利未人的職務

23 大衛年紀老邁,壽數將盡,就立他兒子所羅門為以色列王。 他召集了以色列的眾首領、祭司和利未人。 凡三十歲以上的利未人都在統計之列,共有三萬八千男子, 其中有兩萬四千人在耶和華的殿裡司職,六千人做官長和審判官, 四千人守門,四千人用大衛提供的樂器頌讚耶和華。 大衛將利未人革順、哥轄和米拉利的子孫分成班次。

革順的兒子有拉但和示每。 拉但有長子耶歇,還有細坦和約珥,共三個兒子, 都是拉但族的族長。示每的兒子有示羅密、哈薛和哈蘭三人。 10 示每的兒子還有雅哈、細拿、耶烏施和比利亞四人。 11 雅哈是長子,細拿是次子。耶烏施和比利亞的子孫不多,所以合為一族。

12 哥轄有暗蘭、以斯哈、希伯崙、烏薛四個兒子。 13 暗蘭的兒子是亞倫和摩西。亞倫和他的子孫永遠被分別出來事奉耶和華,向祂獻至聖之物,在祂面前燒香,奉祂的名祝福,直到永遠。 14 上帝的僕人摩西的子孫歸在利未支派的名下。 15 摩西的兒子是革舜和以利以謝。 16 革舜的長子是細布業。 17 以利以謝只有一個兒子利哈比雅,但利哈比雅子孫眾多。 18 以斯哈的長子是示羅密。 19 希伯崙的長子是耶利雅,次子是亞瑪利亞,三子是雅哈悉,四子是耶加緬。 20 烏薛的長子是米迦,次子是耶西雅。

21 米拉利的兒子是抹利、姆示。抹利的兒子是以利亞撒、基士。 22 以利亞撒終生沒有兒子,只有女兒,同族人基士的兒子娶了她們為妻。 23 姆示的三個兒子是末力、以得和耶利摩。 24 以上是利未各宗族的子孫,他們登記在各自族長的名下,凡二十歲以上的男子都在耶和華的殿裡任職。 25 大衛說:「以色列的上帝耶和華已使祂的子民安享太平,祂永遠住在耶路撒冷。 26 利未人再不用抬聖幕和其中的器皿了。」 27 按照大衛臨終時的囑咐,二十歲以上的利未人都已被統計。 28 他們的任務是幫助亞倫的子孫在耶和華的殿裡司職,管理殿的院子和廂房,負責潔淨聖物等事務。 29 他們還負責供餅、做素祭的細麵粉、無酵薄餅的調和、烤製、分量和尺寸。 30 他們每天早晚要肅立、頌讚耶和華, 31 每逢安息日、朔日[a]或其他節期,他們要按照規定的數目將燔祭獻給耶和華, 32 並負責看守會幕和聖所,幫助他們的親族——亞倫的子孫在耶和華的殿裡供職。

Footnotes

  1. 23·31 朔日」即每月初一。

The Levitical Divisions

23 After David had reached old age, and had completed his reign,[a] he set his son Solomon as king over Israel. David then gathered together all of the leaders of Israel, including the priests and descendants of Levi. descendants of Levi 30 years old and above were counted for a total of 38,000. “24,000 of these,” David said, “are to be set in charge of the work of the Temple of the Lord, with 6,000 serving as officers and judges, with 4,000 gatekeepers, and with 4,000 offering praises to the Lord with the musical instruments that I have had crafted.”

David divided them into divisions based on Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, Levi’s sons.

An Abbreviated Genealogy of Levi’s Sons

The descendants of Gershon were Ladan and Shimei. The three descendants of Ladan included[b] Jehiel (their chief), Zetham, and Joel. The three descendants of Shimei included Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. These were the heads of families of Ladan.

10 The descendants of Shimei included Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were sons of Shimei. 11 Jahath served as chief and Zizah was second in rank, but since Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, they were enrolled as a single family unit.

12 The four descendants of Kohath included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 13 The descendants of Amram included Aaron and Moses. Aaron had been set apart to consecrate the most holy things, with the intent that he and his sons should present offerings in the Lord’s presence forever, ministering to him and pronouncing blessings in his name forever.

14 Meanwhile, as for Moses the man of God, his sons were considered among the tribe of Levi. 15 The descendants of Moses included Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The descendants of Gershom included Shebuel as their chief.

17 The descendants of Eliezer included Rehabiah as their chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many descendants.

18 The descendants of Izhar included Shelomith their chief.

19 The descendants of Hebron included Jeriah their chief, Amariah their second in rank, Jahaziel their third, and Jekameam their fourth.

20 The descendants of Uzziel included Micah their chief and Isshiah their second in rank.

21 The descendants of Merari included Mahli and Mushi. The descendants of Mahli included Eleazar and Kish, 22 but Eleazar died having no sons, but only daughters. Their relatives (the descendants of Kish) married them. 23 The three descendants of Mushi included Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.

24 These were the descendants of Levi according to their ancestral households, with family heads documented according to the names of persons 20 years and older who were appointed to perform work in service to the Temple of the Lord.

25 For David had said “The Lord God of Israel has granted rest to his people, and he has taken Israel as his eternal residence. 26 Therefore[c] the descendants of Levi are no longer to carry the Tent or its service implements.”[d] 27 Since, according to David’s final instructions, the list above[e] contains the total number of descendants of Levi from the age of 20 years and upward, 28 David issued these orders:[f]

“Instead, they are to assist by lending a hand to the descendants of Aaron regarding service to the Temple of the Lord relating to the courts, the chambers, purification of everything pertaining to holiness, and to anything else pertaining to service on behalf of the Temple of God, 29 including assisting with the rows of showbread, selecting flour for the grain offerings, the unleavened bread, baked offerings, and oil-based offerings, no matter what the quantity or sizes. 30 They are to take their stand morning by morning, thanking and praising the Lord right through until the evening, 31 whenever burnt offerings are presented to the Lord, whether on Sabbaths, New Moons, or scheduled festivals, regularly in the Lord’s presence in accordance with the number required to conduct their service. 32 By doing this, they will fulfill their obligation as trustees over the Tent of Assembly and the Sanctuary, attending to the needs of[g] their relatives, who are descendants of Aaron, in keeping with their service on behalf of the Temple of the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 23:1 Lit. days
  2. 1 Chronicles 23:8 The Heb. lacks included; and so throughout the chapter.
  3. 1 Chronicles 23:26 Lit. Also
  4. 1 Chronicles 23:26 The quotation possibly concludes at the end of vs. 25.
  5. 1 Chronicles 23:27 The Heb. lacks above
  6. 1 Chronicles 23:28 The Heb. lacks David issued these orders
  7. 1 Chronicles 23:32 The Heb. lacks to the needs of

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