Solomon Reigns

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

Divisions of the Levites

3And the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years, and upwards: and there were found of them thirty-eight thousand men. 4Of these twenty-four thousand were chosen, and distributed unto the ministry of the house of the Lord: and six thousand were the overseers and judges. 5Moreover four thousand were porters: and as many singers singing to the Lord with the instruments, which he had made to sing with. 6And David distributed them into courses by the families of the sons of Levi, to wit, of Gerson, and of Caath, and of Merari.

The Gershonites

(Numbers 3:21-26; Numbers 4:21-28; Numbers 4:38-41)

7The sons of Gerson were Leedan and Semei. 8The sons of Leedan: the chief Jahiel, and Zethan, and Joel, three. 9The sons of Semei: Salomith, and Hosiel, and Aran, three: these were the heads of the families of Leedan. 10And the sons of Semei were Leheth, and Ziza, and Jaus, and Baria: these were the sons of Semei, four. 11And Leheth was the first, Ziza the second: but Jaus and Baria had not many children, and therefore they were counted in one family, and in one house.

The Kohathites

(Numbers 3:27-32; Numbers 4:1-20; Numbers 4:34-37)

12The sons of Caath were Amram, and Isaar, Hebron, and Oziel, four. 13The sons of Amram, Aaron, and Moses. And Aaron was separated to minister in the holy of holies, he and his sons for ever, and to burn incense before the Lord, according to his ceremonies, and to bless his name for ever. 14The sons also of Moses, the man of God, were numbered in the tribe of Levi. 15The sons of Moses were Gersom and Eliezer: 16The sons of Gersom: Subuel the first. 17And the sons of Eliezer were: Rohobia the first: and Eliezer had no more sons. But the sons of Rohobia were multiplied exceedingly. 18The sons of Isaar: Salomith the first. 19The sons of Hebron: Jeriau the first, Amarias the second, Jahaziel the third, Jecmaam the fourth. 20The sons of Oziel: Micha the first, Jesia the second.

The Merarites

(Numbers 3:33-37; Numbers 4:29-33; Numbers 4:42-49)

21The sons of Merari: Moholi, and Musi. The sons of Moholi: Eleazar and Cis. 22And Eleazar died, and had no sons but daughters: and the sons of Cis their brethren took them. 23The sons of Musi: Moholi, and Eder, and Jerimoth, three.

Levite Duties Revised

24These are the sons of Levi in their kindreds and families, princes by their courses, and the number of every head that did the works of the ministry of the house of the Lord from twenty years old and upward. 25For David said: The Lord the God of Israel hath given rest to his people, and a habitation in Jerusalem for ever. 26And it shall not be the office of the Levites to carry any more the tabernacle, and all the vessels for the service thereof. 27So according to the last precepts of David, the sons of Levi are to be numbered from twenty years old and upward. 28And they are to be under the hand of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, in the porches, and in the chambers, and in the place of purification, and in the sanctuary, and in all the works of the ministry of the temple of the Lord. 29And the priests have the charge of the loaves of proposition, and of the sacrifice of fine flour, and of the unleavened cakes, and of the fryingpan, and of the roasting, and of every weight and measure. 30And the Levites are to stand in the morning to give thanks, and to sing praises to the Lord: and in like manner in the evening, 31As well in the oblation of the holocausts of the Lord, as in the sabbaths and in the new moons, and the rest of the solemnities, according to the number and ceremonies prescribed for every thing, continually before the Lord. 32And let them keep the observances of the tabernacle of the covenant, and the ceremonies of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, that they may minister in the house of the Lord.