The Divisions of the Levites

1And David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel in his stead. 2And he assembled all the chief men of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites.

3And the Levites numbered themselves from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls amounted to thirty and eight thousand men. 4Of the overseers over the works of the house of the Lord there were twenty-four thousand, and there were six thousand scribes and judges; 5and four thousand door-keepers, and four thousand to praise the Lord with instruments which he made to praise the Lord. 6And David divided them into daily courses, for the sons of Levi, for Gedson, Caath, and Merari.

The Gershonites

7And for the family of Gedson, Edan, and Semei. 8The sons of Edan were Jeiel, the chief, and Zethan, and Joel, three. 9The sons of Semei; Salomith, Jeiel, and Dan, three: these were the chiefs of the families of Edan. 10And to the sons of Semei, Jeth, and Ziza, and Joas, and Beria: these were the four sons of Semei. 11And Jeth was the chief, and Ziza the second: and Joas and Beria did not multiply sons, and they became only one reckoning according to the house of their father.

The Kohathites

12The sons of Caath; Ambram, Isaar, Chebron, Oziel, four. 13The sons of Ambram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was appointed for the consecration of the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the Lord, to minister and bless in his name for ever. 14And as for Moses the man of God, his sons were reckoned to the tribe of Levi. 15The sons of Moses; Gersam, and Eliezer. 16The sons of Gersam; Subael the chief. 17And the sons of Eliezer were, Rabia the chief: and Eliezer had no other sons; but the sons of Rabia were very greatly multiplied. 18The sons of Isaar; Salomoth the chief. 19The sons of Chebron; Jeria the chief, Amaria the second, Jeziel the third, Jekemias the fourth. 20The sons of Oziel; Micha the chief, and Isia the second.

The Merarites

21The sons of Merari; Mooli, and Musi: the sons of Mooli; Eleazar, and Kis. 22And Eleazar died, and he had no sons, but daughters: and the sons of Kis, their brethren, took them. 23The sons of Musi; Mooli, and Eder, and Jarimoth, three.

Levite Duties Revised

24These are the sons of Levi according to the houses of their fathers; chiefs of their families according to their numbering, according to the number of their names, according to their polls, doing the works of service of the house of the Lord, from twenty years old and upward. 25For David said, The Lord God of Israel has given rest to his people, and has taken up his abode in Jerusalem for ever. 26And the Levites bore not the tabernacle, and all the vessels of it for its service. 27For by the last words of David was the number of the Levites taken from twenty years old and upward. 28For he appointed them to wait on Aaron, to minister in the house of the Lord, over the courts, and over the chambers, and over the purification of all the holy things, and over the works of the service of the house of God; 29and for the shew-bread, and for the fine flour of the meat-offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for the fried cake, and for the dough, and for every measure; 30and to stand in the morning to praise and give thanks to the Lord, and so in the evening; 31and to be over all the whole-burnt-offerings that were offered up to the Lord on the sabbaths, and at the new moons, and at the feasts, by number, according to the order given to them, continually before the Lord. 32And they are to keep the charge of the tabernacle of witness, and the charge of the holy place, and the charges of the sons of Aaron their brethren, to minister in the house of the Lord.