1 Chronicles 23:1-32 - David Organizes The Levites

1 Now, David, was old, and satisfied with days, - so he made Solomon his son king, over Israel; 2 and gathered together all the rulers of Israel, with the priests, and the Levites. 3 Now the Levites were numbered, from thirty years old and upwards, - and their number by their polls, of mature men, was thirty-eight thousand. 4 Of these - to preside over the work of the house of Yahweh, were twenty-four thousand, - and officers and judges, six thousand; 5 and four thousand, were doorkeepers, - and, four thousand, were offerers of praise unto Yahweh, with instruments, which said David I made for offering praise.

6 And David divided them into courses, - pertaining to the sons of Levi, to Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 7 Of the Gershonites, Ladan and Shimei. 8 The sons of Ladan, the chief Jehiel, and Zetham and Joel, three. 9 The sons of Shimei, Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, three, - these, were the ancestral chiefs of Ladan. 10 And, the sons of Shimei, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah, - these, were the sons of Shimei, four. 11 And Jahath was chief, and Zizah the second, - but, Jeush and Beriah, had not many sons, so they became an ancestral house, by one reckoning. 12 The sons of Kohath, Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. 13 The sons of Amram, Aaron and Moses, - and Aaron was separated, to hallow the holy of holies, he and his sons, unto times age-abiding, to make a perfume before Yahweh, to be in attendance upon him, and to bless in his name, unto times age-abiding; 14 and, as for Moses, the man of God, his sons, were called unto the tribe of Levi. 15 The sons of Moses, were Gershom, and Eliezer. 16 the sons of Gershom, were Shebuel the chief; 17 and the sons of Eliezer were Rehabiah the chief, - and Eliezer had no other sons, but, the sons of Rehabiah, were very many. 18 The sons of Izhar, Shelomith the chief. 19 The sons of Hebron, Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jehaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20 The sons of Uzziel, Micah the chief, and Isshiah the second. 21 The sons of Merari, were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli, were Eleazar and Kish. 22 But Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only, - and so the sons of Kish their brethren took them. 23 The sons of Mushi, were Mahli and Eder and Jeremoth, three.

24 These, were the sons of Levi by their ancestral house, the ancestral chiefs of them who were counted in the number of their names, by their polls, doing the work, for the service of the house of Yahweh, - from twenty years old, and upwards. 25 For, said David, Yahweh the God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, - and hath taken up his habitation in Jerusalem, unto times age-abiding; 26 moreover also, as for the Levites, they have no need to bear the habitation, nor any of its vessels in the laborious work thereof. 27 For, by the last words of David, the same, were the number of the sons of Levi, - from twenty years old, and upwards. 28 For, their duty, was - to be in attendance upon the sons of Aaron, in the laborious work of the house of Yahweh, over the courts, and over the chambers, and over the purifying of everything holy, - and doing the laborious work, of the house of God; 29 and for the bread set in array, and for the fine meal for the meal-offering, and for the unleavened cakes, even for that which is baked in a pan, for the moistened food, - even of every measure, and size; 30 and to stand, morning by morning, to give thanks and offer praise unto Yahweh, - and, likewise, at even; 31 and for all the offering of ascending-sacrifices unto Yahweh, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts, - by number, according to the manner prescribed for them continually, before Yahweh; - 32 and they shall keep the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, - in the laborious work of the house of Yahweh.