他的子孙永远被分别出来事奉耶和华,向祂献至圣之物,在祂面前烧香,奉祂的名祝福,直到永远。 14 上帝的仆人摩西的子孙归在利未支派的名下。 15 摩西的儿子是革舜和以利以谢。 16 革舜的长子是细布业。 17 以利以谢只有一个儿子利哈比雅,但利哈比雅子孙众多。 18 以斯哈的长子是示罗密。 19 希伯仑的长子是耶利雅,次子是亚玛利亚,三子是雅哈悉,四子是耶加缅。 20 乌薛的长子是米迦,次子是耶西雅。

21 米拉利的儿子是抹利、姆示。抹利的儿子是以利亚撒、基士。 22 以利亚撒终生没有儿子,只有女儿,同族人基士的儿子娶了她们为妻。 23 姆示的三个儿子是末力、以得和耶利摩。 24 以上是利未各宗族的子孙,他们登记在各自族长的名下,凡二十岁以上的男子都在耶和华的殿里任职。 25 大卫说:“以色列的上帝耶和华已使祂的子民安享太平,祂永远住在耶路撒冷。 26 利未人再不用抬圣幕和其中的器皿了。” 27 按照大卫临终时的嘱咐,二十岁以上的利未人都已被统计。 28 他们的任务是帮助亚伦的子孙在耶和华的殿里司职,管理殿的院子和厢房,负责洁净圣物等事务。 29 他们还负责供饼、做素祭的细面粉、无酵薄饼的调和、烤制、分量和尺寸。 30 他们每天早晚要肃立、颂赞耶和华, 31 每逢安息日、朔日[a]或其他节期,他们要按照规定的数目将燔祭献给耶和华, 32 并负责看守会幕和圣所,帮助他们的亲族——亚伦的子孙在耶和华的殿里供职。

Footnotes

  1. 23:31 朔日”即每月初一。

Os levitas

23 Quando David se sentiu já muito velho e cansado, abdicou do trono a favor do seu filho Salomão. Convocou todos os líderes políticos, os sacerdotes e os levitas de Israel para a cerimónia de coroação. Por essa altura, foi feito um recenseamento da tribo de Levi, com idade de 30 anos ou mais, e apurou-se um total de 38 000 homens. “Entre eles, 24 000 deverão supervisionar o serviço no templo”, ordenou David. “Capatazes e fiscais serão 6000. Os guardas dos estaleiros serão 4000 e também 4000 os que louvarão o Senhor com os instrumentos de música que mandei fazer.”

David dividiu-os em três grupos, conforme os filhos de Levi: Gerson, Coate e Merari.

Os gersonitas

Gerson repartiu-se também em subdivisões segundo os seus filhos: Ladã e Simei. Estas subdivisões foram ainda organizadas em subgrupos, conforme os filhos de Ladã: Jeiel, o chefe, Zetam e Joel. Os filhos de Simei foram Selomite, Haziel e Harã. 10-11 Os subclãs de Simei tinham o nome dos seus quatro filhos: Jaate era o maior, Zina vinha a seguir e Jeús com Beria estavam juntos num só subclã, porque nem um nem outro tiveram muitos filhos.

Os coatitas

12 A divisão de Coate estava subdividida em quatro grupos, de acordo com os seus filhos: Amrão, Izar, Hebrom e Uziel. 13 Amrão foi pai de Aarão e de Moisés. Aarão e os seus filhos tinham sido separados para o serviço sagrado de apresentar ao Senhor os sacrifícios que o povo oferecia; para servir o Senhor continuamente e pronunciar bênçãos em seu nome para sempre.

14-15 Os dois filhos de Moisés, o homem de Deus, Gerson e Eliezer, ficaram incluídos na tribo de Levi.

16 Os filhos de Gerson ficaram a ser chefiados por Sebuel. 17 Reabias, o único filho de Eliezer, tornou-se o líder do seu clã, pois teve muitos filhos. 18 Os filhos de Izar eram chefiados por Selomite. 19 Os filhos de Hebrom eram chefiados por Jerias. Amarias era o segundo em responsabilidade, Jaaziel era o terceiro e Jecameão o quarto. 20 Os filhos de Uziel eram conduzidos por Mica e Issias era o segundo.

Os meraritas

21 Os filhos de Merari foram Mali e Musi. Os filhos de Mali foram Eleazar e Cis. 22 Eleazar morreu sem filhos e as suas filhas casaram com os primos, os filhos de Cis. 23 Os filhos de Musi foram Mali, Eder e Jeremote.

24 No recenseamento, todos os homens de Levi de 20 anos para cima foram registados sob o nome deste clã e nomeados para o serviço no templo. 25 Porque David dissera: “O Senhor, Deus de Israel, deu-nos paz e estará sempre em Jerusalém. 26 Portanto, os levitas não necessitam mais de transportar o tabernáculo e os seus instrumentos de lugar em lugar.” 27 Este recenseamento dos levitas a partir da idade de 20 anos, foi uma das últimas coisas que David fez antes de morrer.

28 O trabalho dos levitas era dar assistência aos sacerdotes, os descendentes de Aarão, nos sacrifícios do templo do Senhor; encarregavam-se também dos pátios, das salas laterais, da purificação de todos os objetos sagrados e das demais tarefas necessárias à manutenção da casa de Deus. 29 Tinham a responsabilidade de fornecer o pão da Presença, a farinha para as ofertas de cereais e para as bolachas sem fermento, tanto as fritas como as amassadas com azeite; também verificavam os pesos e as medidas de tudo. 30 Todas as manhãs e todas as tardes colocavam-se diante do Senhor para lhe cantar louvores e dar graças. 31 Participavam nos sacrifícios especiais de holocaustos, nos sacrifícios do sábado, nas celebrações da lua nova e em todas as festividades. Havia sempre o número de levitas necessário para determinada ocasião.

32 Responsabilizavam-se pela tenda do encontro e pelo templo, e davam assistência aos sacerdotes em tudo o que fosse necessário.

The Levites

23 When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon(A) king over Israel.(B)

He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites. The Levites thirty years old or more(C) were counted,(D) and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand.(E) David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand are to be in charge(F) of the work(G) of the temple of the Lord and six thousand are to be officials and judges.(H) Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments(I) I have provided for that purpose.”(J)

David separated(K) the Levites into divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi:(L) Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

Gershonites

Belonging to the Gershonites:(M)

Ladan and Shimei.

The sons of Ladan:

Jehiel the first, Zetham and Joel—three in all.

The sons of Shimei:

Shelomoth, Haziel and Haran—three in all.

These were the heads of the families of Ladan.

10 And the sons of Shimei:

Jahath, Ziza,[a] Jeush and Beriah.

These were the sons of Shimei—four in all.

11 Jahath was the first and Ziza the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons; so they were counted as one family with one assignment.

Kohathites

12 The sons of Kohath:(N)

Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel—four in all.

13 The sons of Amram:(O)

Aaron and Moses.

Aaron was set apart,(P) he and his descendants forever, to consecrate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices before the Lord, to minister(Q) before him and to pronounce blessings(R) in his name forever. 14 The sons of Moses the man(S) of God were counted as part of the tribe of Levi.

15 The sons of Moses:

Gershom and Eliezer.(T)

16 The descendants of Gershom:(U)

Shubael was the first.

17 The descendants of Eliezer:

Rehabiah(V) was the first.

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

18 The sons of Izhar:

Shelomith(W) was the first.

19 The sons of Hebron:(X)

Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.

20 The sons of Uzziel:

Micah the first and Ishiah the second.

Merarites

21 The sons of Merari:(Y)

Mahli and Mushi.(Z)

The sons of Mahli:

Eleazar and Kish.

22 Eleazar died without having sons: he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.(AA)

23 The sons of Mushi:

Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth—three in all.

24 These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families as they were registered under their names and counted individually, that is, the workers twenty years old or more(AB) who served in the temple of the Lord. 25 For David had said, “Since the Lord, the God of Israel, has granted rest(AC) to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever, 26 the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service.”(AD) 27 According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more.

28 The duty of the Levites was to help Aaron’s descendants in the service of the temple of the Lord: to be in charge of the courtyards, the side rooms, the purification(AE) of all sacred things and the performance of other duties at the house of God. 29 They were in charge of the bread set out on the table,(AF) the special flour for the grain offerings,(AG) the thin loaves made without yeast, the baking and the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size.(AH) 30 They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening(AI) 31 and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the Lord on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon(AJ) feasts and at the appointed festivals.(AK) They were to serve before the Lord regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them.

32 And so the Levites(AL) carried out their responsibilities for the tent of meeting,(AM) for the Holy Place and, under their relatives the descendants of Aaron, for the service of the temple of the Lord.(AN)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 23:10 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint and Vulgate (see also verse 11); most Hebrew manuscripts Zina

23 So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

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.

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:

Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the Lord with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.

And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei.

The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

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; Micah 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.