David Organizes the Levites
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So when David was old and full of days, he made his son a Solomon king over Israel.
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And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.
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Now the Levites were numbered from the age of b thirty years and above; and the number of individual males was thirty-eight thousand.
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Of these, twenty-four thousand were to c look after the work of the house of the LORD, six thousand were d officers and judges,
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four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand e praised the LORD with musical instruments, f "which I made," said David, "for giving praise."
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Also g David separated them into divisions among the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
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Of the h Gershonites: Laadan and Shimei.
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The sons of Laadan: the first Jehiel, then Zetham and Joel - three in all.
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The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, Haziel, and Haran - three in all. These were the heads of the fathers' houses of Laadan.
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And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These were the four sons of Shimei.
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Jahath was the first and Zizah the second. But Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons; therefore they were assigned as one father's house.
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i The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel - four in all.
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The sons of j Amram: Aaron and Moses; and k Aaron was set apart, he and his sons forever, that he should sanctify the most holy things, l to burn incense before the LORD, m to minister to Him, and n to give the blessing in His name forever.
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Now o the sons of Moses the man of God were reckoned to the tribe of Levi.
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p The sons of Moses were Gershon and Eliezer.
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Of the sons of Gershon, q Shebuel was the first.
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Of the descendants of Eliezer, r Rehabiah was the first. And Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
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Of the sons of Izhar, s Shelomith was the first.
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t Of the sons of Hebron, Jeriah was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
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Of the sons of Uzziel, Michah was the first and Jesshiah the second.
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u The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and v Kish.
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And Eleazar died, and w had no sons, but only daughters; and their brethren, the sons of Kish, x took them as wives.
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y The sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth - three in all.
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These were the sons of z Levi by their fathers' houses - the heads of the fathers' houses as they were counted individually by the number of their names, who did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of a twenty years and above.
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For David said, "The LORD God of Israel b has given rest to His people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem forever";
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and also to the Levites, "They shall no longer c carry the tabernacle, or any of the articles for its service."
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For by the d last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above;
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because their duty was to help the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts and in the chambers, in the purifying of all holy things and the work of the service of the house of God,
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both with e the showbread and f the fine flour for the grain offering, with g the unleavened cakes and h what is baked in the pan, with what is mixed and with all kinds of i measures and sizes;
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to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at evening;
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and at every presentation of a burnt offering to the LORD j on the Sabbaths and on the New Moons and on the k set feasts, by number according to the ordinance governing them, regularly before the LORD;
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and that they should l attend to the m needs of the tabernacle of meeting, the needs of the holy place, and the n needs of the sons of Aaron their brethren in the work of the house of the LORD.
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Cross References
1 Kings 1:33 - 40
The king also said to them, "Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon.
1 Chronicles 28:4
However the LORD God of Israel chose me above all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever, for He has chosen Judah to be the ruler. And of the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, He was pleased with me to make me king over all Israel.
1 Chronicles 28:5
And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons) He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.
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Cross References
Numbers 4:1 - 3
Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:
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Cross References
2 Chronicles 2:2
Solomon selected seventy thousand men to bear burdens, eighty thousand to quarry stone in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.
2 Chronicles 2:18
And he made seventy thousand of them bearers of burdens, eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountain, and three thousand six hundred overseers to make the people work.
Ezra 3:8
Now in the second month of the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began work and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and above to oversee the work of the house of the LORD.
Ezra 3:9
Then Jeshua with his sons and brothers, Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah, arose as one to oversee those working on the house of God: the sons of Henadad with their sons and their brethren the Levites.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 16:18 - 20
You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
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Cross References
1 Chronicles 15:16
Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy.
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Cross References
2 Chronicles 29:25 - 27
And he stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the commandment of the LORD by His prophets.
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Cross References
Exodus 6:16
These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty-seven.
Numbers 26:57
And these are those who were numbered of the Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.
2 Chronicles 8:14
And, according to the order of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, the Levites for their duties (to praise and serve before the priests) as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate; for so David the man of God had commanded.
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Cross References
1 Chronicles 26:21
The sons of Laadan, the descendants of the Gershonites of Laadan, heads of their fathers' houses, of Laadan the Gershonite: Jehieli.
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Cross References
Exodus 6:18
And the sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred and thirty-three.
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Cross References
Exodus 6:20
Now Amram took for himself Jochebed, his father's sister, as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven.
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Cross References
Exodus 28:1
Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron's sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Hebrews 5:4
And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.
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Cross References
Exodus 30:7
Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it.
1 Samuel 2:28
Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 21:5
Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to Him and to bless in the name of the LORD; by their word every controversy and every assault shall be settled.
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Cross References
Numbers 6:23
Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
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Cross References
1 Chronicles 26:20 - 24
Of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasuries of the house of God and over the treasuries of the dedicated things.
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Cross References
Exodus 18:3
With her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, "I have been a stranger in a foreign land")
Exodus 18:4
And the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh").
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Cross References
1 Chronicles 26:24
Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was overseer of the treasuries.
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Cross References
1 Chronicles 26:25
And his brethren by Eliezer were Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zichri his son, and Shelomith his son.
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Cross References
1 Chronicles 24:22
Of the Izharites, Shelomoth; of the sons of Shelomoth, Jahath.
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Cross References
1 Chronicles 24:23
Of the sons of Hebron, Jeriah was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
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Cross References
1 Chronicles 24:26
The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi; the son of Jaaziah, Beno.
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Cross References
1 Chronicles 24:29
Of Kish: the son of Kish, Jerahmeel.
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Cross References
1 Chronicles 24:28
Of Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.
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Cross References
Numbers 36:6
"This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, 'Let them marry whom they think best, but they may marry only within the family of their father's tribe.'
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Cross References
1 Chronicles 24:30
Also the sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites according to their fathers' houses.
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Cross References
Numbers 10:17
Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the tabernacle.
Numbers 10:21
Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things. (The tabernacle would be prepared for their arrival.)
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Cross References
Numbers 1:3
From twenty years old and above - all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
Ezra 3:8
Now in the second month of the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began work and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and above to oversee the work of the house of the LORD.
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Cross References
1 Chronicles 22:18
Is not the LORD your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and before His people.
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Cross References
Numbers 4:5
When the camp prepares to journey, Aaron and his sons shall come, and they shall take down the covering veil and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.
Numbers 4:15
And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.
Numbers 7:9
But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because theirs was the service of the holy things, which they carried on their shoulders.
Deuteronomy 10:8
At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day.
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Cross References
2 Samuel 23:1
Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel:
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Cross References
Exodus 25:30
And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.
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Cross References
Leviticus 6:20
This is the offering of Aaron and his sons, which they shall offer to the LORD, beginning on the day when he is anointed: one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a daily grain offering, half of it in the morning and half of it at night.
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Cross References
Leviticus 2:1
When anyone offers a grain offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour. And he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it.
Leviticus 2:4
And if you bring as an offering a grain offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
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Cross References
Leviticus 2:5
But if your offering is a grain offering baked in a pan, it shall be of fine flour, unleavened, mixed with oil.
Leviticus 2:7
If your offering is a grain offering baked in a covered pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
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Cross References
Leviticus 19:35
You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume.
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Cross References
Numbers 10:10
"Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the LORD your God."
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Cross References
Leviticus 23:2 - 4
Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.
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Cross References
2 Chronicles 13:10
But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests who minister to the LORD are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties.
2 Chronicles 13:11
And they burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense; they also set the showbread in order on the pure gold table, and the lampstand of gold with its lamps to burn every evening; for we keep the command of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken Him.
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Cross References
Numbers 1:53
"but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony."
1 Chronicles 9:27
And they lodged all around the house of God because they had the responsibility, and they were in charge of opening it every morning.
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Cross References
Numbers 3:6 - 9
Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.
Numbers 3:38
Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary, to meet the needs of the children of Israel; but the outsider who came near was to be put to death.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.