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David[a] assembled all the leaders of Israel, along with the priests and the Levites. The Levites who were thirty years old and up were counted; there were 38,000 men.[b] David said,[c] “Of these, 24,000 are to direct the work of the Lord’s temple; 6,000 are to be officials and judges; 4,000 are to be gatekeepers; and 4,000 are to praise the Lord with the instruments I supplied for worship.”[d] David divided them into groups corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 23:2 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  2. 1 Chronicles 23:3 tn Heb “and their number by their heads, by men, was 38,000.”
  3. 1 Chronicles 23:4 tn The words “David said” are supplied here in the translation for clarification. The appearance of the first person verb “I supplied” in v. 5 indicates that David is speaking here.
  4. 1 Chronicles 23:5 tn Heb “made to [or “for”] praise.”

He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites. The Levites thirty years old or more(A) were counted,(B) and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand.(C) David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand are to be in charge(D) of the work(E) of the temple of the Lord and six thousand are to be officials and judges.(F) Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments(G) I have provided for that purpose.”(H)

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

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