Solomon Reigns

1And David is old, and satisfied with days, and causeth his son Solomon to reign over Israel, 2and gathereth all the heads of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites;

Divisions of the Levites

3and the Levites are numbered from a son of thirty years and upward, and their number, by their polls, is of mighty men thirty and eight thousand. 4Of these to preside over the work of the house of Jehovah are twenty and four thousand, and officers and judges six thousand, 5and four thousand gatekeepers, and four thousand giving praise to Jehovah, 'with instruments that I made for praising,' saith David. 6And David distributeth them into courses: Of the sons of Levi: of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The Gershonites

(Numbers 3:21-26; Numbers 4:21-28; Numbers 4:38-41)

7Of the Gershonite: Laadan and Shimei. 8Sons of Laadan: the head is Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three. 9Sons of Shimei are Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three; these are heads of the fathers of Laadan. 10And sons of Shimei are Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah; these are sons of Shimei, four. 11And Jahath is the head, and Zizah the second, and Jeush and Beriah have not multiplied sons, and they become the house of a father by one numbering.

The Kohathites

(Numbers 3:27-32; Numbers 4:1-20; Numbers 4:34-37)

12Sons of Kohath are Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. 13Sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron is separated for his sanctifying the holy of holies, he and his sons -- unto the age, to make perfume before Jehovah, to serve Him, and to bless in His name -- unto the age. 14As to Moses, the man of God, his sons are called after the tribe of Levi. 15Sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. 16Sons of Gershom: Shebuel the head. 17And sons of Eliezer are Rehabiah the head, and Eliezer had no other sons, and the sons of Rehabiah have multiplied exceedingly. 18Sons of Izhar: Shelomith the head. 19Sons of Hebron: Jeriah the head, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20Sons of Uzziel: Micah the head, and Ishshiah, the second.

The Merarites

(Numbers 3:33-37; Numbers 4:29-33; Numbers 4:42-49)

21Sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi; sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. 22And Eleazar dieth, and he had no sons, but daughters, and sons of Kish their brethren take them. 23Sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth, three.

Levite Duties Revised

24These are sons of Levi, by the house of their fathers, heads of the fathers, by their appointments, in the number of names, by their polls, doing the work for the service of the house of Jehovah, from a son of twenty years and upward, 25for David said, 'Jehovah, God of Israel, hath given rest to His people, and He doth tabernacle in Jerusalem unto the age;' 26and also of the Levites, 'None are to bear the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service;' 27for by the last words of David they took the number of the sons of Levi from a son of twenty years and upward, 28for their station is at the side of the sons of Aaron, for the service of the house of Jehovah, over the courts, and over the chambers, and over the cleansing of every holy thing, and the work of the service of the house of God, 29and for the bread of the arrangement, and for fine flour for present, and for the thin unleavened cakes, and for the work of the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all liquid measure and solid measure; 30and to stand, morning by morning, to give thanks, and to give praise to Jehovah, and so at evening; 31and for all the burnt-offerings -- burnt-offerings to Jehovah for sabbaths, for new moons, and for appointed seasons, by number, according to the ordinance upon them continually, before Jehovah. 32And they have kept the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, for the service of the house of Jehovah.