Now David was old and full of days, and he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
He gathered together all the leaders of Israel along with the priests and the Levites.
The Levites were counted from 30 years old and upward, and their number by a headcount, man by man, was 38,000.
David said, “Of these, 24,000 are to oversee the work of the house of Yahweh; 6,000 are to be officers and judges;
4,000 are to be doorkeepers; and 4,000 are for praising Yahweh with the instruments that I made for giving praise.”
David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.
The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, and Zetham and Joel, three.
The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan.
The sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.
Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were counted as one family with one assignment.
The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel, four.
The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. But Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before Yahweh, to minister to him, and to bless in his name forever.
But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.
The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.
The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.
The sons of Eliezer were Rehabiah the chief, and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.
The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.
The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second.
The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
Eleazar died and had no sons, but only daughters, and their relatives, the sons of Kish, took them as wives.
The sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers’ houses, that is, the heads of the fathers’ houses, the ones who were counted in the number of names by a headcount, who did the work for the service of the house of Yahweh from 20 years old and older.
For David said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever.
Also, the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all the articles for its service.”
For according to the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered for service from 20 years old and older.
For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of Yahweh, in the courts and in the rooms and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God,
and for the Bread of the Presence and for the fine flour for the grain offering (whether of unleavened wafers or of what is baked in the pan or of what is mixed with oil), and for all measurements of quantity and size,
and to stand every morning to thank and praise Yahweh, and to do the same in the evening,
and for all the burnt offerings, burnt offerings to Yahweh on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the appointed feasts (in number according to the regulation about them), continually before Yahweh.
And they are to keep the instructions about the Tent of Meeting and the instructions about the holy place and the instructions concerning the sons of Aaron their brothers for the service of the house of Yahweh.