¹⁸ Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the Lord in the hands of the Levitical priests,^(A) to whom David had made assignments in the temple,^(B) to present the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered.

⁵ and they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The Levitical priests^(A) carried them up;

Daily Offerings

28 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Give this command to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Make sure that you present to me at the appointed time^(A) my food^(B) offerings, as an aroma pleasing to me.’^{(C) 3} Say to them: ‘This is the food offering you are to present to the Lord: two lambs a year old without defect,^(D) as a regular burnt offering each day.^{(E) 4} Offer one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight,^{(F) 5} together with a grain offering^(G) of a tenth of an ephah^[a] of the finest flour^(H) mixed with a quarter of a hin^[b] of oil^(I) from pressed olives. ⁶ This is the regular burnt offering^(J) instituted at Mount Sinai^(K) as a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.^{(L) 7} The accompanying drink offering^(M) is to be a quarter of a hin of fermented drink^(N) with each lamb. Pour out the drink offering to the Lord at the sanctuary.^{(O) 8} Offer the second lamb at twilight,^(P) along with the same kind of grain offering and drink offering that you offer in the morning.^(Q) This is a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.^(R)

Sabbath Offerings

⁹ “‘On the Sabbath^(S) day, make an offering of two lambs a year old without defect,^(T) together with its drink offering and a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah^[c](U) of the finest flour mixed with olive oil.^{(V) 10} This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath,^(W) in addition to the regular burnt offering^(X) and its drink offering.

Monthly Offerings

¹¹ “‘On the first of every month,^(Y) present to the Lord a burnt offering of two young bulls,^(Z) one ram^(AA) and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect.^{(AB) 12} With each bull there is to be a grain offering^(AC) of three-tenths of an ephah^[d](AD) of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, a grain offering of two-tenths^(AE) of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; ¹³ and with each lamb, a grain offering^(AF) of a tenth^(AG) of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil. This is for a burnt offering,^(AH) a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.^{(AI) 14} With each bull there is to be a drink offering^(AJ) of half a hin^[e] of wine; with the ram, a third of a hin^[f]; and with each lamb, a quarter of a hin. This is the monthly burnt offering to be made at each new moon^(AK) during the year. ¹⁵ Besides the regular burnt offering^(AL) with its drink offering, one male goat^(AM) is to be presented to the Lord as a sin offering.^[g](AN)

The Passover^(AO)

¹⁶ “‘On the fourteenth day of the first month the Lord’s Passover^(AP) is to be held. ¹⁷ On the fifteenth day of this month there is to be a festival; for seven days^(AQ) eat bread made without yeast.^{(AR) 18} On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.^{(AS) 19} Present to the Lord a food offering^(AT) consisting of a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect.^{(AU) 20} With each bull offer a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah^(AV) of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths;^{(AW) 21} and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth.^{(AX) 22} Include one male goat as a sin offering^(AY) to make atonement for you.^{(AZ) 23} Offer these in addition to the regular morning burnt offering. ²⁴ In this way present the food offering every day for seven days as an aroma pleasing to the Lord;^(BA) it is to be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. ²⁵ On the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.

The Festival of Weeks^(BB)

²⁶ “‘On the day of firstfruits,^(BC) when you present to the Lord an offering of new grain during the Festival of Weeks,^(BD) hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.^{(BE) 27} Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.^{(BF) 28} With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths;^{(BG) 29} and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth.^{(BH) 30} Include one male goat^(BI) to make atonement for you. ³¹ Offer these together with their drink offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering^(BJ) and its grain offering. Be sure the animals are without defect.

²⁵ He stationed the Levites in the temple of the Lord with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David^(A) and Gad^(B) the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the Lord through his prophets.

The Musicians

25 David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph,^(A) Heman^(B) and Jeduthun^(C) for the ministry of prophesying,^(D) accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals.^(E) Here is the list of the men^(F) who performed this service:^(G)

² From the sons of Asaph:

³ As for Jeduthun, from his sons:^(H)

⁴ As for Heman, from his sons:

⁶ All these men were under the supervision of their father^(J) for the music of the temple of the Lord, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God.

Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman^(K) were under the supervision of the king.^{(L) 7} Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord—they numbered 288. ⁸ Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots^(M) for their duties.

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^(A) 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,^(B) the special flour for the grain offerings,^(C) the thin loaves made without yeast, the baking and the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size.^{(D) 30} They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening^{(E) 31} and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the Lord on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon^(F) feasts and at the appointed festivals.^(G) They were to serve before the Lord regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them.

The Levites

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

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^(C) were counted,^(D) and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand.^{(E) 4} 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) 5} 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)

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

Gershonites

⁷ Belonging to the Gershonites:^(M)

Kohathites

¹² The sons of Kohath:^(N)

Merarites

²¹ The sons of Merari:^(Y)

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.