1David in his old age maketh Solomon king. 2The number and distribution of the Levites. 7The families of the Gershonites. 12The sons of Kohath. 21The sons of Merari. 24The office of the Levites.
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1So when David was old and full of days, 1he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
2¶ And 1he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.
3Now the Levites were numbered from the age of 1thirty years and upward: and their number 2by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.
4Of which, twenty and four thousand wereato set forward the work of the house of the Lord; and six thousand were officers 1and judges:
5Moreover 1four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the Lord with the instruments which 2I made, said David, to praise therewith.
6And 1David divided them into acourses among 2the sons of Levi, namely, 3Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7¶ Of the 1Gershonites were, aLaadan, and Shimei.
8The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.
9The sons of Shimei; Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan.
10And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, aZina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.
11And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah ahad not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father's house.
12¶ The 1sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
13The sons of 1Amram; Aaron and Moses: and 2Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the Lord, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever.
14Now concerning Moses 1the man of God, 2his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.
15The 1sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer.
16Of 1the sons of Gershom, aShebuel was the chief.
17And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah athe chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah bwere very many.
18Of the sons of 1Izhar; aShelomith the chief.
19Of the sons of 1Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
20Of the sons of 1Uzziel; Michah the first, and Jesiah the second.
21¶ The sons of 1Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish.
22And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and their abrethren the sons of Kish took them.
23The 1sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
24¶ These were1the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as 2they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from the age of 3twenty years and upward.
25For David said, The Lord God of Israel 1hath given rest unto his people, that athey may dwell in Jerusalem for ever:
26And also unto the Levites; they shall no more1carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.
27For by the last words of David the Levites wereanumbered from twenty years old and above:
28Because atheir office was to wait on the sons of Aaron 1for 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;
29Both 1for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the apan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;
30And to stand 1every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at even;
31And to 1offer 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:
32And that they should 1keep 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.