1When David was old and near the end of his life, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

2He gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and Levites.

3The Levites who were thirty years old and older were counted. They numbered thirty-eight thousand.

4“Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of Yahweh's house, and six thousand were officers and judges.

5Four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand were to praise Yahweh with the instruments that I made to give praise,” David said.

6He divided them into groups that corresponded to Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7From the clans descended from Gershon, there were Ladan and Shimei.

8There were three of Ladan's sons: Jehiel the leader, Zetham, and Joel.

9There were three of Shimei's sons: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. These were the leaders of the clans of Ladan.

10There were four of Shimei's sons: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah.

11Jahath was the oldest, and Ziza the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were considered as one clan with the same duties.

12There were four of Kohath's sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

13These were Amram's sons: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was chosen to set apart the most holy things, that he and his descendants would offer incense before Yahweh, to serve him and to give blessings in his name forever.

14But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were considered to be Levites.

15Moses' sons were Gershom and Eliezer.

16Gershom's descendant was Shubael the oldest.

17Eliezer's descendant was Rehabiah. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many descendants.

18Izhar's son was Shelomith the leader.

19Hebron's descendants were Jeriah, the oldest, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

20Uzziel's sons were Micah the oldest, and Ishijah the second.

21Merari's sons were Mahli and Mushi. Mahli's sons were Eleazar and Kish.

22Eleazar died without having any sons. He had only daughters. The sons of Kish married them.

23Mushi's three sons were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

24These were Levi's descendants corresponding to their clans. They were the leaders, counted and listed by name, of the clans that did the work in the service of Yahweh's house, from twenty years old and upward.

25For David said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people. He makes his home in Jerusalem forever.

26The Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all the equipment used in its service.”

27For by David's last words the Levites were counted, from twenty years old and upward.

28Their duty was to assist Aaron's descendants in the service of Yahweh's house. They were to care for the courtyards, the rooms, the ceremonial purification of all the things that belong to Yahweh, and other work in the service of God's house.

29They also took care of the bread of the presence, the fine flour for grain offerings, the unleavened wafers, the baked offerings, the offerings mixed with oil, and all the measuring of the amounts and sizes of things.

30They also stood every morning to thank and praise Yahweh. They also did this in the evening

31and whenever burnt offerings were offered to Yahweh, on the Sabbath and at the new moon festivals and feast days. A fixed number, assigned by decree, always had to be present before Yahweh.

32They were in charge of the tent of meeting, the holy place, and helped their fellow descendants of Aaron in the service of Yahweh's house.