The Divisions of the Levites

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

3And the Levites were numbered from a son of thirty years and above, and the number by their heads of mighty men was thirty-eight thousand.

4“From these were twenty-four thousand to preside over the work of the house of YHWH, six thousand and officers and judges, 5and four thousand gatekeepers, and four thousand giving praise to YHWH with instruments that I have made for giving praise.”†

6And David separated them into divisions among the sons of Levi:

Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The Gershonites
(Numbers 3:21–26; Numbers 4:21–28)

7Of the Gershonite: Ladan† and Shimei.

8The sons of Laadan: The first Jehiel,† and Zetham, and Joel—three.

9The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran—three. These were the heads of the fathers of Laadan.

10And the sons of Shimei:† Jahath, Zina,† and Jeush, and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei—four. 11And Jahath was the head, and Zizah the second. And Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, and they were to a house of a father in one assignment.

The Kohathites
(Numbers 3:27–32; Numbers 4:1–20)

12The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four.

13The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was set apart for his sanctifying the holy of holies,† he and his sons even to forever, to burn incense before the face of YHWH, to minister for him, and to give the blessing in His name even to forever. 14And Moses the man of God, his sons were reckoned to the tribe of Levi.

15The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

16The sons of Gershom: Shebuel was the first.

17And of the sons of Eliezer Rehabiah: Was the first. And Eliezer had no other sons, and the sons of Rehabiah multiplied exceedingly.

18The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the first.

19The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

20The sons of Uzziel: Micah the first, and Isshiah the second.

The Merarites
(Numbers 3:33–37; Numbers 4:29–33)

21The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.

The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. 22And Eleazar died; there were unto him no sons, but only daughters. And the sons of Kish, their brothers, lifted them.

23The sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth†—three.

Levite Duties Revised

24These were the sons of Levi by the houses of their fathers, heads of the fathers, by their appointments, in the number of names, by their polls, who did the work for the service of the house of YHWH, from a son of twenty years and above.

25For David said, “YHWH, God of Israel, has given rest to His people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem even to forever.” 26And also of the Levites, “No longer shall they carry the tabernacle or any of its articles for its service.”

27For by the last words of David they were numbering the sons of Levi from a son of twenty years and above. 28For their duty was at the hand of the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of YHWH, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of every holy thing, and the work of the service of the house of God, 29and for the bread of the arrangement, and the fine flour for the present, and for the unleavened cakes, and for the pan, and for what is mixed, and for all kinds of measures and sizes,

30and to stand morning by morning to thank and to give praise to YHWH, and likewise at the evening, 31and at every presentation of burnt offerings to YHWH on the Sabbaths and on the New Moons and for the appointed seasons, by number, according to the ordinance upon them, regularly before the face of YHWH. 32And they were to keep the charge of the Tent of Meeting, and the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brothers in the work of the house of YHWH.

Footnotes:

5 It is implied that this is a quote of David.
7 Ladan is a variant of Libni; also in verses 8 and 9; see 1 Chronicles 6:17.
8 Jehiel is a variant of Jehieli; see 1 Chronicles 26:21.
10 Shimei was possibly a son or grandson of the Shimei listed in verse 9.
10 Most Hebrew manuscripts; one Hebrew manuscript, LXX, and Vulgate (see also verse 11) Zizah
13 Of the most holy [things]
23 Jeremoth is a variant of Jerimoth; see 1 Chronicles 24:30.