1 So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his
son king over Israel.
2 And
he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the
Levites.
3 Now
the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their
number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.
4 Of
which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house
of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges:
5 Moreover
four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the
LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.
6 And
David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7 Of
the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei.
8 The
sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.
9 The
sons of Shimei; Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the
chief of the fathers of Laadan.
10 And
the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and
Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.
11 And
Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many
sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father's
house.
12 The
sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
13 The
sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated, that he should
sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before
the LORD, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever.
14 Now concerning Moses
the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.
15 The
sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer.
16 Of
the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.
17 And
the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And
Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
18 Of
the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief.
19 Of
the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third,
and Jekameam the fourth.
20 Of
the sons of Uzziel; Michah the first, and Jesiah the second.
21 The
sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish.
22 And
Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and their brethren the sons of
Kish took them.
23 The
sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
24 These were the
sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the
chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls,
that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of
twenty years and upward.
25 For
David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they
may dwell in Jerusalem for ever:
26 And
also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of
it for the service thereof.
27 For
by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and
above:
28 Because
their office was to
wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the
courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the
work of the service of the house of God;
29 Both
for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the
unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried,
and for all manner of measure and size;
30 And
to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even;
31 And
to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons,
and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them,
continually before the LORD:
32 And
that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the
charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons
of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.
