New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible 1995

1When David was an old man, he appointed his son Solomon to be king over Israel.

1Now when David reached old age, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

2David summoned all the leaders of Israel, together with the priests and Levites.

2And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites.

3All the Levites who were thirty years old or older were counted, and the total came to 38,000.

3The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward, and their number by census of men was 38,000.

4Then David said, “From all the Levites, 24,000 will supervise the work at the Temple of the LORD. Another 6,000 will serve as officials and judges.

4Of these, 24,000 were to oversee the work of the house of the LORD; and 6,000 were officers and judges,

5Another 4,000 will work as gatekeepers, and 4,000 will praise the LORD with the musical instruments I have made.”

5and 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 were praising the LORD with the instruments which David made for giving praise.

6Then David divided the Levites into divisions named after the clans descended from the three sons of Levi—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The Gershonites

6David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7The Gershonite family units were defined by their lines of descent from Libni and Shimei, the sons of Gershon.

7Of the Gershonites were Ladan and Shimei.

8Three of the descendants of Libni were Jehiel (the family leader), Zetham, and Joel.

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

9These were the leaders of the family of Libni. Three of the descendants of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran.

9The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers' households of Ladan.

10Four other descendants of Shimei were Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah.

10The sons of Shimei were Jahath, Zina, Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

11Jahath was the family leader, and Ziza was next. Jeush and Beriah were counted as a single family because neither had many sons. The Kohathites

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 class.

12Four of the descendants of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

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

13The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart to dedicate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices in the LORD’s presence, to serve the LORD, and to pronounce blessings in his name forever.

13The 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.

14As for Moses, the man of God, his sons were included with the tribe of Levi.

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.

15The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.

16The descendants of Gershom included Shebuel, the family leader.

16The son of Gershom was Shebuel the chief.

17Eliezer had only one son, Rehabiah, the family leader. Rehabiah had numerous descendants.

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

18The descendants of Izhar included Shelomith, the family leader.

18The son of Izhar was Shelomith the chief.

19The descendants of Hebron included Jeriah (the family leader), Amariah (the second), Jahaziel (the third), and Jekameam (the fourth).

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

20The descendants of Uzziel included Micah (the family leader) and Isshiah (the second). The Merarites

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

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

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

22Eleazar died with no sons, only daughters. His daughters married their cousins, the sons of Kish.

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

23Three of the descendants of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

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

24These were the descendants of Levi by clans, the leaders of their family groups, registered carefully by name. Each had to be twenty years old or older to qualify for service in the house of the LORD.

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 the LORD, from twenty years old and upward.

25For David said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, has given us peace, and he will always live in Jerusalem.

25For David said, "The LORD God of Israel has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever.

26Now the Levites will no longer need to carry the Tabernacle and its furnishings from place to place.”

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

27In accordance with David’s final instructions, all the Levites twenty years old or older were registered for service.

27For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward.

28The work of the Levites was to assist the priests, the descendants of Aaron, as they served at the house of the LORD. They also took care of the courtyards and side rooms, helped perform the ceremonies of purification, and served in many other ways in the house of God.

28For 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,

29They were in charge of the sacred bread that was set out on the table, the choice flour for the grain offerings, the wafers made without yeast, the cakes cooked in olive oil, and the other mixed breads. They were also responsible to check all the weights and measures.

29and 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.

30And each morning and evening they stood before the LORD to sing songs of thanks and praise to him.

30They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the LORD, and likewise at evening,

31They assisted with the burnt offerings that were presented to the LORD on Sabbath days, at new moon celebrations, and at all the appointed festivals. The required number of Levites served in the LORD’s presence at all times, following all the procedures they had been given.

31and 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.

32And so, under the supervision of the priests, the Levites watched over the Tabernacle and the Temple and faithfully carried out their duties of service at the house of the LORD.

32Thus 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.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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