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1 Chronicles 23

New International Reader’s Version



1 David had become very old. So he made his son Solomon king over Israel. 2 He gathered together all the leaders of Israel. He also gathered the priests and the Levites together. 3 The Levites who were 30 years old or more were counted. The total number of men was 38,000. 4 David said, ‘From them, 24,000 will be in charge of the work of the LORD’s temple. And 6,000 will be officials and judges. 5 Another 4,000 will guard the gates. And 4,000 will praise the LORD with the instruments of music I’ve provided for that purpose.’ 6 David separated the Levites into groups. He did it according to the sons of Levi. The sons were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 



7 Ladan and Shimei belonged to the family of Gershon. 8 The sons of Ladan were Jehiel, Zetham and Joel. Jehiel was the eldest son. The total number of sons was three. 9 The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel and Haran. The total number of sons was three. They were the leaders of the families of Ladan. 10 The sons of Shimei were Jahath, Ziza, Jeush and Beriah. The total number of the sons of Shimei was four. 11 Jahath was the first son. Ziza was the second son. But Jeush and Beriah didn’t have many sons. So they were counted as one family. They had only one task. 



12 The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. The total number of sons was four. 13 The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his family line were set apart for ever as the LORD’s priests. They had the duty of setting the most holy things apart to the LORD. They offered sacrifices to the LORD. They served him. They gave blessings in his name for ever. 14 The sons of Moses, the man of God, were counted as part of the tribe of Levi. 15 The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. 16 Shubael was the eldest son in the family line of Gershom. 17 Rehabiah was the eldest son in the family line of Eliezer. Eliezer didn’t have any other sons. But Rehabiah had a great many sons. 18 Shelomith was the eldest son of Izhar. 19 Jeriah was the first son of Hebron. Amariah was his second son. Jahaziel was the third. Jekameam was the fourth. 20 Micah was the first son of Uzziel. Ishiah was his second son. 



21 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar died without having any sons. All he had was daughters. They married their cousins. The cousins were the sons of Kish. 23 The sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth. The total number of sons was three. 24 Those were the family lines of Levi. They were recorded under the names of the family leaders. Each worker who was 20 years old or more was counted. They served in the LORD’s temple. 25 David had said, ‘The LORD is the God of Israel. He has given peace and rest to his people. He has come to Jerusalem to live there for ever. 26 So the Levites don’t need to carry the holy tent anymore. They don’t need to carry any of its objects anymore. Those were the things that were used to serve there.’ 27 The Levites who were 20 years old or more were counted. That was in keeping with David’s final directions. 28 The Levites had the duty of helping the members of Aaron’s family line. They helped them serve in the LORD’s temple. They were in charge of the courtyards and the side rooms. They made all the sacred things pure and ‘clean’. They also had other duties at the house of God. 29 They were in charge of setting the holy bread out on the table. They prepared the special flour for the grain offerings. They made the thin loaves without using any yeast. They did the baking and the mixing. They measured the amount and size of everything. 30 They stood every morning to thank and praise the LORD. They did the same thing every evening. 31 They also did it every time burnt offerings were brought to the LORD. Those offerings were brought every Sabbath day. They were also brought at every New Moon feast and during the appointed yearly feasts. The Levites served in front of the LORD at regular times. The proper number of Levites was always used when they served. They served in the way the law required. 32 So the Levites carried out their duties for the tent of meeting and for the Holy Room. They worked under their relatives who were in the family line of Aaron. They helped them serve at the LORD’s temple. 

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1 Chronicles 23

English Standard Version



1 When David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel. (1Ki 1:33; 1Ch 28:5; 1Ch 29:22; 1Ch 29:28) 2 David[1] assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. 3 The Levites, thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and the total was 38,000 men. (Nu 1:2; Nu 4:3; Nu 4:47; 1Ch 23:24) 4 “Twenty-four thousand of these,” David said,[2] “shall have charge of the work in the house of the Lord, 6,000 shall be officers and judges, (De 16:18; 1Ch 26:29; 2Ch 2:2; 2Ch 2:18; 2Ch 19:8; 2Ch 34:12; Ezr 3:8) 5 4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the Lord with the instruments that I have made for praise.” (2Ch 29:25; Ne 12:36; Am 6:5) 6 And David organized them in divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. (Ex 6:16; Nu 26:57; 1Ch 6:1; 1Ch 6:16; 2Ch 8:14; 2Ch 23:18; 2Ch 35:4; Ezr 6:18) 7 The sons of Gershon[3] were Ladan and Shimei. (1Ch 26:21) 8 The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three. (1Ch 15:18; 1Ch 26:21; 1Ch 29:8) 9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ houses of Ladan. 10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 11 Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, therefore they became counted as a single father’s house. 12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. (Ex 6:18; Nu 3:19; 1Ch 6:18; 1Ch 26:23) 13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to dedicate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever should make offerings before the Lord and minister to him and pronounce blessings in his name forever. (Ex 6:20; Ex 28:1; Ex 30:7; Nu 6:23; Nu 16:40; De 21:5; 1Sa 2:28; Heb 5:4) 14 But the sons of Moses the man of God were named among the tribe of Levi. (De 33:1; 1Ch 26:23) 15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. (Ex 2:22; Ex 18:3) 16 The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief. (1Ch 26:24) 17 The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. 19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. (1Ch 24:23; 1Ch 26:31) 20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second. (1Ch 24:24) 21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. (Ex 6:19; Nu 26:58; 1Ch 6:19; 1Ch 6:29; 1Ch 24:26; 1Ch 24:29) 22 Eleazar died having no sons, but only daughters; their kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them. (Nu 36:6; Nu 36:8; 1Ch 24:28) 23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three. (1Ch 24:30) 24 These were the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses, the heads of fathers’ houses as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord. (Nu 4:3; Nu 8:24; Nu 10:17; Nu 10:21; 1Ch 23:3; 2Ch 31:17; Ezr 3:8) 25 For David said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. (1Ch 22:18) 26 And so the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service.” (Nu 4:5) 27 For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. (1Ch 23:24) 28 For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God. 29 Their duty was also to assist with the showbread, the flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baked offering, the offering mixed with oil, and all measures of quantity or size. (Le 6:20; Le 6:21; Le 7:12; Le 19:35; Le 24:5; 1Ch 9:29; 1Ch 9:31) 30 And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening, 31 and whenever burnt offerings were offered to the Lord on Sabbaths, new moons, and feast days, according to the number required of them, regularly before the Lord. (Le 23:2; Le 23:4; Nu 28:11; Isa 1:13) 32 Thus they were to keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and to attend the sons of Aaron, their brothers, for the service of the house of the Lord. (Nu 1:53; Nu 3:6) 

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