Levi’s Children

6 Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

² Kohath’s sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

³ Amram’s children were Aaron, Moses and Miriam.

Aaron’s sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ⁴ Eleazar was the father of Phinehas. Phinehas was the father of Abishua. ⁵ Abishua was the father of Bukki. Bukki was the father of Uzzi. ⁶ Uzzi was the father of Zerahiah. Zerahiah was the father of Meraioth. ⁷ Meraioth was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. ⁸ Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Ahimaaz. ⁹ Ahimaaz was the father of Azariah. Azariah was the father of Johanan. ¹⁰ Johanan was the father of Azariah. (Azariah was a priest in the Temple Solomon built in Jerusalem.) ¹¹ Azariah was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. ¹² Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Shallum. ¹³ Shallum was the father of Hilkiah. Hilkiah was the father of Azariah. ¹⁴ Azariah was the father of Seraiah. Seraiah was the father of Jehozadak.

¹⁵ Jehozadak was forced to leave his home when the Lord sent Judah and Jerusalem into captivity. That was when Nebuchadnezzar captured them and took them away.

¹⁶ Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

¹⁷ The names of Gershon’s sons were Libni and Shimei.

¹⁸ Kohath’s sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

¹⁹ Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi.

This is a list of the family groups of Levi. They are listed by the name of the father of each group.

²⁰ Gershon’s son was Libni. Libni’s son was Jehath. Jehath’s son was Zimmah. ²¹ Zimmah’s son was Joah. Joah’s son was Iddo. Iddo’s son was Zerah. And Zerah’s son was Jeatherai.

²² Kohath’s son was Amminadab. Amminadab’s son was Korah. Korah’s son was Assir. ²³ Assir’s son was Elkanah. Elkanah’s son was Ebiasaph. Ebiasaph’s son was Assir. ²⁴ Assir’s son was Tahath. Tahath’s son was Uriel. Uriel’s son was Uzziah, and Uzziah’s son was Shaul.

²⁵ Elkanah’s sons were Amasai and Ahimoth. ²⁶ Ahimoth’s son was Elkanah. Elkanah’s son was Zophai. Zophai’s son was Nahath. ²⁷ Nahath’s son was Eliab. Eliab’s son was Jeroham. Jeroham’s son was Elkanah, and Elkanah’s son was Samuel.

²⁸ Samuel’s sons were Joel, the first son, and Abijah, the second son.

²⁹ Merari’s son was Mahli. Mahli’s son was Libni. Libni’s son was Shimei. Shimei’s son was Uzzah. ³⁰ Uzzah’s son was Shimea. Shimea’s son was Haggiah, and Haggiah’s son was Asaiah.

The Temple Musicians

³¹ David chose some men to be in charge of the music in the house of the Lord. They began their work after the Ark of the Covenant was put there. ³² They served by making music at the Holy Tent. (It is also called the Meeting Tent.) And they served until Solomon built the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They followed the rules for their work.

³³ These are the musicians and their sons:

From Kohath’s family there was Heman the singer. Heman was Joel’s son. Joel was Samuel’s son. ³⁴ Samuel was Elkanah’s son. Elkanah was Jeroham’s son. Jeroham was Eliel’s son. Eliel was Toah’s son. ³⁵ Toah was Zuph’s son. Zuph was Elkanah’s son. Elkanah was Mahath’s son. Mahath was Amasai’s son. ³⁶ Amasai was Elkanah’s son. Elkanah was Joel’s son. Joel was Azariah’s son. Azariah was Zephaniah’s son. ³⁷ Zephaniah was Tahath’s son. Tahath was Assir’s son. Assir was Ebiasaph’s son. Ebiasaph was Korah’s son. ³⁸ Korah was Izhar’s son. Izhar was Kohath’s son. Kohath was Levi’s son. Levi was Israel’s son.

³⁹ There was Heman’s helper Asaph. Asaph’s group stood by Heman’s right side. Asaph was Berekiah’s son. Berekiah was Shimea’s son. ⁴⁰ Shimea was Michael’s son. Michael was Baaseiah’s son. Baaseiah was Malkijah’s son. ⁴¹ Malkijah was Ethni’s son. Ethni was Zerah’s son. Zerah was Adaiah’s son. ⁴² Adaiah was Ethan’s son. Ethan was Zimmah’s son. Zimmah was Shimei’s son. ⁴³ Shimei was Jahath’s son. Jahath was Gershon’s son. Gershon was Levi’s son.

⁴⁴ Merari’s family were the helpers of Heman and Asaph. Merari’s family stood by Heman’s left side. In this group was Ethan son of Kishi. Kishi was Abdi’s son. Abdi was Malluch’s son. ⁴⁵ Malluch was Hashabiah’s son. Hashabiah was Amaziah’s son. Amaziah was Hilkiah’s son. ⁴⁶ Hilkiah was Amzi’s son. Amzi was Bani’s son. Bani was Shemer’s son. ⁴⁷ Shemer was Mahli’s son. Mahli was Mushi’s son. Mushi was Merari’s son. Merari was Levi’s son.

⁴⁸ The other Levites served by doing their own special work in the Holy Tent. It is the house of God. ⁴⁹ Aaron and his descendants offered the sacrifices on the altar of burnt offering. They also burned the incense on the altar of incense. They offered the sacrifices that removed the Israelites’ sins so they could belong to God. They did all the work in the Most Holy Place. They followed all the laws that Moses, God’s servant, had commanded.

⁵⁰ These were Aaron’s sons: Eleazar was Aaron’s son. Phinehas was Eleazar’s son. Abishua was Phinehas’ son. ⁵¹ Bukki was Abishua’s son. Uzzi was Bukki’s son. Zerahiah was Uzzi’s son. ⁵² Meraioth was Zerahiah’s son. Amariah was Meraioth’s son. Ahitub was Amariah’s son. ⁵³ Zadok was Ahitub’s son. Ahimaaz was Zadok’s son.

Land for the Levites

⁵⁴ These are the places where Aaron’s descendants lived. Aaron’s descendants from the Kohath family group were given this land to live in. They received the first share of the land that was given to the Levites.

⁵⁵ They were given the city of Hebron in Judah and the pastures around it. ⁵⁶ But the fields farther from the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. And the villages near Hebron were given to Caleb. ⁵⁷ So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron. It was one of the cities of safety.^[a] They also received the cities of Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, ⁵⁸ Hilen, Debir, ⁵⁹ Ashan, Juttah and Beth Shemesh. They received all these cities and the pastures around them. ⁶⁰ They also received cities from the tribe of Benjamin. They received Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth, Anathoth and their pastures.

The Kohath family groups received a total of 13 cities.

⁶¹ The rest of the Kohath family group was given 10 cities. These cities were from the family groups of the western half-tribe of Manasseh. The cities were chosen by throwing lots.

⁶² The Gershon family group received 13 cities. They were from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and the part of Manasseh living in Bashan.

⁶³ The Merari family group received 12 cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. Those cities were chosen by throwing lots.

⁶⁴ So the Israelites gave these cities and their pastures to the Levites. ⁶⁵ The cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin were chosen by throwing lots. They are the cities named above.

⁶⁶ Some of the Kohath family groups received cities and pastures from the tribe of Ephraim. ⁶⁷ They received Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim. It was one of the cities of safety. They also received the cities of Gezer, ⁶⁸ Jokmeam, Beth Horon, ⁶⁹ Aijalon and Gath Rimmon. They received the cities and the pastures around them.

⁷⁰ The rest of the people in the Kohath family group received cities from the western half-tribe of Manasseh. They received the cities of Aner and Bileam and their pastures.

⁷¹ From the eastern half-tribe of Manasseh, the Gershon family received towns and pastures. They received Golan in Bashan, Ashtaroth and the pastures around them.

^72-73 From the tribe of Issachar, the Gershon family received towns and pastures. They received Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth, Anem and their pastures.

^74-75 From the tribe of Asher, the Gershon family received towns and pastures. They received Mashal, Abdon, Hukok, Rehob and their pastures.

⁷⁶ From the tribe of Naphtali, the Gershon family received towns and pastures. They received Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, Kiriathaim and their pastures.

⁷⁷ The rest of the Levites, the people from the Merari family, also received towns and pastures. They received Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmono and Tabor from the tribe of Zebulun. They also received the pastures around those cities.

^78-79 From the tribe of Reuben, the Merari family received towns and pastures. They received Bezer in the desert, Jahzah, Kedemoth, Mephaath and their pastures. (The tribe of Reuben lived east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho.)

^80-81 From the tribe of Gad, the Merari family received towns and pastures. They received Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, Jazer and their pastures.