Now, the first inhabitants, who were in their possessions, in their cities, were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.

And, of the Levites, Shemaiah, son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;

For, in trust, were four mighty men of the keepers of the gates, the same, were Levites, - and they were over the chambers, and over the treasuries of the house of God.

And, Mattithiah, from among the Levites, - the same, was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite - was in trust over the making of the flat cakes.

These, also were the singers, ancestral chiefs of the Levites, in the chambers, free, - for, by day and by night, was there a charge upon them, in the business.

These, were the ancestral chiefs, of the Levites, by their generations, chief men, - these, dwelt in Jerusalem.

And David said to all the convocation of Israel, If, unto you, it seemeth to be good, and from Yahweh our God, we will urgently send unto our brethren who remain in all the lands of Israel, and, with them, the priests and the Levites in their pasture-land cities, - that they may gather together unto us;

Then, said David, None must carry the ark of God, save the Levites, - for, of them, did Yahweh make choice, to bear the ark of Yahweh, and to attend it, unto times age-abiding.

And David gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites:

Then called David, for Zadok and for Abiathar, the priests, - and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah and Joel, Shemaiah and Eliel, and Amminadab;

and said unto them, Ye, are the chiefs of the fathers of the Levites, - Hallow yourselves, ye and your brethren, so shall ye bring up the ark of Yahweh - God of Israel, into the place I have prepared for it.

So the priests and the Levites hallowed themselves, - to bring up the ark of Yahweh, God of Israel.

And the sons of the Levites bare the ark of God, just as Moses commanded, according to the word of Yahweh, - on their shoulder, with the staves upon them.

And David spake to the chiefs of the Levites, to station their brethren the singers, with instruments of song, harps and lyres, and cymbals, - sounding aloud at the lifting up of the voice, for joy.

So the Levites caused to stand, Heman son of Joel, and, of his brethren, Asaph, son of Berechiah, - and, of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan, son of Kushaiah;

And, Chenaniah the leader of the Levites, in the service, used to give instructions in the service, because skilful was he.

And so it was that, when God helped the Levites, who were bearing the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams.

Now, David, was wrapped about with a robe of byssus, with all the Levites who were bearing the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the leader of the service rendered by the singers, - but, upon David, was an ephod of white linen.

And he placed before the ark of Yahweh certain of the Levites, as attendants, - and to celebrate, and to give thanks and render praise, unto Yahweh, God of Israel;

and gathered together all the rulers of Israel, with the priests, and the Levites.

Now the Levites were numbered, from thirty years old and upwards, - and their number by their polls, of mature men, was thirty-eight thousand.

moreover also, as for the Levites, they have no need to bear the habitation, nor any of its vessels in the laborious work thereof.

And Shemaiah son of Nethanel the scribe from among the Levites, wrote them down, before the king and the rulers and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the ancestral chiefs, pertaining to the priests and to the Levites, - one ancestral house, was taken for Eleazar, and, was equally taken, for Ithamar.

and, the sons of Mushi, Mahli and Eder and Jerimoth. These, were the sons of the Levites, belonging to their ancestral house.

Moreover, they also, cast lots along with their brethren the sons of Aaron, before David the king and Zadok and Ahimelech, and the ancestral chiefs, pertaining to the priests and to the Levites, the ancestral chief along with his younger brethren.

And, the Levites, their brethren, were over the treasuries of the house of God, even to the treasuries of hallowed things.

and for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of Yahweh, - and for all the utensils of the service of the house of Yahweh:

And there are the courses of the priests and the Levites, for all the service of the house of God, - and, with thee, in all manner of work, is every willing, skilful man for any service, also the rulers and all the people, for all thine affairs.

And all the elders of Israel came in, - and the Levites bare the ark;

and they brought up the ark, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils, that were in the tent, - the priests the Levites did bring them up.

and, the Levites who were the singers, even all of them pertaining to Asaph, to Heman, to Jeduthun, and to their sons and to their brethren, arrayed in white linen, with cymbals and with harps and lyres, stood eastward of the altar, - and, with them, priests to the number of a hundred-and-twenty, blowing with trumpets,

while, the priests, over their charges, were standing, the Levites also, with the instruments for the songs of Yahweh, which David the king had made, for giving thanks unto Yahweh, For, age-abiding, is his lovingkindness, when David offered praise by their means, - and, the priests, kept on blowing trumpets over against them, while, all Israel, were standing.

and he caused to stand, according to the regulation of David his father, the courses of the priests over their service and of the Levites over their charges, to offer praise and to minister before the priests, for the duty of each day upon its own day, and the gate-keepers in their courses, at every several gate, - for, such, was the commandment of David the man of God;

neither departed they from the commandment of the king, concerning the priests and the Levites as to any duty, or as to the treasuries.

And, the priests and Levites that were in all Israel, took their stand with him, out of all their boundaries.

For the Levites left their pasture lands, and their possessions, and came to Judah, and to Jerusalem, - for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, from ministering as priests unto Yahweh;

Have ye not driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, - and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of the countries? Whosoever cometh to install himself with a young bullock, and seven rams, then becometh he a priest unto the, no-gods.

But, as for us, Yahweh, is our God, and we have not forsaken him, - and, the priests who are waiting upon Yahweh, are sons of Aaron, with Levites in the work;

and, with them, Levites, Shemaiah and Nethaniah and Zebadiah and Asahel and Shemiramoth and Jehonathan, and Adonijah and Tobijah and Tob-adonijah, Levites, - and, with them, Elishama and Jehoram, priests;

And, even in Jerusalem, did Jehoshaphat station some of the Levites and the priests, and of the ancestral chiefs of Israel, to pronounce the just sentence of Yahweh, and to settle disputes, - when they returned to Jerusalem.

And lo! Amariah the chief priest, is over you as to every matter of Yahweh, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael the chief ruler for the house of Judah, as to every matter of the king, and, as officers, the Levites are before you, - Be strong and act, and Yahweh be with the good!

Now, as for Jahaziel son of Zechariah son of Benaiah son of Jeiel son of Mattaniah a Levite, of the sons of Asaph, there came upon him the spirit of Yahweh, in the midst of the convocation:

And Levites - of the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to offer praise unto Yahweh, God of Israel, with an exceedingly loud voice.

And they went round throughout Judah, and gathered together the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the ancestral chiefs of Israel, - and they came into Jerusalem.

This, is the thing that ye shall do, - A third of you entering on the sabbath, both of the priests and of the Levites, as doorkeepers of the porch;

then let no one enter the house of Yahweh, save only the priests, and they who are in attendance of the Levites, they, may enter, for, holy, they are,-but, all the people, shall keep the watch of Yahweh.

So shall the Levites encompass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand, and, he that entereth into the house, shall be put to death. Thus be ye with the king, when he cometh in and when he goeth out.

So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they took every man his men, who were coming in on the sabbath, with them who were going out on the sabbath, - for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.

And Jehoiada put the oversight of the house of Yahweh into the hand of the priests and the Levites, whom David set by courses over the house of Yahweh, that they might offer up the ascending-sacrifices of Yahweh, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with song, - under the direction of David.

So he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said unto them - Go ye out unto the cities of Judah, and gather out of all Israel silver to repair the house of your God, year by year, and, ye, shall hasten the matter, - but the Levites hastened it not.

Then the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Wherefore hast thou not required of the Levites, to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tribute of Moses the servant of Yahweh, and of the convocation of Israel, - for the tent of testimony?

And it came to pass, what time the chest was brought into the office of the king by the hand of the Levites, and when they had seen that abundant was the silver, that the scribe of the king came in, and the officer of the chief priest, and they emptied the chest, and bare it, and put it back in its place, - thus, they did, day by day, and collected silver, in abundance;

And he brought in the priests, and the Levites, - and gathered them together in the broadway on the east;

and said unto them, Hear me, O Levites! Now, hallow yourselves, and hallow the house of Yahweh, God of your fathers, and take forth the impure thing out of the holy place.

Then arose the Levites - Mahath son of Amasai, and Joel son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites, and, of the sons of Merari, Kish son of Abdi, and Azariah son of Jehallelel, - and, of the Gershonites, Joah son of Zimmah, and Eden son of Joah;

So the priests entered into the inner part of the house of Yahweh, to make purification, and they brought out every unclean thing which they found in the temple of Yahweh, into the court of the house of Yahweh, - where the Levites received it, to carry it forth to the Kidron ravine outside.

And he caused the Levites to stand in the house of Yahweh, with cymbals and with harps and with lyres, by the commandment of David, and of Gad the seer of the king, and of Nathan the prophet, - for, by the hand of Yahweh, came the commandment by the hand of his prophets.

So the Levites took their stand, with the instruments of David, and the priests, with the trumpets.

And Hezekiah the king and the rulers gave word to the Levites, to offer praise unto Yahweh, in the words of David, and of Asaph the seer, - so they offered praise right joyfully, and bent their heads and bowed themselves in prostration.

Only, the priests, were too few, and were unable to flay all the ascending-sacrifices, - so their brethren the Levites strengthened them, until the work was complete and until the priests had hallowed themselves, for, the Levites, were more upright in heart to hallow themselves, than the priests.

Then slaughtered they the passover, on the fourteenth of the second month, - and, the priests and the Levites, were put to shame, and hallowed themselves, and brought in the ascending-sacrifices of the house of Yahweh.

And they stood in their place, according to their regulation, according to the law of Moses the man of God, - the priests, dashing the blood, which they received at the hand of the Levites.

For there were many in the convocation, who had not hallowed themselves, - but, the Levites, were over the slaughtering of the passover-lambs, for every one who was, not pure, to hallow him unto Yahweh.

And so the sons of Israel who were found in Jerusalem kept the festival of unleavened cakes seven days, with great rejoicing, - and the Levites and the priests, were offering praise unto Yahweh day by day, with loud instruments, unto Yahweh.

And Hezekiah spake unto the heart of all the Levites who were giving good instruction respecting Yahweh, - and they did eat the appointed feast seven days, sacrificing the peace-offerings, and offering praise unto Yahweh, God of their fathers.

So all the convocation of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and all the convocation that came in out of Israel, rejoiced, - also the sojourners who were coming in out of the land of Israel, and the dwellers in Judah.

Then rose up the priests the Levites, and blessed the people, and there was a hearkening unto their voice, - and their prayer entered into his holy dwelling-place, even into the heavens.

And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests, and the Levites, over their courses, every man according to the requirements of his service, both priests and Levites, for ascending-sacrifice and for peace-offerings, - to be in attendance and to give thanks and to offer praise, in the gates of the camps of Yahweh;

And he bade the people who were dwelling in Jerusalem give the portion of the priests and the Levites, - to the end they might persevere in the law of Yahweh.

Then applied Hezekiah unto the priests and the Levites, concerning the heaps.

and brought in the heave-offering and the tithe and the hallowed things, faithfully, - and, over them, as chief ruler, was Cononiah the Levite, and Shimei his brother, next;

And, Kore, son of Imnah the Levite, the door-keeper on the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, - to give the heave-offering of Yahweh, and the most holy things.

both the registering of the priests, by their ancestral houses, and the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, - in their watches, in their courses;

also unto the sons of Aaron the priests in the fields of the pasture land of their cities, in every several city, men who were expressed by name, - to give portions to every male among the priests, and to all registered among the Levites.

So they went in unto Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the silver that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the entrance-hall had collected from the hand of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin, - and returned to Jerusalem.

Now, the men, were working faithfully in the work, and over them as overseers, were - Jahath and Obadiah, Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to preside, - and Levites, all who had understanding in instruments of song;

also over the burden-bearers, and such as took the lead, for everyone who was working in any manner of service, - and, of the Levites, were scribes and officers and doorkeepers.

And the king went up to the house of Yahweh - and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem - and the priests and the Levites, and all the people, from the great even unto the small, - and he read in their ears, all the words of the book of the covenant, which had been found in the house of Yahweh.

and said to the Levites who gave instruction to all Israel as to the things which were hallowed unto Yahweh, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon son of David king of Israel did build, it is not yours as a burden on the shoulder, - Now, serve ye Yahweh your God, and his people Israel;

and stand ye in the holy place, by the divisions of the ancestral house, for your brethren, the sons of the people, and the partitioning of an ancestral house, for the Levites.

And, his rulers, willingly, to the people and to the priests and to the Levites, presented, - Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, chief rulers of the house of God, unto the priests, did give, for passover offerings, two thousand and six hundred, and, of bullocks, three hundred;

and, Conaniah, and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, rulers of the Levites, presented to the Levites, for passover offerings, five thousand, and, of bullocks, five hundred.

Thus was the service prepared, - and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the commandment of the king.

So they slaughtered the passover, and the priests dashed the blood received at their hand, and the Levites were flaying the offerings .

And, afterwards, prepared they for themselves and for the priests, because, the priests, the sons of Aaron, had been engaged in offering up the ascending-sacrifice and the fat pieces, until night, - the Levites, therefore prepared for themselves, and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.

the singers also, the sons of Asaph, were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the seer of the king, and, the doorkeepers, were at the several doors, - there was no need for them to remove from their service, for, their brethren the Levites, prepared for them.

And there had not been kept, a passover like it, in Israel, since the days of Samuel the prophet, - yea, none of the kings of Israel, had kept such a passover as was kept by Josiah and the priests and the Levites and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Then arose the ancestral chiefs of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, - even every one whose spirit God had aroused, to go up to build the house of Yahweh, which was in Jerusalem;

The Levites, The sons of Jeshua, and Kadmiel of the sons of Hodaviah, seventy-four.

So the priests and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers and the doorkeepers and the Nethinim, took up their abode, in their cities, - and, all Israel, in their cities.

Now, in the second year of their coming in unto the house of God, to Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak and the rest of their brethren - the priests and the Levites, and all that were come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, and stationed the Levites, of twenty years old and upwards, to preside over the work of the house of Yahweh.

So they took their station - even Jeshua, his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, sons of Judah, as one man to preside over the doer of the work in the house of God, the sons of Henadad, their sons and their brethren, the Levites.

And, when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Yahweh, then the priests, enrobed, took their stand with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to offer praise unto Yahweh, after the instructions of David king of Israel.

But, many of the priests and the Levites and the ancestral chiefs, who were old men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, were weeping with a loud voice, - many, however, shouting and rejoicing, with voice raised on high;

Then did the sons of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the Sons of the Exile, keep the dedication of this house of God, with joy;

And they set up the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, over the service of God, which was in Jerusalem, - as it is written, in the Book of Moses.

for the priests and the Levites, had purified themselves, as one man, all of them, were pure, - so they slaughtered the passover for all the Sons of the Exile, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

So then there came up some of the sons of Israel, and some of the priests and the Levites and the singers and the doorkeepers and the Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, - in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

From me, is issued an edict, that, every one in my kingdom, of the people of Israel, and of their priests and the Levites, who is minded of his own freewill to go to Jerusalem, with thee, let him go.

And, you, we do certify, that, as touching any of the priests or the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the Nethinim, or the servitors of this house of God, tribute, excise or toll, shall it not be competent to impose upon them.