1 Chronicles 23

David Organizes the Levites

1 q When David was old and full of days, r he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

2 David 1 assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. 3 The Levites, s thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and t the total was u 38,000 men. 4 "Twenty-four thousand of these," David said, 2 v "shall have charge of the work in the house of the Lord, 6,000 shall be w officers and judges, 5 4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the Lord with the instruments x that I have made for praise." 6 y And David organized them in divisions z corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7 a The sons of Gershon 3 were Ladan and Shimei. 8 The sons of Ladan: b Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three. 9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers' houses of Ladan. 10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 11 Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, therefore they became counted as a single father's house.

12 c The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. 13 d The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. e Aaron was set apart to dedicate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever should f make offerings before the Lord and g minister to him and h pronounce blessings in his name forever. 14 But the sons of Moses the i man of God were named among the j tribe of Levi. 15 The k sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The sons of Gershom: l Shebuel the chief. 17 The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. 19 The m sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20 n The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second.

21 o The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and p Kish. 22 Eleazar died q having no sons, but only daughters; their r kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them. 23 s The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

24 t These were the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, the heads of fathers' houses u as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from v twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord. 25 For David said, "The Lord, the God of Israel, w has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26 And so the Levites no longer need x to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service." 27 For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from v twenty years old and upward. 28 For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God. 29 Their duty was also to assist with the y showbread, the z flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the a baked offering, the b offering mixed with oil, and all c measures of quantity or size. 30 And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening, 31 and whenever burnt offerings were offered to the Lord d on Sabbaths, e new moons, and feast days, f according to the number required of them, regularly before the Lord. 32 Thus g they were to keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and to attend the sons of Aaron, their brothers, for the h service of the house of the Lord.

  1. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 29:28
    Then he died at a good age, full of days, riches, and honor. And Solomon his son reigned in his place.
  2. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 28:5
    And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
    1 Chronicles 29:22
    And they ate and drank before the Lord on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and they anointed him as prince for the Lord, and Zadok as priest.
    1 Chronicles 29:28
    Then he died at a good age, full of days, riches, and honor. And Solomon his son reigned in his place.
    1 Kings 1:33 - 39
    And the king said to them, "Take with you the servants of your lord and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.
  3. Cross References
    Numbers 4:3
    From thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting.
    Numbers 4:47
    From thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come to do the service of ministry and the service of bearing burdens in the tent of meeting.
  4. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 23:24
    These were the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, the heads of fathers' houses as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord.
    Numbers 1:2
    Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head.
  5. Cross References
    Numbers 4:47 - 48
    From thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come to do the service of ministry and the service of bearing burdens in the tent of meeting.
  6. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 2:2
    And Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens and 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 to oversee them.
    2 Chronicles 2:18
    Seventy thousand of them he assigned to bear burdens, 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 as overseers to make the people work.
    2 Chronicles 34:12
    And the men did the work faithfully. Over them were set Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to have oversight. The Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music.
    Ezra 3:8 - 9
    Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the Lord.
  7. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 26:29
    Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were appointed to external duties for Israel, as officers and judges.
    Deuteronomy 16:18
    You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
    2 Chronicles 19:8
    Moreover, in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed certain Levites and priests and heads of families of Israel, to give judgment for the Lord and to decide disputed cases. They had their seat at Jerusalem.
  8. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 29:25 - 26
    And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to the commandment of David and of Gad the king's seer and of Nathan the prophet, for the commandment was from the Lord through his prophets.
    Nehemiah 12:36
    And his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them.
    Amos 6:5
    Who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music.
  9. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 8:14
    According to the ruling of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their offices of praise and ministry before the priests as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers in their divisions at each gate, for so David the man of God had commanded.
    2 Chronicles 23:18
    And Jehoiada posted watchmen for the house of the Lord under the direction of the Levitical priests and the Levites whom David had organized to be in charge of the house of the Lord, to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the order of David.
    2 Chronicles 35:4
    Prepare yourselves according to your fathers' houses by your divisions, as prescribed in the writing of David king of Israel and the document of Solomon his son.
    Ezra 6:18
    And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.
  10. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 6:1
    The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
    1 Chronicles 6:16
    The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
    Exodus 6:16
    These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years.
    Numbers 26:57
    This was the list of the Levites according to their clans: of Gershon, the clan of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the clan of the Kohathites; of Merari, the clan of the Merarites.
  11. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 26:21
    The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, the heads of the fathers' houses belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli.
  12. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 15:18
    And with them their brothers of the second order, Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.
    1 Chronicles 29:8
    And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, in the care of Jehiel the Gershonite.
    1 Chronicles 26:21
    The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, the heads of the fathers' houses belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli.
  13. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 6:18
    The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
    1 Chronicles 26:23
    Of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites -
    Exodus 6:18
    The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years.
    Numbers 3:19
    And the sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
  14. Cross References
    Exodus 6:20
    Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father's sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years.
  15. Cross References
    Exodus 28:1
    Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests - Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
    Hebrews 5:4
    And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
  16. Cross References
    Exodus 30:7
    And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it.
    Numbers 16:40
    To be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the Lord, lest he become like Korah and his company - as the Lord said to him through Moses.
    1 Samuel 2:28
    Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel.
  17. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 21:5
    Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the Lord, and by their word every dispute and every assault shall be settled.
  18. Cross References
    Numbers 6:23
    Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them.
  19. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 26:23 - 25
    Of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites -
  20. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 33:1
    This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death.
  21. Cross References
    Exodus 2:22
    She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.
    Exodus 18:3 - 4
    Along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom ( for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land").
  22. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 26:24
    And Shebuel the son of Gershom, son of Moses, was chief officer in charge of the treasuries.
  23. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 24:23
    The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.
    1 Chronicles 26:31
    Of the Hebronites, Jerijah was chief of the Hebronites of whatever genealogy or fathers' houses. (In the fortieth year of David's reign search was made and men of great ability among them were found at Jazer in Gilead.)
  24. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 24:24 - 25
    The sons of Uzziel, Micah; of the sons of Micah, Shamir.
  25. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 6:19
    The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their fathers.
    1 Chronicles 6:29
    The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son.
    1 Chronicles 24:26
    The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Jaaziah: Beno.
    Exodus 6:19
    The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations.
    Numbers 26:58
    These are the clans of Levi: the clan of the Libnites, the clan of the Hebronites, the clan of the Mahlites, the clan of the Mushites, the clan of the Korahites. And Kohath was the father of Amram.
  26. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 24:29
    Of Kish, the sons of Kish: Jerahmeel.
  27. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 24:28
    Of Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.
  28. Cross References
    Numbers 36:6
    This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, 'Let them marry whom they think best, only they shall marry within the clan of the tribe of their father.
    Numbers 36:8
    And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the people of Israel shall be wife to one of the clan of the tribe of her father, so that every one of the people of Israel may possess the inheritance of his fathers.
  29. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 24:30
    The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites according to their fathers' houses.
  30. Cross References
    Numbers 10:17
    And when the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who carried the tabernacle, set out.
    Numbers 10:21
    Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things, and the tabernacle was set up before their arrival.
  31. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 23:3
    The Levites, thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and the total was 38,000 men.
  32. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 31:17
    The enrollment of the priests was according to their fathers' houses; that of the Levites from twenty years old and upward was according to their offices, by their divisions.
    Ezra 3:8
    Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the Lord.
    1 Chronicles 23:3
    The Levites, thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and the total was 38,000 men.
    Numbers 4:3
    From thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting.
    Numbers 8:24
    This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting.
  33. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 22:18
    Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not given you peace on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and his people.
  34. Cross References
    Numbers 4:5 - 15
    When the camp is to set out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it.
  35. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 23:24
    These were the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, the heads of fathers' houses as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord.
  36. Cross References
    Leviticus 24:5 - 8
    You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each loaf.
  37. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 9:29
    Others of them were appointed over the furniture and over all the holy utensils, also over the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the incense, and the spices.
    Leviticus 6:20 - 21
    This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening.
  38. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 9:31
    And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with making the flat cakes.
  39. Cross References
    Leviticus 6:21
    It shall be made with oil on a griddle. You shall bring it well mixed, in baked pieces like a grain offering, and offer it for a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
    Leviticus 7:12
    If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour well mixed with oil.
  40. Cross References
    Leviticus 19:35
    You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity.
  41. Cross References
    Isaiah 1:13
    Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations - I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
  42. Cross References
    Numbers 28:11
    At the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord : two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish.
  43. Cross References
    Leviticus 23:2
    Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.
    Leviticus 23:4
    These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them.
  44. Cross References
    Numbers 1:53
    But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. And the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony.
  45. Cross References
    Numbers 3:6 - 9
    Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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