Divisions of the Levites

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.

3Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.

4Of which, twenty and four thousand were to look after the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges:

5Moreover four thousand were gatekeepers; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, for praise.

6And David divided them into divisions among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7Of the Gershonites were, Ladan, and Shimei.

8The sons of Ladan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

9The sons of Shimei; Shelomoth, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers' houses of Ladan.

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, as one father's house.

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 forever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him, and to give the blessing in his name forever.

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 no 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; Micah the first, and Issiah the second.

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.

24These were the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses; even the heads of their fathers' houses, as they were counted individually by the number of their names, 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 has given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem forever:

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 showbread, and for the fine flour for meal offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is mixed with all kinds of measures and sizes;

30And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at evening;

31And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD on the sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to that required of them, continually before the LORD:

32And that they should attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, and the needs of the holy place, and the needs of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.