Chapter 23 So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over
Israel.
And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the
Levites.
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,
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.
Moreover, four thousand were porters, and four thousand praised the Lord with
the instruments, which I made, said David, to praise therewith.
And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely Gershon,
Kohath, and Marari.
Of the Gershonites were Laodon and Shimei.
The sons of Laodon, the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.
The sons of Shimei, Shalometh, and Hazael, and Haran, three.
These were the chief of the fathers of Laodon.
And the sons of Shimei were Jehath, Zinah, and Jehosh, and Bariah.
These four were the sons of Shimei.
And Jehath was the chief, and Zizah the second.
But Jehosh and Bariah had not many sons.
Therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father's house.
The sons of Kohath, Amram, Ishar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
The sons of Amram, Aaron, and Moses.
And Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things,
he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the Lord, to minister unto him,
and to bless in his name forever.
Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.
The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.
Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.
And the sons of Eliezer were Rehobiah the chief.
And Eliezer had none other sons.
But the sons of Rehobiah were very many.
Of the sons of Ishar, Shelomith the chief.
Of the sons of Hebron, Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jehaziel the third,
and Jechamim the fourth.
Of the sons of Uzziel, Micah the first, and Josiah the second.
The sons of Marari, Malai, and Mushai.
The sons of Malai, Eliezer, and Kish.
And Eliezer died and had no sons, but daughters.
And their brethren, the sons of Kish, took them.
The sons of Mushai, Malai, and Edah, and Jeremoth, three.
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 poles, that did the work for the service of the house of the Lord,
from the age of twenty years and upward.
For David said, The Lord God of Israel hath given rest unto his people,
that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever.
And also unto the Levites.
They shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it, for the service
thereof.
For by the last words of David, the Levites were numbered from twenty
years old and above.
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, both for the showbread,
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.
And to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at even.
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.
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.