^3 (A)from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.

^23 (A)From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, all who enter to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ^11 (A)Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the ^[a]wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against ^(B)principalities, against powers, against ^(C)the rulers of ^[b]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ^13 (D)Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand ^(E)in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, ^(F)having girded your waist with truth, ^(G)having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ^15 (H)and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking ^(I)the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And ^(J)take the helmet of salvation, and ^(K)the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ^18 (L)praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, ^(M)being watchful to this end with all perseverance and ^(N)supplication for all the saints—

²⁴ These were the sons of ^(A)Levi by their fathers’ houses—the heads of the fathers’ houses as they were counted individually by the number of their names, who did the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from the age of ^(B)twenty years and above.

²⁵ For David said, “The Lord God of Israel ^(C)has given rest to His people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem forever”; ²⁶ and also to the Levites, “They shall no longer ^(D)carry the tabernacle, or any of the articles for its service.” ²⁷ For by the ^(E)last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above; ²⁸ because their duty was to help the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the Lord, in the courts and in the chambers, in the purifying of all holy things and the work of the service of the house of God, ²⁹ both with ^(F)the showbread and ^(G)the fine flour for the grain offering, with ^(H)the unleavened cakes and ^(I)what is baked in the pan, with what is mixed and with all kinds of ^(J)measures and sizes; ³⁰ to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening; ³¹ and at every presentation of a burnt offering to the Lord ^(K)on the Sabbaths and on the New Moons and on the ^(L)set^[a] feasts, by number according to the ordinance governing them, regularly before the Lord; ³² and that they should ^(M)attend to the ^(N)needs of the tabernacle of meeting, the needs of the holy place, and the ^(O)needs of the sons of Aaron their brethren in the work of the house of the Lord.

³ Now the Levites were numbered from the age of ^(A)thirty years and above; and the number of individual males was thirty-eight thousand. ⁴ Of these, twenty-four thousand were to ^(B)look after the work of the house of the Lord, six thousand were ^(C)officers and judges, ⁵ four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand ^(D)praised the Lord with musical instruments, ^(E)“which I made,” said David, “for giving praise.”

Joash Crowned King of Judah^(A)

⁴ In ^(B)the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of hundreds—of the bodyguards and the ^[a]escorts—and brought them into the house of the Lord to him. And he made a covenant with them and took an oath from them in the house of the Lord, and showed them the king’s son. ⁵ Then he commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall do: One-third of you who ^[b]come on duty ^(C)on the Sabbath shall be keeping watch over the king’s house, ⁶ one-third shall be at the gate of Sur, and one-third at the gate behind the escorts. You shall keep the watch of the house, lest it be broken down. ⁷ The two ^[c]contingents of you who go off duty on the Sabbath shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord for the king. ⁸ But you shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes within range, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in.”

^9 (D)So the captains of the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each of them took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. ¹⁰ And the priest gave the captains of hundreds the spears and shields which had belonged to King David, ^(E)that were in the temple of the Lord. ¹¹ Then the escorts stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, all around the king, from the right ^[d]side of the temple to the left side of the temple, by the altar and the house. ¹² And he brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, and gave him the ^(F)Testimony;^[e] they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, ^(G)“Long live the king!”

²⁴ “This is what pertains to the Levites: ^(A)From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting; ²⁵ and at the age of fifty years they must cease performing this work, and shall work no more. ²⁶ They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, ^(B)to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties.”

⁶ not a ^[a]novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

Qualifications of Overseers

3 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a ^[a]bishop, he desires a good work.