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

Now when David reached old age, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

2 A nd he gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

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

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

The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward, and their number by census of men was 38, 000.

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

Of these, 24, 000 were to oversee the work of the house of the Lord; and 6, 000 were officers and judges,

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

and 4, 000 were gatekeepers, and 4, 000 were praising the Lord with the instruments which David made for giving praise.

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

David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Gershonites

7 O f the Gershonites: Laadan and Shimei.

Of the Gershonites were Ladan and Shimei.

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

The sons of Ladan were Jehiel the first and Zetham and Joel, three.

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

The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan.

10 A nd the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These were the four sons of Shimei.

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

11 J ahath 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.

Jahath was the first and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became a father’s household, one class. Kohathites

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

The sons of Kohath were four: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

13 T he 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.

The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the Lord, to minister to Him and to bless in His name forever.

14 N ow the sons of Moses the man of God were reckoned to the tribe of Levi.

But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.

15 T he sons of Moses were Gershon and Eliezer.

The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.

16 O f the sons of Gershon, Shebuel was the first.

The son of Gershom was Shebuel the chief.

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

The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

18 O f the sons of Izhar, Shelomith was the first.

The son of Izhar was Shelomith the chief.

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

The sons of Hebron were Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.

20 O f the sons of Uzziel, Michah was the first and Jesshiah the second.

The sons of Uzziel were Micah the first and Isshiah the second. Merarites

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

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

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

Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters only, so their brothers, the sons of Kish, took them as wives.

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

The sons of Mushi were three: Mahli, Eder and Jeremoth. Duties Revised

24 T hese 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.

These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers’ households, even the heads of the fathers’ households of those of them who were counted, in the number of names by their census, doing the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from twenty years old and upward.

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

For David said, “The Lord God of Israel has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever.

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

Also, the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service.”

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

For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward.

28 b ecause 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,

For their office is to 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,

29 b oth 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;

and with the showbread, and the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or what is baked in the pan or what is well-mixed, and all measures of volume and size.

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

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

31 a nd 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;

and to offer all burnt offerings to the Lord, on the sabbaths, the new moons and the fixed festivals in the number set by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the Lord.

32 a nd 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.

Thus they are to keep charge of the tent of meeting, and charge of the holy place, and charge of the sons of Aaron their relatives, for the service of the house of the Lord.