Solomon Reigns

1And David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel. 2And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

Divisions of the Levites

3And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward; and their number, by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand. 4Of these, twenty-four thousand were to preside over the work of the house of Jehovah; and six thousand were officers and judges; 5and four thousand were doorkeepers; and four thousand praised Jehovah with the instruments which I made, [said David,] to praise [therewith]. 6And David divided them into courses according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The Gershonites

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

7Of the Gershonites: Laadan and Shimei. 8The sons of Laadan: the head was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three. 9The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief fathers of Laadan. 10And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza, and Jeush, and Beriah. These were the four sons of Shimei. 11And Jahath was the head, and Ziza the second; and Jeush and Beriah had not many sons: as father's house, therefore, they were reckoned as one.

The Kohathites

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

12The sons of Kohath: Amram, Jizhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. 13The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was separated, that he should be hallowed as most holy, he and his sons for ever, to offer before Jehovah, to do service to him, and to bless in his name for ever. 14And as to Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi. 15The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. 16The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the head. 17And the sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the head; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18the sons of Jizhar: Shelomith the head. 19The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the head, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20The sons of Uzziel: Micah the head, and Jishijah the second.

The Merarites

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

21The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. 22And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters; and their brethren the sons of Kish took them. 23The sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

Levite Duties Revised

24These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers' houses, the chief fathers, as they were reckoned, by number of names by their polls, who did the work of the service of the house of Jehovah, from twenty years old and upward. 25For David said, Jehovah the God of Israel has given rest to his people, and he will dwell in Jerusalem for ever; 26and the Levites also have no more to carry the tabernacle, nor any of its vessels for its service. 27For by the last words of David was this [done], -- the numbering of the sons of Levi from twenty years old and upward. 28For their place was by 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 purifying of all holy things, and [for] the work of the service of the house of God; 29and for the loaves to be set in rows, and for the fine flour for the oblation, and for the unleavened cakes, and for [what is baked in] the pan, and for that which is saturated [with oil], and for all measure of capacity and size; 30and to stand every morning to thank and praise Jehovah, and likewise at even; 31and for all burnt-offerings offered up to Jehovah on the sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the ordinance concerning them, continually, before Jehovah; 32and they kept the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of Jehovah.