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1 Chronicles 20-23
New American Standard Bible

War with Philistine Giants

20 (A)Then it happened [a]in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the sons of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem. And (B)Joab struck Rabbah and overthrew it. 2 (C)David took the crown of [b]their king from his head, and he found it to weigh a [c]talent of gold, and there was a precious stone in it; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoils of the city, a very great amount. 3 He brought out the people who were in it, (D)and [d]put them to work at saws, iron picks, and axes. And David did the same to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

4 (E)Now it came about after this, that war [e]broke out at [f]Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite [g]killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the [h]giants, and they were subdued. 5 And there was war with the Philistines again, and Elhanan the son of (F)Jair [i]killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the (G)shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 6 Again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot; and he also was descended from the giants. 7 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, [j]killed him. 8 These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

Census Brings Plague

21 (H)Then Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “(I)Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me word so that I may know their number.” 3 But Joab said, “(J)May the Lord add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord seek this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?” 4 Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout Israel, and came to Jerusalem. 5 Then Joab gave the number of the census of the people to David. (K)Israel was 1,100,000 men in all who drew the sword; and Judah was 470,000 men who drew the sword. 6 (L)But he did not [k]count Levi and Benjamin among them, because the king’s [l]command was abhorrent to Joab.

7 Now [m]God was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel. 8 David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, [n]by doing this thing. (M)But now, please overlook Your servant’s guilt, for I have behaved very foolishly.”

9 The Lord spoke to (N)Gad, David’s (O)seer, saying, 10 “Go and speak to David, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says: “I extend to you three choices; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.”’” 11 So Gad came to David and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take for yourself 12 (P)three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your foes while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord: a plague in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout the territory of Israel.’ Now, therefore, consider what answer I shall bring back to Him who sent me.” 13 David said to Gad, “I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, (Q)for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into human hands.”

14 (R)So the Lord [o]sent a plague on Israel; seventy thousand men of Israel fell. 15 And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw and (S)was sorry about the catastrophe, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough; now relax your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of [p]Ornan the Jebusite. 16 Then David raised his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, (T)covered with sackcloth, fell on their faces. 17 And David said to God, “Is it not I who [q]commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly, (U)but these sheep, what have they done? Lord, my God, just let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, and not against Your people as a plague.”

David’s Altar

18 (V)Then the angel of the Lord [r]commanded Gad to say to David, that David was to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 So David went up at the word of Gad, which he spoke in the name of the Lord. 20 Now Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. And Ornan was threshing wheat. 21 As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out from the threshing floor and prostrated himself to David with his face to the ground. 22 Then David said to Ornan, “Give me the [s]site of this threshing floor, so that I may build on it an altar to the Lord; you shall give it to me for the full price, so that the plague may be brought to a halt from the people.” 23 But Ornan said to David, “Take it for yourself, and may my lord the king do what is good in his sight. See, I am giving the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the grain offering; I am giving it all.” 24 Nevertheless, King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will certainly buy it for the full price; for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer a burnt offering [t]which costs me nothing.” 25 So (W)David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the [u]site. 26 Then David built an altar there to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called to the Lord, and (X)He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. 27 The Lord commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.

28 At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifice there. 29 (Y)For the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were on the high place at Gibeon at that time. 30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the Lord.

David Prepares for Temple Building

22 Then David said, “(Z)This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

2 So David [v]gave orders to gather (AA)the strangers who were in the land of Israel, and (AB)he set stonecutters to cut out stones to build the house of God. 3 And David (AC)prepared large quantities of iron [w]to make the nails for the doors of the gates and for the clamps, and more (AD)bronze than could be weighed; 4 and timbers of cedar beyond number, for (AE)the Sidonians and Tyrians brought large quantities of cedar timber to David. 5 David said, “My son (AF)Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous, and glorious throughout the lands. Therefore I now will make preparations for it.” So David made ample preparations before his death.

Solomon Commanded to Build the Temple

6 Then (AG)he called for his son Solomon, and commanded him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel. 7 David said to Solomon, “(AH)My son, [x]I had intended to build a house for the name of the Lord my God. 8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘(AI)You have shed much blood and have [y]waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me. 9 Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest, and (AJ)I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for (AK)his name will be [z]Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10 (AL)He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’ 11 Now, my son, (AM)the Lord be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the Lord your God just as He has spoken concerning you. 12 (AN)Only the Lord give you discretion and understanding, and put you in charge of Israel, so that you may (AO)keep the Law of the Lord your God. 13 (AP)Then you will prosper, if you are careful to [aa]follow the statutes and the ordinances which the Lord commanded Moses concerning Israel. (AQ)Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed. 14 Now behold, [ab]with great pains I have prepared for the house of the Lord (AR)a hundred thousand [ac]talents of gold and a million talents of silver, and (AS)bronze and iron beyond measure, for [ad]they are in great quantity; I have also prepared timber and stone, and you may add to that. 15 Moreover there are many workmen with you, stonecutters, masons of stone, and carpenters; and all of them are skillful in every kind of work. 16 Of the gold, silver, bronze, and iron there is no limit. Arise and work, and may (AT)the Lord be with you.”

17 (AU)David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon, saying, 18 “Is the Lord your God not with you? And (AV)has He not given you rest on every side? For He has handed over to me the inhabitants of the land, and the land is subdued before the Lord and before His people. 19 Now (AW)set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; then arise, and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, (AX)so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built (AY)for the name of the Lord.”

Solomon Reigns

23 (AZ)Now when David [ae]reached old age, (BA)he made his son Solomon king over Israel. 2 And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites.

Offices of the Levites

3 (BB)Now the Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward, and (BC)their number by [af]head count of men was thirty-eight thousand. 4 Of these, twenty-four thousand were (BD)to oversee the work of the house of the Lord; and six thousand were (BE)officers and judges, 5 and four thousand were gatekeepers, and (BF)four thousand were praising the Lord with the instruments which [ag]David made for giving praise. 6 David divided them into divisions (BG)according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Gershonites

7 Of the Gershonites there were [ah]Ladan and Shimei. 8 The sons of Ladan were Jehiel the first, and Zetham and Joel, three. 9 The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan. 10 The sons of Shimei were Jahath, [ai]Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 11 Jahath was the first and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became a father’s household, one group for duty.

Kohathites

12 The sons of Kohath were four in number: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 13 (BH)The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And (BI)Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, (BJ)to burn incense before the Lord, to serve Him and bless in His name forever. 14 But as for (BK)Moses, the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. 15 The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The [aj]son of Gershom was [ak]Shebuel the chief. 17 The [al]son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18 The [am]son of Izhar was [an]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 Micah the first and Isshiah the second.

Merarites

21 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar died and had no sons, but only daughters; so their relatives, the sons of Kish, took them as wives. 23 The sons of Mushi were three: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.

Duties Revised

24 (BL)These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers’ households, the heads of the fathers’ households of those among them who were [ao]counted, in the number of names by their [ap]head count, doing the work for the service of the house of the Lord, (BM)from twenty years old and upward. 25 For David said, “The Lord God of Israel (BN)has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26 Also, (BO)the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service.” 27 For by the last words of David, the sons of Levi were counted from twenty years old and upward. 28 For their office is [aq]to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of the Lord, in the courtyards and in the chambers, and in the purification of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God, 29 (BP)and with the showbread, and (BQ)the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or (BR)what is baked in the pan or (BS)what is well-mixed, and (BT)all measures of volume and size. 30 They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the Lord, and likewise at evening, 31 and to offer all burnt offerings to the Lord, (BU)on the Sabbaths, the new moons and (BV)the appointed festivals, in the number determined by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the Lord. 32 So (BW)they are to perform the [ar]duties of the tent of meeting, the holy place, and (BX)of assisting the sons of Aaron their relatives, for the service of the house of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 20:1 Lit at the return of the year
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:2 Another reading is Malcam from, a variant of the Ammonite god Milcom
  3. 1 Chronicles 20:2 About 75 lb. or 34 kg
  4. 1 Chronicles 20:3 So 2 Sam 12:31; MT sawed them apart with
  5. 1 Chronicles 20:4 Lit stood up
  6. 1 Chronicles 20:4 In 2 Sam 21:18, Gob
  7. 1 Chronicles 20:4 Lit struck
  8. 1 Chronicles 20:4 Heb Raphah, and so in vv 6, 8
  9. 1 Chronicles 20:5 Lit struck
  10. 1 Chronicles 20:7 Lit struck
  11. 1 Chronicles 21:6 Lit muster
  12. 1 Chronicles 21:6 Lit word
  13. 1 Chronicles 21:7 Lit it was evil in the sight of God
  14. 1 Chronicles 21:8 that I did
  15. 1 Chronicles 21:14 Lit gave
  16. 1 Chronicles 21:15 In 2 Sam 24:16, Araunah
  17. 1 Chronicles 21:17 Lit said
  18. 1 Chronicles 21:18 Lit said to
  19. 1 Chronicles 21:22 Lit place
  20. 1 Chronicles 21:24 Lit gratuitously
  21. 1 Chronicles 21:25 Lit place
  22. 1 Chronicles 22:2 Lit said to
  23. 1 Chronicles 22:3 Lit for
  24. 1 Chronicles 22:7 Lit as for me, it was with my heart
  25. 1 Chronicles 22:8 Lit made
  26. 1 Chronicles 22:9 I.e., peaceful
  27. 1 Chronicles 22:13 Lit do the
  28. 1 Chronicles 22:14 Lit in my affliction
  29. 1 Chronicles 22:14 A talent was about 75 lb. or 34 kg
  30. 1 Chronicles 22:14 Lit it is
  31. 1 Chronicles 23:1 Lit became old and sated with days
  32. 1 Chronicles 23:3 Lit their heads
  33. 1 Chronicles 23:5 Lit I made
  34. 1 Chronicles 23:7 In Ex 6:17, Libni
  35. 1 Chronicles 23:10 In v 11, Zizah
  36. 1 Chronicles 23:16 Lit sons
  37. 1 Chronicles 23:16 In 24:20, Shubael
  38. 1 Chronicles 23:17 Lit sons...were
  39. 1 Chronicles 23:18 Lit sons
  40. 1 Chronicles 23:18 In 24:22, Shelomoth
  41. 1 Chronicles 23:24 Lit mustered
  42. 1 Chronicles 23:24 Lit heads
  43. 1 Chronicles 23:28 Lit at the hand of
  44. 1 Chronicles 23:32 Lit duty of...the duty of...
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1 Chronicles 20-23
New International Version

The Capture of Rabbah(A)

20 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah(B) and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins.(C) 2 David took the crown from the head of their king[a]—its weight was found to be a talent[b] of gold, and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David’s head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city 3 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes.(D) David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

War With the Philistines(E)

4 In the course of time, war broke out with the Philistines, at Gezer.(F) At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaites,(G) and the Philistines were subjugated.

5 In another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.(H)

6 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. 7 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.

8 These were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.

David Counts the Fighting Men(I)

21 Satan(J) rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census(K) of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count(L) the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”

3 But Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over.(M) My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”

4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. 5 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel(N) there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.

6 But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him. 7 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.

8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”

9 The Lord said to Gad,(O) David’s seer,(P) 10 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”

11 So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your choice: 12 three years of famine,(Q) three months of being swept away[c] before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword(R) of the Lord(S)—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

13 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy(T) is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

14 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.(U) 15 And God sent an angel(V) to destroy Jerusalem.(W) But as the angel was doing so, the Lord saw it and relented(X) concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying(Y) the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah[d] the Jebusite.

16 David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.(Z)

17 David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd,[e] have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep.(AA) What have they done? Lord my God, let your hand fall on me and my family,(AB) but do not let this plague remain on your people.”

David Builds an Altar

18 Then the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor(AC) of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the Lord.

20 While Araunah was threshing wheat,(AD) he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves. 21 Then David approached, and when Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground.

22 David said to him, “Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price.”

23 Araunah said to David, “Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this.”

24 But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”

25 So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels[f] of gold for the site. 26 David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire(AE) from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.

27 Then the Lord spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. 28 At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there. 29 The tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time on the high place at Gibeon.(AF) 30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.

22 Then David said, “The house of the Lord God(AG) is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

Preparations for the Temple

2 So David gave orders to assemble the foreigners(AH) residing in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters(AI) to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God. 3 He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed.(AJ) 4 He also provided more cedar logs(AK) than could be counted, for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought large numbers of them to David.

5 David said, “My son Solomon is young(AL) and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor(AM) in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death.

6 Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build(AN) a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. 7 David said to Solomon: “My son, I had it in my heart(AO) to build(AP) a house for the Name(AQ) of the Lord my God. 8 But this word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars.(AR) You are not to build a house for my Name,(AS) because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. 9 But you will have a son who will be a man of peace(AT) and rest,(AU) and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon,[g](AV) and I will grant Israel peace and quiet(AW) during his reign. 10 He is the one who will build a house for my Name.(AX) He will be my son,(AY) and I will be his father. And I will establish(AZ) the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’(BA)

11 “Now, my son, the Lord be with(BB) you, and may you have success and build the house of the Lord your God, as he said you would. 12 May the Lord give you discretion and understanding(BC) when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. 13 Then you will have success(BD) if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws(BE) that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous.(BF) Do not be afraid or discouraged.

14 “I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the Lord a hundred thousand talents[h] of gold, a million talents[i] of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them.(BG) 15 You have many workers: stonecutters, masons and carpenters,(BH) as well as those skilled in every kind of work 16 in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen(BI) beyond number. Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you.”

17 Then David ordered(BJ) all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. 18 He said to them, “Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not granted you rest(BK) on every side?(BL) For he has given the inhabitants of the land into my hands, and the land is subject to the Lord and to his people. 19 Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God.(BM) Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the Lord.”

The Levites

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

2 He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites. 3 The Levites thirty years old or more(BP) were counted,(BQ) and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand.(BR) 4 David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand are to be in charge(BS) of the work(BT) of the temple of the Lord and six thousand are to be officials and judges.(BU) 5 Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments(BV) I have provided for that purpose.”(BW)

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

Gershonites

7 Belonging to the Gershonites:(BZ)

Ladan and Shimei.

8 The sons of Ladan:

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

9 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,[j] 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:(CA)

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

13 The sons of Amram:(CB)

Aaron and Moses.

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

15 The sons of Moses:

Gershom and Eliezer.(CG)

16 The descendants of Gershom:(CH)

Shubael was the first.

17 The descendants of Eliezer:

Rehabiah(CI) was the first.

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

18 The sons of Izhar:

Shelomith(CJ) was the first.

19 The sons of Hebron:(CK)

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:(CL)

Mahli and Mushi.(CM)

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.(CN)

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(CO) who served in the temple of the Lord. 25 For David had said, “Since the Lord, the God of Israel, has granted rest(CP) 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.”(CQ) 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(CR) 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,(CS) the special flour for the grain offerings,(CT) the thin loaves made without yeast, the baking and the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size.(CU) 30 They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening(CV) 31 and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the Lord on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon(CW) feasts and at the appointed festivals.(CX) They were to serve before the Lord regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them.

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

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 20:2 Or of Milkom, that is, Molek
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:2 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
  3. 1 Chronicles 21:12 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also 2 Samuel 24:13) of fleeing
  4. 1 Chronicles 21:15 Hebrew Ornan, a variant of Araunah; also in verses 18-28
  5. 1 Chronicles 21:17 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see 2 Samuel 24:17 and note); Masoretic Text does not have the shepherd.
  6. 1 Chronicles 21:25 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms
  7. 1 Chronicles 22:9 Solomon sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for peace.
  8. 1 Chronicles 22:14 That is, about 3,750 tons or about 3,400 metric tons
  9. 1 Chronicles 22:14 That is, about 37,500 tons or about 34,000 metric tons
  10. 1 Chronicles 23:10 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint and Vulgate (see also verse 11); most Hebrew manuscripts Zina
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