Thematic Bible
1 Chronicles 23:1 (show verse)
When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.
1 Chronicles 23:2 (show verse)
He also gathered all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites.
1 Chronicles 23:3 (show verse)
The Levites thirty years old or older were counted, and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand.
1 Chronicles 23:4 (show verse)
David said: Of these, twenty-four thousand are to supervise the work of Jehovah's Temple and six thousand are to be officials and judges.
1 Chronicles 23:5 (show verse)
Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise Jehovah with musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.
1 Chronicles 23:6 (show verse)
David divided the Levites into groups corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
1 Chronicles 23:7 (show verse)
Belonging to the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.
1 Chronicles 23:8 (show verse)
The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the first, Zetham and Joel, three in all.
1 Chronicles 23:9 (show verse)
The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel and Haran, three in all. These were the heads of the families of Ladan.
1 Chronicles 23:10 (show verse)
The sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei, four in all.
1 Chronicles 23:11 (show verse)
Jahath was the first and Ziza the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons so they were counted as one family with one assignment.
1 Chronicles 23:12 (show verse)
The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel, four in all.
1 Chronicles 23:13 (show verse)
The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart, he and his descendants from generation to generation, to consecrate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices before Jehovah, to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in his name as long as they live.
1 Chronicles 23:14 (show verse)
The sons of Moses the man of God were counted as part of the tribe of Levi.
1 Chronicles 23:15 (show verse)
The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.
1 Chronicles 23:16 (show verse)
The descendants of Gershom: Shubael was the first.
1 Chronicles 23:17 (show verse)
The descendants of Eliezer: Rehabiah was the first. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.
1 Chronicles 23:18 (show verse)
The sons of Izhar: Shelomith was the first.
1 Chronicles 23:19 (show verse)
The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.
1 Chronicles 23:20 (show verse)
The sons of Uzziel: Micah the first and Isshiah the second.
1 Chronicles 23:21 (show verse)
The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
1 Chronicles 23:22 (show verse)
Eleazar died without having sons: he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.
1 Chronicles 23:23 (show verse)
The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth, three in all.
1 Chronicles 23:24 (show verse)
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 who served in the Temple of Jehovah.
1 Chronicles 23:25 (show verse)
For David had said: Since Jehovah, the God of Israel, has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem from generation to generation,
1 Chronicles 23:26 (show verse)
the Levites no longer need to carry the Tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service.
1 Chronicles 23:27 (show verse)
According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more.
1 Chronicles 23:28 (show verse)
The duty of the Levites was to help Aaron's descendants in the service of the Temple of Jehovah: to be in charge of the courtyards, the side rooms, the purification of all sacred things and the performance of other duties at the House of God.
1 Chronicles 23:29 (show verse)
They were in charge of the bread set out on the table, the flour for the grain offerings, the unleavened wafers, the baking and the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size.
1 Chronicles 23:30 (show verse)
They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise Jehovah. They were to do the same in the evening
1 Chronicles 23:31 (show verse)
and whenever burnt offerings were presented to Jehovah on Sabbaths and at New Moon festivals and at appointed feasts. They were to serve before Jehovah regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them.
1 Chronicles 23:32 (show verse)
So the Levites carried out their responsibilities for the Tent of Meeting, for the Holy Place and, under their brothers the descendants of Aaron, for the service of the Temple of Jehovah.