1 W hen David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

So when David was old and full of days, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

2 D avid assembled all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and Levites.

And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

3 T he Levites thirty years old and upward numbered, man by man, 38, 000,

Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and above; and the number of individual males was thirty-eight thousand.

4 O f whom 24, 000 were to oversee the work of the house of the Lord and 6, 000 were to be officers and judges.

Of these, twenty-four thousand were to look after the work of the house of the Lord, six thousand were officers and judges,

5 A nd, said David, 4, 000 shall be gatekeepers and 4, 000 are to praise the Lord with the instruments which I made for praise.

four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand praised the Lord with musical instruments, “which I made,” said David, “for giving praise.”

6 A nd David organized them in sections according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Also David separated them into divisions among the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7 O f the Gershonites: Ladan (Libni) and Shimei.

Of the Gershonites: Laadan and Shimei.

8 T he sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, Zetham, and Joel—three in all.

The sons of Laadan: the first Jehiel, then Zetham and Joel—three in all.

9 T he sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran—three in all. These were the heads of the fathers’ houses of Ladan.

The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, Haziel, and Haran—three in all. These were the heads of the fathers’ houses of Laadan.

10 A nd the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina (Zizah), Jeush, and Beriah. Of these four sons of Shimei,

And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These were the four sons of Shimei.

11 J ahath was chief and Zizah the second, but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; so they were counted together as one father’s house.

Jahath was the first and Zizah the second. But Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons; therefore they were assigned as one father’s house.

12 T he sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all.

The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all.

13 T he sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy and to consecrate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever might burn incense before the Lord, minister to Him, and bless in His name forever.

The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was set apart, he and his sons forever, that he should sanctify the most holy things, to burn incense before the Lord, to minister to Him, and to give the blessing in His name forever.

14 B ut the sons of Moses the man of God were named among the tribe of Levi.

Now the sons of Moses the man of God were reckoned to the tribe of Levi.

15 T he sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

The sons of Moses were Gershon and Eliezer.

16 T he son of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.

Of the sons of Gershon, Shebuel was the first.

17 T he son of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah’s sons were very many.

Of the descendants of Eliezer, Rehabiah was the first. And Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

18 T he sons of Izhar: Shelomith was the chief.

Of the sons of Izhar, Shelomith was the first.

19 T he sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

Of the sons of Hebron, Jeriah was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

20 T he sons of Uzziel: Micah the first and Isshiah the second.

Of the sons of Uzziel, Michah was the first and Jesshiah the second.

21 T he sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish.

22 E leazar died and had no sons, but daughters only, and their kinsmen, sons of Kish, took them as wives.

And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but only daughters; and their brethren, the sons of Kish, took them as wives.

23 T he sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three in all.

The sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three in all.

24 T hese were the Levites by their fathers’ houses, the heads of the fathers’ houses of those registered, according to the number of names of the individuals who were the servants of the house of the Lord, from twenty years old and upward.

These were the sons of 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 twenty years and above.

25 F or David said, The Lord, the God of Israel has given peace and rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever.

For David said, “The Lord God of Israel has given rest to His people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem forever”;

26 S o the Levites no more have need to carry the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service.

and also to the Levites, “They shall no longer carry the tabernacle, or any of the articles for its service.”

27 F or by the last words and acts of David, these were the number of the Levites from twenty years old and above.

For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above;

28 B ut their duty should be to wait on the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the Lord, caring for the courts, the chambers, the cleansing of all holy things, and any work of the service of God’s house,

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 F or the showbread also, and for the fine flour for a cereal offering, whether of unleavened wafers or of what is baked on the griddle or soaked, and for all measuring of amount and size.

both with the showbread and the fine flour for the grain offering, with the unleavened cakes and what is baked in the pan, with what is mixed and with all kinds of measures and sizes;

30 T hey are also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening,

to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening;

31 A nd to assist in offering all burnt sacrifices to the Lord on Sabbaths, New Moon festivals, and set feast days by number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before the Lord.

and at every presentation of a burnt offering to the Lord on the Sabbaths and on the New Moons and on the set feasts, by number according to the ordinance governing them, regularly before the Lord;

32 S o they shall keep charge of the Tent of Meeting and the Holy Place and shall attend to the sons of Aaron their kinsmen, for the service of the house of the Lord.

and that they should attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, the needs of the holy place, and the needs of the sons of Aaron their brethren in the work of the house of the Lord.