1So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

2¶ And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

3Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.

4Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges: ²⁵³

5Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.

6And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ²⁵⁴

7¶ Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei. ²⁵⁵

8The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

9The sons of Shimei; Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan.

10And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. ²⁵⁶

11And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father’s house. ²⁵⁷

12¶ The sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.

13The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever.

14Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.

15The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer.

16Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief. ²⁵⁸

17And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. ²⁵⁹²⁶⁰

18Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief. ²⁶¹

19Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

20Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah the first, and Jesiah the second.

21¶ The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish.

22And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and their brethren the sons of Kish took them. ²⁶²

23The sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

24¶ These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.

25For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever: ²⁶³

26And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.

27For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above: ²⁶⁴

28Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God; ²⁶⁵

29Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size; ²⁶⁶

30And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even;

31And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD:

32And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.