1 Chronicles

Organization of the Levites

When David was very old, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

He then gathered all the Israelite leaders together, with the priests and Levites.

A census was taken of those Levites thirty years old or older. The total was thirty-eight thousand;

twenty-four thousand were responsible for the services of the house of the Lord; six thousand were scribes and judges;

four thousand were gatekeepers; four thousand praised the Lord on the instruments David had made for that purpose.

Then David divided the Levites into three groups, according to their clans: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

For the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

Sons of Ladan: Jehiel first, Zetham, Joel; three in all.

Sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, Haran; three in all. These are the heads of Ladan’s families.

Sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zizah, Jeush, Beriah; these were the sons of Shimei; four in all.

Jahath was the eldest, Zizah the second, then Jeush and Beriah, who had not many children and were counted as one family.

Sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, Uzziel; four in all.

Sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart to be in charge of the sacred objects forever, burn incense in the Lord’s presence, serve him, and bless the people in his name forever.

As for Moses, the man of God, his sons were included among the Levites.

Sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

Sons of Gershom: Shubael, the first:

Eliezer had sons: Rehabiah, the first. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.

Sons of Izhar: Shelomith, the first.

Sons of Hebron: Jeriah first, Amariah second, Jahaziel third, Jekameam fourth.

Sons of Uzziel: Micah first, Isshiah second.

Sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. Sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

Eleazar died, leaving no sons but only daughters; their cousins, the sons of Kish, married these.

Sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, Jeremoth; three in all.

These were the sons of Levi by their families, the heads of families, and those registered by name, individually. Whoever was twenty years old or older had their duty in the service of the temple of the Lord.

For David had said: “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given peace to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever.

The Levites are no longer required to carry the Holy Tent or anything used in its service.”

According to the last words of David, the Levites who had been registered were twenty years old and older.

They must assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the temple of the Lord, in the courts and chambers, to purify everything sacred. They must serve the temple of God.

They are also responsible for the loaves set out in rows and for the flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the cakes baked on the griddle or mixed, and they are to weigh and measure the temple offerings.

They have to be present every morning to give glory and praise to the Lord, and also in the evening,

and at every burnt offering to the Lord on the Sabbath, New Moon, or solemn feast, in such numbers as are prescribed. They must always be present before the Lord.

In serving the temple of the Lord, they observe the ritual of the Tent of Meeting, the ritual of the Sanctuary, and the ritual of their brethren, the sons of Aaron.