David Organizes the Levites for the House
Old and handing the kingdom to Solomon, David reorganizes the Levites for a temple that will not move. Since no one carries the tabernacle anymore, the work is redefined: courts, storerooms, bread, measures, and standing to thank our Father every morning and evening.
23 1When David was old and had lived many years, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. 2He gathered together all the leaders of Israel, along with the priests and the Levites. 3The Levites thirty years old or older were counted, and their total number was 38,000. 4Of these, 24,000 were to oversee the work of our Father's house; 6,000 were officers and judges. 54,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 praised our Father with instruments David made for praise.
6And David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
The Clans of Gershon
7Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei. 8The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, then Zetham and Joel, three in all. 9Shimei's sons: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran—three. These were Ladan's family heads. 10And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 11Jahath was chief, Zizah second; Jeush and Beriah had few sons, so they were counted together as one family, one assignment.
The Clans of Kohath
12The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four in all. 13The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to consecrate the most holy things, he and his sons forever, to make offerings before our Father, to serve him, and to bless in his name forever. 14But Moses, man of our Father—his sons were counted among Levi's tribe. 15The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. 16The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief. 17Eliezer's sons: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons; Rehabiah's sons were very numerous. 18The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. 19The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second.
The Clans of Merari
21The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. 22Eleazar died having no sons, only daughters; so their relatives, the sons of Kish, married them. 23The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three in all.
24These were Levi's sons by family, family heads registered by name, who served in our Father's house, age twenty and up. 25For David said, "Our Father, Israel's God, gave his people rest, and lives in Jerusalem forever. 26So the Levites no longer carry the tabernacle or all its service vessels." 27For by these final instructions of David the Levites were counted from twenty years old or older. 28Their duty was assisting Aaron's sons in serving the house of our Father: caring for the courts and the chambers, purifying all holy things, and any work in the house of our Father. 29They cared for the Bread of the Presence, the fine flour for grain offerings, wafers made without yeast, the baking and mixing, and all measures of quantity and size. 30They were to stand every morning to thank and praise our Father, and again in the evening, 31and for all burnt offerings to our Father on Sabbaths, new moons, and appointed feasts—in the required number, always before our Father. a a v31 New moons were monthly celebrations held at the start of each new Hebrew month. 32They kept the charge of the tent of meeting, the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of their brothers, Aaron's sons, in the service of the house of our Father.
