1 Chronicles 23
Legacy Standard Bible
Solomon Made King over Israel
23 (A)Now David became old and full of days, (B)and he made his son Solomon king over Israel. 2 And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites.
The Work of the Levites
3 (C)And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward, and (D)their number by [a]census of men was 38,000. 4 Of these, 24,000 were (E)to direct the work of the house of Yahweh; and 6,000 were (F)officers and judges, 5 and 4,000 were gatekeepers, and (G)4,000 were praising Yahweh with the instruments which [b]David made for giving praise. 6 And David divided them into divisions (H)according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
The Sons of Gershon
7 Of the Gershonites were [c]Ladan and Shimei.
8 The sons of Ladan were Jehiel the first and Zetham and Joel, three.
9 The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, three.
These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan.
10 The sons of Shimei were Jahath, [d]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 [e]unit.
The Sons of Kohath
12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
13 (I)The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And (J)Aaron was separated in order to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, (K)to offer offerings up in smoke before Yahweh, to minister to Him and to bless in His name forever.
14 But as for (L)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 [f]son of Gershom was [g]Shebuel the chief.
17 The [h]son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
18 The [i]son of Izhar was [j]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.
The Sons of Merari
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 only, so their brothers, the sons of Kish, took them up as wives.
23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
The Service of the Levites
24 (M)These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers’ households, even the heads of the fathers’ households of those of them who were [k]counted, in the number of names by their [l]census, doing the work for the service of the house of Yahweh, (N)from twenty years old and upward. 25 For David said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, (O)has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26 Also, (P)the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings for its service.” 27 For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. 28 For their station is to be on hand for the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of Yahweh, in the courts and in the chambers and in the cleansing of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God, 29 (Q)and with the showbread, and (R)the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or (S)what is made on the griddle, or (T)what is well stirred, and (U)all measures of volume and size. 30 And they are to stand every morning to thank and to praise Yahweh, and likewise at evening, 31 and to offer all burnt offerings to Yahweh, (V)on the sabbaths, the new moons and (W)the appointed times in the number set by the judgments concerning them, continually before Yahweh. 32 Thus (X)they shall keep responsibility of the tent of meeting, and responsibility of the holy place, and (Y)responsibility of the sons of Aaron their [m]relatives, for the service of the house of Yahweh.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 23:3 Lit their heads
- 1 Chronicles 23:5 Lit I made
- 1 Chronicles 23:7 In Ex 6:17, Libni
- 1 Chronicles 23:10 In v 11, Zizah
- 1 Chronicles 23:11 Lit mustering
- 1 Chronicles 23:16 Lit sons
- 1 Chronicles 23:16 In 24:20, Shubael
- 1 Chronicles 23:17 Lit sons...were
- 1 Chronicles 23:18 Lit sons
- 1 Chronicles 23:18 In 24:22, Shelomoth
- 1 Chronicles 23:24 Lit mustered
- 1 Chronicles 23:24 Lit heads
- 1 Chronicles 23:32 Lit brothers
1 Chronicles 23
Revised Standard Version
Families of the Levites and Their Functions
23 When David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
2 David assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. 3 The Levites, thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and the total was thirty-eight thousand men. 4 “Twenty-four thousand of these,” David said, “shall have charge of the work in the house of the Lord, six thousand shall be officers and judges, 5 four thousand gatekeepers, and four thousand shall offer praises to the Lord with the instruments which I have made for praise.” 6 And David organized them in divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merar′i.
7 The sons of Gershom[a] were Ladan and Shim′e-i. 8 The sons of Ladan: Jehi′el the chief, and Zetham, and Jo′el, three. 9 The sons of Shim′e-i: Shelo′moth, Ha′zi-el, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ houses of Ladan. 10 And the sons of Shim′e-i: Jahath, Zina, and Je′ush, and Beri′ah. These four were the sons of Shim′e-i. 11 Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Je′ush and Beri′ah had not many sons, therefore they became a fathers’ house in one reckoning.
12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uz′ziel, four. 13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to consecrate the most holy things, that he and his sons for ever should burn incense before the Lord, and minister to him and pronounce blessings in his name for ever. 14 But the sons of Moses the man of God were named among the tribe of Levi. 15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Elie′zer. 16 The sons of Gershom: Sheb′uel the chief. 17 The sons of Elie′zer: Rehabi′ah the chief; Elie′zer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabi′ah were very many. 18 The sons of Izhar: Shelo′mith the chief. 19 The sons of Hebron: Jeri′ah the chief, Amari′ah the second, Jaha′ziel the third, and Jekame′am the fourth. 20 The sons of Uz′ziel: Micah the chief and Isshi′ah the second.
21 The sons of Merar′i: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Elea′zar and Kish. 22 Elea′zar died having no sons, but only daughters; their kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them. 23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jer′emoth, three.
24 These were the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses, the heads of fathers’ houses as they were registered according to the number of the names of the individuals from twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord. 25 For David said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given peace to his people; and he dwells in Jerusalem for ever. 26 And so the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service”— 27 for by the last words of David these were the number of the Levites from twenty years old and upward— 28 “but their duty shall be to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God; 29 to assist also with the showbread, the flour for the cereal offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baked offering, the offering mixed with oil, and all measures of quantity or size. 30 And they shall stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening, 31 and whenever burnt offerings are offered to the Lord on sabbaths, new moons, and feast days, according to the number required of them, continually before the Lord. 32 Thus they shall keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and shall attend the sons of Aaron, their brethren, for the service of the house of the Lord.”
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 23:7 Vg Compare Gk Syr: Heb to the Gershonite
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