1Now when David reached old age, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. 2And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites.

Offices of the Levites

3The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward, and their number by census of men was 38,000 4Of these, 24000 were to oversee the work of the house of the LORD; and 6,000 [were] officers and judges, 5and 4,000 [were] gatekeepers, and 4,000 [were] praising the LORD with the instruments which David made for giving praise. 6David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Gershonites

7Of the Gershonites [were] Ladan and Shimei. 8The sons of Ladan [were] Jehiel the first and Zetham and Joel, three. 9The sons of Shimei [were] Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers' [households] of Ladan. 10The sons of Shimei [were] Jahath, Zina, Jeush and Beriah. These four [were] the sons of Shimei. 11Jahath was the first and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became a father's household, one class.

Kohathites

12The sons of Kohath were four: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 13The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister to Him and to bless in His name forever. 14But [as for] Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. 15The sons of Moses [were] Gershom and Eliezer. 16The son of Gershom [was] Shebuel the chief. 17The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18The son of Izhar was Shelomith the chief. 19The sons of Hebron [were] Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth. 20The sons of Uzziel [were] Micah the first and Isshiah the second.

Merarites

21The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli [were] Eleazar and Kish. 22Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters only, so their brothers, the sons of Kish, took them [as wives]. 23The sons of Mushi [were] three: Mahli, Eder and Jeremoth.

Duties Revised

24These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers' households, [even] the heads of the fathers' [households] of those of them who were counted, in the number of names by their census, doing the work for the 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 He dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26"Also, the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service." 27For by the last words of David the sons of Levi [were] numbered from twenty years old and upward. 28For their office is to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts and in the chambers and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God, 29and with the showbread, and the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or [what is baked in] the pan or what is well-mixed, and all measures of volume and size. 30They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the LORD, and likewise at evening, 31and to offer all burnt offerings to the LORD, on the sabbaths, the new moons and the fixed festivals in the number [set] by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD. 32Thus they are to keep charge of the tent of meeting, and charge of the holy place, and charge of the sons of Aaron their relatives, for the service of the house of the LORD.