1 Chronicles 6
Easy-to-Read Version
Levi’s Descendants
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 Phinehas’ father. Phinehas was Abishua’s father. 5 Abishua was Bukki’s father. Bukki was Uzzi’s father. 6 Uzzi was Zerahiah’s father. Zerahiah was Meraioth’s father. 7 Meraioth was Amariah’s father. Amariah was Ahitub’s father. 8 Ahitub was Zadok’s father. Zadok was Ahimaaz’s father. 9 Ahimaaz was Azariah’s father. Azariah was Johanan’s father. 10 Johanan was Azariah’s father. (Azariah is the one who served as priest in the Temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem.) 11 Azariah was Amariah’s father. Amariah was Ahitub’s father. 12 Ahitub was Zadok’s father. Zadok was Shallum’s father. 13 Shallum was Hilkiah’s father. Hilkiah was Azariah’s father. 14 Azariah was Seraiah’s father. Seraiah was Jehozadak’s father.
15 Jehozadak was forced to leave his home when the Lord sent the people of Judah and Jerusalem away. Through Nebuchadnezzar, the Lord caused them all to be made prisoners in another country.
Other Descendants of Levi
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 families in the tribe of Levi. They are listed with their fathers’ names first:
20 These were Gershon’s descendants: Libni was Gershon’s son. Jahath was Libni’s son. Zimmah was Jahath’s son. 21 Joah was Zimmah’s son. Iddo was Joah’s son. Zerah was Iddo’s son. Jeatherai was Zerah’s son.
22 These were Kohath’s descendants: Amminadab was Kohath’s son. Korah was Amminadab’s son. Assir was Korah’s son. 23 Elkanah was Assir’s son. Ebiasaph was Elkanah’s son. Assir was Ebiasaph’s son. 24 Tahath was Assir’s son. Uriel was Tahath’s son. Uzziah was Uriel’s son. Shaul was Uzziah’s son.
25 Elkanah’s sons were Amasai and Ahimoth. 26 Zophai was Elkanah’s son. Nahath was Zophai’s son. 27 Eliab was Nahath’s son. Jeroham was Eliab’s son. Elkanah was Jeroham’s son. Samuel was Elkanah’s son. 28 Samuel’s sons were his oldest son Joel, and Abijah.
29 These are Merari’s sons: Mahli was Merari’s son, Libni was Mahli’s son, Shimei was Libni’s son, and Uzzah was Shimei’s son. 30 Shimea was Uzzah’s son. Haggiah was Shimea’s son. Asaiah was Haggiah’s son.
The Temple Musicians
31 These are the men David chose to take care of the music at the tent of the Lord’s house after God’s Holy Box was put there. 32 These men served by singing at the Holy Tent. The Holy Tent is also called the Meeting Tent. These men served until Solomon built the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem. They served by following the rules given to them for their work.
33 These are the names of the men and their sons who served with music:
The descendants from the Kohath family were Heman the singer who 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 Heman’s relative was Asaph. Asaph served 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 descendants were the relatives of Heman and Asaph. They were the singing group on Heman’s left side. Ethan was Kishi’s son. 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 Heman and Asaph’s brothers were from the tribe of Levi. The tribe of Levi was also called Levites. The Levites were chosen to do the work in the Holy Tent. The Holy Tent was God’s house. 49 But only Aaron’s descendants were permitted to burn incense on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense. Aaron’s descendants did all the work in the Most Holy Place in God’s house. They also did the ceremonies to make the Israelites pure. They followed all the rules and laws that Moses, God’s servant, commanded.
Aaron’s Descendants
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.
Homes for the Levite Families
54 These are the places where Aaron’s descendants lived. They lived in their camps in the land that was given to them. The Kohath families got the first share of the land that was given to the Levites. 55 They were given the town of Hebron and the fields around it. This was in the area of Judah. 56 But the fields farther from town and the villages near the town of Hebron were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. 57 The descendants of Aaron were given the city of Hebron. Hebron was a city of safety.[a] They were also given the cities of Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, 58 Hilen, Debir, 59 Ashan, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh. They got all the cities and the fields around them. 60 From the tribe of Benjamin they got the cities of Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth. They got all the cities and the fields around them.
Thirteen cities were given to the Kohath families.
61 The rest of Kohath’s descendants got ten towns from half the tribe of Manasseh.
62 The tribes that were the descendants of Gershon got 13 cities. They got the cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the part of Manasseh living in the area of Bashan.
63 The tribes that were the descendants of Merari got 12 cities. They got the cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. They got them by throwing lots.
64 So the Israelites gave those towns and fields to the Levites. 65 All those cities came from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. They decided which Levite family got which city by throwing lots.
66 The tribe of Ephraim gave some of the Kohath families some towns. Those towns were chosen by throwing lots. 67 They were given the city of Shechem. Shechem is a city of safety. They were also given the towns of Gezer, 68 Jokmeam, Beth Horon, 69 Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon. They also got fields with those towns. Those towns were in the hill country of Ephraim. 70 And from half the tribe of Manasseh, the Israelites gave the towns of Aner and Bileam to the Kohath families. The Kohath families also got fields with those towns.
Other Levite Families Get Homes
71 The Gershon families got the towns of Golan in the area of Bashan and Ashtaroth from half the tribe of Manasseh. They also got the fields near those towns.
72-73 The Gershon families also got the towns of Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth, and Gannim from the tribe of Issachar. They also got the fields near those towns.
74-75 The Gershon families also got the towns of Mashal, Abdon, Hukok, and Rehob from the tribe of Asher. They also got the fields near those towns.
76 The Gershon families also got the towns of Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim from the tribe of Naphtali. They also got the fields near those towns.
77 The rest of the Levites, from the Merari families, got the towns of Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmono, and Tabor from the tribe of Zebulun. They also got the fields near those towns.
78-79 The Merari families also got the towns of Bezer in the desert, Jahzah, Kedemoth, and Mephaath from the tribe of Reuben. The tribe of Reuben lived on the east side of the Jordan River, east of the city of Jericho. These Merari families also got the fields near those towns.
80-81 And the Merari families got the towns of Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer from the tribe of Gad. They also got the fields near those towns.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 6:57 city of safety A special city where an Israelite could run to in order to escape the angry relatives of a person who was accidentally killed by that Israelite. See Num. 35:6-34 and Josh. 20:1-9. Also in verse 67.
1 Chronicles 6
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 6
1 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.(A) 2 The sons of Gershon were named Libni and Shimei.(B) 3 The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.(C) 4 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.(D)
These were the clans of Levi, according to their ancestors. 5 Of Gershon: his son Libni, whose son was Jahath, whose son was Zimmah, 6 whose son was Joah, whose son was Iddo, whose son was Zerah, whose son was Jetherai.
7 The sons of Kohath: his son Amminadab, whose son was Korah, whose son was Assir, 8 whose son was Elkanah, whose son was Ebiasaph, whose son was Assir, 9 whose son was Tahath, whose son was Uriel, whose son was Uzziah, whose son was Shaul. 10 The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and Ahimoth, 11 whose son was Elkanah, whose son was Zophai, whose son was Nahath, 12 whose son was Eliab, whose son was Jeroham, whose son was Elkanah, whose son was Samuel. 13 The sons of Samuel were Joel, the firstborn, and Abijah, the second.
14 The sons of Merari: Mahli, whose son was Libni, whose son was Shimei, whose son was Uzzah,(E) 15 whose son was Shimea, whose son was Haggiah, whose son was Asaiah.
16 The following were established by David for the service of song[a] in the Lord’s house at the time when the ark had a resting place. 17 They served as singers before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they performed their services according to the order prescribed for them. 18 Those who so performed are the following, together with their sons.
Among the Kohathites: Heman, the chanter, son of Joel, son of Samuel, 19 son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Eliel, son of Toah, 20 son of Zuph, son of Elkanah, son of Mahath, son of Amasi, 21 son of Elkanah, son of Joel, son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah, 22 son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah,(F) 23 son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel.
24 His brother Asaph stood at his right hand. Asaph was the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea, 25 son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, son of Malchijah, 26 son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah, 27 son of Ethan, son of Zimmah,(G) son of Shimei, 28 son of Jahath, son of Gershon, son of Levi.
29 Their brothers, the Merarites, stood at the left: Ethan, son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, 30 son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah, 31 son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer, 32 son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merari, son of Levi.(H)
33 Their brother Levites were appointed to all the other services of the tabernacle of the house of God.(I) 34 However, it was Aaron and his sons who made the sacrifice on the altar for burnt offerings and on the altar of incense; they alone had charge of the holy of holies and of making atonement for Israel, as Moses, the servant of God, had commanded.(J)
35 These were the sons of Aaron: his son Eleazar, whose son was Phinehas, whose son was Abishua, 36 whose son was Bukki, whose son was Uzzi, whose son was Zerahiah, 37 whose son was Meraioth, whose son was Amariah, whose son was Ahitub, 38 whose son was Zadok, whose son was Ahimaaz.
39 [b]The following were their dwelling places, by encampments in their territories. To the sons of Aaron who belonged to the clan of the Kohathites, since the lot fell to them, 40 was assigned Hebron in the land of Judah, with its adjacent pasture lands. 41 However, the open country and the villages belonging to the city had been given to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. 42 There were assigned to the sons of Aaron: Hebron a city of refuge, Libnah with its pasture lands, Jattir with its pasture lands, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, 43 Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, 44 Ashan with its pasture lands, Jetta with its pasture lands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands. 45 Also from the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, Almon with its pasture lands, Anathoth with its pasture lands. In all, they had thirteen cities with their pasture lands. 49 The Israelites assigned these cities with their pasture lands to the Levites, 50 designating them by name and assigning them by lot from the tribes of the Judahites, Simeonites, and Benjaminites.
46 The other Kohathites obtained ten cities by lot for their clans from the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh. 47 The clans of the Gershonites obtained thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 48 The clans of the Merarites obtained twelve cities by lot from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
51 The clans of the Kohathites obtained cities by lot from the tribe of Ephraim. 52 They were assigned cities of refuge: Shechem in the mountain region of Ephraim, with its pasture lands, Gezer with its pasture lands, 53 Kibzaim with its pasture lands, and Beth-horon with its pasture lands. 54 From the tribe of Dan: Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands, Aijalon with its pasture lands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands. 55 From the half-tribe of Manasseh: Taanach with its pasture lands and Ibleam with its pasture lands. These belonged to the rest of the Kohathite clan.
56 The clans of the Gershonites received from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands and Ashtaroth with its pasture lands. 57 From the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands, 58 Ramoth with its pasture lands, and Engannim with its pasture lands. 59 From the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, 60 Hilkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands. 61 From the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, Hammon with its pasture lands, and Kiriathaim with its pasture lands.
62 The rest of the Merarites received from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam with its pasture lands, Kartah with its pasture lands, Rimmon with its pasture lands, and Tabor with its pasture lands. 63 Across the Jordan at Jericho (that is, east of the Jordan) they received from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the desert with its pasture lands, Jahzah with its pasture lands, 64 Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands. 65 From the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, Mahanaim with its pasture lands, 66 Heshbon with its pasture lands, and Jazer with its pasture lands.
Footnotes
- 6:16–32 The cultic functions performed by the levitical families in the postexilic Temple at the time of the Chronicler are here traced back to David, in a way analogous to that in which all the laws in the Pentateuch are attributed to Moses.
- 6:39–66 For the rights of the Levites in the cities assigned to them, see note on Jos 21:1.
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