David Organizes the Levites

23 (A)When David was old and full of days, (B)he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

David[a] assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. The Levites, (C)thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and (D)the total was (E)38,000 men. “Twenty-four thousand of these,” David said,[b] (F)“shall have charge of the work in the house of the Lord, 6,000 shall be (G)officers and judges, 4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the Lord with the instruments (H)that I have made for praise.” (I)And David organized them in divisions (J)corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

(K)The sons of Gershon[c] were Ladan and Shimei. The sons of Ladan: (L)Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three. The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers' houses of Ladan. 10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 11 Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, therefore they became counted as a single father's house.

12 (M)The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. 13 (N)The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. (O)Aaron was set apart to dedicate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever should (P)make offerings before the Lord and (Q)minister to him and (R)pronounce blessings in his name forever. 14 But the sons of Moses the (S)man of God were named among the (T)tribe of Levi. 15 The (U)sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The sons of Gershom: (V)Shebuel the chief. 17 The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. 19 The (W)sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20 (X)The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second.

21 (Y)The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and (Z)Kish. 22 Eleazar died (AA)having no sons, but only daughters; their (AB)kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them. 23 (AC)The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

24 (AD)These were the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, the heads of fathers' houses (AE)as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from (AF)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, (AG)has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26 And so the Levites no longer need (AH)to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service.” 27 For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from (AI)twenty years old and upward. 28 For their duty was 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 Their duty was also to assist with the (AJ)showbread, the (AK)flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the (AL)baked offering, the (AM)offering mixed with oil, and all (AN)measures of quantity or size. 30 And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening, 31 and whenever burnt offerings were offered to the Lord (AO)on Sabbaths, (AP)new moons, and feast days, (AQ)according to the number required of them, regularly before the Lord. 32 Thus (AR)they were to keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and to attend the sons of Aaron, their brothers, for the (AS)service of the house of the Lord.

David Organizes the Priests

24 The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of (AT)Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. (AU)But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar became the priests. With the help of (AV)Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, David organized them according to the appointed duties in their service. Since more chief men were found among the sons of Eleazar than among the sons of Ithamar, they organized them under sixteen heads of fathers' houses of the sons of Eleazar, and eight of the sons of Ithamar. They divided them (AW)by lot, all alike, for there were sacred officers and officers of God among both the sons of Eleazar and the sons of Ithamar. And the scribe Shemaiah, the son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded them in the presence of the king and the princes and Zadok the priest and (AX)Ahimelech the son of Abiathar and the heads of the fathers' houses of the priests and of the Levites, one father's house being chosen for Eleazar and one chosen for Ithamar.

The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, 10 the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to (AY)Abijah, 11 the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, 12 the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, 13 the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, 14 the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, 15 the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, 16 the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, 17 the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul, 18 the twenty-third to Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. 19 These had as their appointed duty in their service (AZ)to come into the house of the Lord according to the procedure established for them by Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.

20 And of the rest of the sons of Levi: (BA)of the sons of Amram, Shubael; of the sons of Shubael, Jehdeiah. 21 (BB)Of Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, Isshiah the chief. 22 Of the Izharites, Shelomoth; of the sons of Shelomoth, Jahath. 23 (BC)The sons of Hebron:[d] Jeriah the chief,[e] Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth. 24 (BD)The sons of Uzziel, Micah; of the sons of Micah, Shamir. 25 The brother of Micah, Isshiah; of the sons of Isshiah, Zechariah. 26 (BE)The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Jaaziah: Beno.[f] 27 The sons of Merari: of Jaaziah, Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri. 28 Of Mahli: Eleazar, (BF)who had no sons. 29 Of Kish, the sons of Kish: Jerahmeel. 30 (BG)The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites according to their fathers' houses. 31 These also, the head of each father's house and his younger brother alike, (BH)cast lots, just as their brothers the sons of Aaron, in the presence of King David, (BI)Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of fathers' houses of the priests and of the Levites.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 23:2 Hebrew He
  2. 1 Chronicles 23:4 Hebrew lacks David said
  3. 1 Chronicles 23:7 Vulgate (compare Septuagint, Syriac); Hebrew to the Gershonite
  4. 1 Chronicles 24:23 Compare 23:19; Hebrew lacks Hebron
  5. 1 Chronicles 24:23 Compare 23:19; Hebrew lacks the chief
  6. 1 Chronicles 24:26 Or his son; also verse 27

For I want you to know (A)how great a (B)struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that (C)their hearts may be encouraged, being (D)knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of (E)God's mystery, which is Christ, (F)in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order (G)that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For (H)though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your (I)good order and (J)the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Alive in Christ

(K)Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, (L)rooted and (M)built up in him and (N)established in the faith, just (O)as you were taught, abounding (P)in thanksgiving.

See to it that no one takes you captive by (Q)philosophy and (R)empty deceit, according to (S)human tradition, according to the (T)elemental spirits[a] of the world, and not according to Christ. For (U)in him the whole fullness of deity dwells (V)bodily, 10 and (W)you have been filled in him, who is (X)the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also (Y)you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by (Z)putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 (AA)having been buried with him in baptism, in which (AB)you were also raised with him through faith in (AC)the powerful working of God, (AD)who raised him from the dead. 13 (AE)And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God (AF)made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by (AG)canceling (AH)the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 (AI)He disarmed the rulers and authorities[b] and (AJ)put them to open shame, by (AK)triumphing over them in him.[c]

Let No One Disqualify You

16 Therefore let no one (AL)pass judgment on you (AM)in questions of food and drink, or with regard to (AN)a festival or (AO)a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 (AP)These are a shadow of the things to come, but (AQ)the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one (AR)disqualify you, (AS)insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, (AT)going on in detail about visions,[d] (AU)puffed up without reason by (AV)his sensuous mind, 19 and (AW)not (AX)holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

20 If with Christ (AY)you died to the (AZ)elemental spirits of the world, (BA)why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 (BB)“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 ((BC)referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to (BD)human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in (BE)promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are (BF)of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 2:8 Or elementary principles; also verse 20
  2. Colossians 2:15 Probably demonic rulers and authorities
  3. Colossians 2:15 Or in it (that is, the cross)
  4. Colossians 2:18 Or about the things he has seen

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