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。

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.

And the Levites were counted, from the age of thirty years and above. And their total number was thirty-eight thousand men.

Of these, twenty-four thousand were set to advance the work of the House of the LORD. And six thousand were overseers and judges.

And four thousand were gatekeepers. And four thousand praised the LORD with instruments (“…which I made for praise!” said David).

So David separated the sons of Levi — Gershon, Kohath, and Merari — into divisions.

Of the Gershonites were Laadan and Shimei.

The sons of Laadan were the chief (Jehiel) and Zetham and Joel (three).

The Sons of Shimei were Shelomith and Haziel and Haran (three). These were the chief fathers of Laadan.

10 Also the sons of Shimei were Jahath, Zina, Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

11 And Jahath was the chief and Zizah was the second. But Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons. Therefore, they were in the families of their father, counted but as one.

12 The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel (four).

13 The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was separated to sanctify the Most Holy Place, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister to Him, and to bless in His Name forever.

14 Also Moses, the man of God, and his children were named with the tribe of Levi.

15 The sons of Moses were Gershon and Eliezer.

16 Of the sons of Gershon was Shebuel the chief.

17 And the son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief. For Eliezer had no other sons. But there were very many sons of Rehabiah.

18 The son of Izhar was Shelomith the chief.

19 The sons of Hebron were Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

20 The sons of Uzziel were Michah the first, and Jesshiah the second.

21 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were 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 were Mahli and Eder and Jeremoth (three).

24 These were the sons of Levi, according to the House of their fathers, the chief fathers according to their offices, according to the number of names, all who did the work for the service of the House of the LORD from the age of twenty years and above.

25 For David said, “The LORD God of Israel has given rest to His people, so that they may dwell in Jerusalem forever.

26 “And also the Levites shall no longer bear the Tabernacle and all the Vessels for its service.”

27 Therefore, according to the last words of David, the Levites were numbered from twenty years and above.

28 And their office was under the hand of the sons of Aaron, for the service of the House of the LORD in the courts and chambers and in the purifying of all Holy things and in the work of the service of the House of God,

29 both for the showbread and for the fine flour, for the Meat Offering and for the unleavened cakes and for the fried things and for that which was roasted and for all measures and size.

30 And they were to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the LORD, and likewise at evening,

31 and to offer all Burnt Offerings to the LORD on the Sabbaths — in the months, at the appointed times, according to the number and according to their custom — continually before the LORD.

32 And they were to 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.