Solomon Made King over Israel

1Now David became old and full of days, and he made his son Solomon king over Israel. 2And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites.

The Work of the Levites

3And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward, and their number by [†]census of men was 38,000. 4Of these, 24,000 were to direct the work of the house of Yahweh; and 6,000 were officers and judges, 5and 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 were praising Yahweh with the instruments which [†]David made for giving praise. 6And David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The Sons of Gershon

7Of the Gershonites were [†]Ladan and Shimei.

8The sons of Ladan were Jehiel the first and Zetham and Joel, three.

9The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, three.

These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan.

10The sons of Shimei were Jahath, [†]Zina, Jeush, and Beriah.

These four were the sons of Shimei.

11Jahath was the first and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became a father’s household, one [†]unit.

The Sons of Kohath

12The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.

13The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was separated in order to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, to offer offerings up in smoke before Yahweh, to minister to Him and to bless in His name forever.

14But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.

15The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.

16The [†]son of Gershom was [†]Shebuel the chief.

17The [†]son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

18The [†]son of Izhar was [†]Shelomith the chief.

19The sons of Hebron were Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.

20The sons of Uzziel were Micah the first and Isshiah the second.

The Sons of Merari

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

22And Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters only, so their brothers, the sons of Kish, took them up as wives.

23The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

The Service of the Levites

24These 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 Yahweh, from twenty years old and upward. 25For David said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26Also, the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings for its service.” 27For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. 28For their station is to be on hand for the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of Yahweh, in the courts and in the chambers and in the cleansing of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God, 29and with the showbread, and the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or what is made on the griddle, or what is well stirred, and all measures of volume and size. 30And they are to stand every morning to thank and to praise Yahweh, and likewise at evening, 31and to offer all burnt offerings to Yahweh, on the sabbaths, the new moons and the appointed times in the number set by the judgments concerning them, continually before Yahweh. 32Thus they shall keep responsibility of the tent of meeting, and responsibility of the holy place, and responsibility of the sons of Aaron their [†]relatives, for the service of the house of Yahweh.