CHAPTER 23
“Of these,”
said David, “24,000
are to oversee
the work
of the house
of the LORD,
6,000
are to be officers
and judges,
4,000
are to be gatekeepers,
and 4,000
are to praise
the LORD
with the instruments
I have made
for giving praise.”
Then David
divided the Levites
into divisions
according to the sons
of Levi:
Gershom,
Kohath,
and Merari.
The sons
of Shimei:
Shelomoth,
Haziel,
and Haran—
three in all.
These were
the heads
of the families
of Ladan.
And the sons
of Shimei:
Jahath,
Zina,
Jeush,
and Beriah.
These
were the sons
of Shimei—
four in all.
Jahath
was
the first
and Zizah
was the second;
but Jeush
and Beriah
did not
have many
sons,
so they were counted as
one family
and received a single
assignment.
The sons
of Amram:
Aaron
and Moses.
Aaron,
along with his descendants,
was set apart
forever
to consecrate
the most holy things,
to burn incense
before
the LORD,
to minister before Him,
and to pronounce blessings
in His name
forever.
The descendants
of Eliezer:
Rehabiah
was
the first.
Eliezer
did not
have
any other
sons,
but the sons
of Rehabiah
were very
numerous.
The sons
of Hebron:
Jeriah
was first,
Amariah
the second,
Jahaziel
the third,
and Jekameam
the fourth.
Eleazar
died
without
having any
sons;
he had only
daughters.
Their cousins,
the sons
of Kish,
married them.
These
were the descendants
of Levi
by their families—
the heads
of families,
registered
individually
by name—
those twenty
years of age
or older
who worked
in the service
of the house
of the LORD.
For
David
had said,
“The LORD,
the God
of Israel,
has given rest
to His people
and has come to dwell
in Jerusalem
forever.
So now
the Levites
no
longer need to carry
the tabernacle
or any
of the articles
for its service.”
For
according to the final
instructions
of David,
the Levites
twenty
years of age
or older
were counted,
but
their duty
was to assist
the descendants
of Aaron
with the service
of the house
of the LORD,
being responsible for
the courts
and chambers,
the purification
of all
the holy things,
and the work
of the service
of the house
of God,
as well as for the rows
of the showbread,
the fine flour
for the grain offering,
the wafers
of unleavened bread,
the baking,
the mixing,
and all
measurements of volume
and size.
They were also to stand
every morning
to give thanks
and praise
to the LORD,
and likewise
in the evening.
Whenever
burnt offerings
were presented
to the LORD
on the Sabbaths,
New Moons,
and appointed feasts,
they were to serve regularly
before
the LORD
in the numbers
prescribed
for them.
So the Levites were to carry out
the responsibilities
for the Tent
of Meeting
and
the Holy Place,
and, under
their brothers
the descendants
of Aaron,
the service
of the house
of the LORD.