Solomon Reigns
1So when David was old and full of days, 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
3Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.
4Of which, twenty and four thousand [were] to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand [were] officers and judges:
5Moreover four thousand [were] porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, [said David], to praise [therewith].
6And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, [namely], Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
The Gershonites
(Numbers 3:21-26; Numbers 4:21-28; Numbers 4:38-41)
7Of the Gershonites [were], Laadan, 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, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four [were] the sons of Shimei.
11And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to [their] father's house.
The Kohathites
(Numbers 3:27-32; Numbers 4:1-20; Numbers 4:34-37)
12The sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
13The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron 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 the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.
15The sons of Moses [were], Gershom, and Eliezer.
16Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel [was] the chief.
17And the sons of Eliezer [were], Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
18Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief.
19Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
20Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah the first, and Jesiah 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 after the house of their fathers; [even] the chief of the fathers, as they 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 twenty years and upward.
25For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever:
26And also unto the Levites; they shall no [more] carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.
27For by the last words of David the Levites [were] numbered from twenty years old and above:
28Because their office [was] to wait on the sons of Aaron for 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 for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for [that which is baked in] the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;
30And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even;
31And to offer 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 keep 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.
