1 Chronicles 23

Solomon Reigns

11Now when David 2reached old age, 3he made his son Solomon king over Israel. 2And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites.

Offices of the Levites

34The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward, and 5their number by 6census of men was 38,000. 4Of these, 24,000 were 7to oversee the work of the house of the Lord; and 6,000 were 8officers and judges, 5and 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 94,000 were praising the Lord with the instruments which 10David made for giving praise. 6David divided them into divisions 11according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Gershonites

7Of the Gershonites were 12Ladan and Shimei. 8The sons of Ladan were Jehiel the first and Zetham and Joel, three. 9The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan. 10The sons of Shimei were Jahath, 13Zina, Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 11Jahath was the first and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became a father’s household, one 14class.

Kohathites

12The sons of Kohath were four: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 1315The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And 16Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, 17to burn incense before the Lord, to minister to Him and to bless in His name forever. 14But as for 18Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. 15The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. 16The 19son of Gershom was 20Shebuel the chief. 17The 21son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18The 22son of Izhar was 23Shelomith the chief. 19The sons of Hebron were Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth. 20The sons of Uzziel were Micah the first and Isshiah the second.

Merarites

21The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. 22Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters only, so their brothers, the sons of Kish, took them as wives. 23The sons of Mushi were three: Mahli, Eder and Jeremoth.

Duties Revised

2424These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers’ households, even the heads of the fathers’ households of those of them who were 25counted, in the number of names by their 26census, doing the work for the service of the house of the Lord, 27from twenty years old and upward. 25For David said, “The Lord God of Israel 28has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26Also, 29the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service.” 27For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. 28For their office is 30to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of the Lord, in the courts and in the chambers and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God, 2931and with the showbread, and 32the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or 33what is baked in the pan or 34what is well-mixed, and 35all measures of volume and size. 30They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the Lord, and likewise at evening, 31and to offer all burnt offerings to the Lord, 36on the sabbaths, the new moons and 37the fixed festivals in the number set by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the Lord. 32Thus 38they are to keep charge of the tent of meeting, and charge of the holy place, and 39charge of the sons of Aaron their 40relatives, for the service of the house of the Lord.