The First Book of the Chronicles

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- Kapitel 23 -

When David was old and near the end of his life, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

He gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and Levites.

The Levites who were thirty years old and older were counted. They numbered thirty-eight thousand.

“Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of Yahweh’s house, and six thousand were officers and judges.

Four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand were to praise Yahweh with the instruments that I made to give praise,” David said.

He divided them into groups that corresponded to Levi’s sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The Gershonites

(Numbers 3:21–26; Numbers 4:21–28)

From the clans descended from Gershon, there were Ladan and Shimei.

There were three of Ladan’s sons: Jehiel the leader, Zetham, and Joel.

There were three of Shimei’s sons: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. These were the leaders of the clans of Ladan.

There were four of Shimei’s sons: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah.

Jahath was the oldest, and Ziza the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were considered as one clan with the same duties.

The Kohathites

(Numbers 3:27–32; Numbers 4:1–20)

There were four of Kohath’s sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

These were Amram’s sons: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was chosen to set apart the most holy things, that he and his descendants would offer incense before Yahweh, to serve him and to give blessings in his name forever.

But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were considered to be Levites.

Moses’ sons were Gershom and Eliezer.

Gershom’s descendant was Shebuel the oldest.

Eliezer’s descendant was Rehabiah. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many descendants.

Izhar’s son was Shelomith the leader.

Hebron’s descendants were Jeriah, the oldest, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

Uzziel’s sons were Micah the oldest, and Isshiah the second.

The Merarites

(Numbers 3:33–37; Numbers 4:29–33)

Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi. Mahli’s sons were Eleazar and Kish.

Eleazar died without having any sons. He had only daughters. The sons of Kish married them.

Mushi’s three sons were Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.

Levite Duties Revised

These were Levi’s descendants corresponding to their clans. They were the leaders, counted and listed by name, of the clans that did the work in the service of Yahweh’s house, from twenty years old and upward.

For David said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people. He makes his home in Jerusalem forever.

The Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all the equipment used in its service.”

For by David’s last words the Levites were counted, from twenty years old and upward.

Their duty was to assist Aaron’s descendants in the service of Yahweh’s house. They were to care for the courtyards, the rooms, the ceremonial purification of all the things that belong to Yahweh, and other work in the service of God’s house.

They also took care of the bread of the presence, the fine flour for grain offerings, the unleavened wafers, the baked offerings, the offerings mixed with oil, and all the measuring of the amounts and sizes of things.

They also stood every morning to thank and praise Yahweh. They also did this in the evening

and whenever burnt offerings were offered to Yahweh, on the Sabbath and at the new moon festivals and feast days. A fixed number, assigned by decree, always had to be present before Yahweh.

They were in charge of the tent of meeting, the holy place, and helped their fellow descendants of Aaron in the service of Yahweh’s house.

Now David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

He gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

The Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand.

David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of the LORD’s house, six thousand were officers and judges,

four thousand were doorkeepers, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made for giving praise.”

David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The Gershonites

(Numbers 3:21–26; Numbers 4:21–28)

Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, Zetham, and Joel, three.

The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan.

The sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah didn’t have many sons; therefore they became a fathers’ house in one reckoning.

The Kohathites

(Numbers 3:27–32; Numbers 4:1–20)

The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, 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 to him, and to bless in his name forever.

But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.

The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.

The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

The son of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.

The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief, and Isshiah the second.

The Merarites

(Numbers 3:33–37; Numbers 4:29–33)

The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only; and their relatives, the sons of Kish, took them as wives.

The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

Levite Duties Revised

These were the sons of Levi after their fathers’ houses, even the heads of the fathers’ houses of those who were counted individually, in the number of names by their polls, who did the work for the service of the LORD’s house, from twenty years old and upward.

For David said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people; and he dwells in Jerusalem forever.

Also the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service.”

For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were counted, from twenty years old and upward.

For their duty was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the LORD’s house—in the courts, in the rooms, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of God’s house;

for the show bread also, and for the fine flour for a meal offering, whether of unleavened wafers, or of that which is baked in the pan, or of that which is soaked, and for all measurements of quantity and size;

and to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise in the evening;

and to offer all burnt offerings to the LORD on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD;

and that they should keep the duty of the Tent of Meeting, the duty of the holy place, and the duty of the sons of Aaron their brothers for the service of the LORD’s house.