The Divisions of the Levites 1 Brenton And David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel in his stead. BSB BSB: When David was old and full of years, he installed his son Solomon as king over Israel.
2 Brenton And he assembled all the chief men of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites. BSB BSB: Then he gathered all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites.
3 Brenton And the Levites numbered themselves from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls amounted to thirty and eight thousand men. BSB BSB: The Levites thirty years of age or older were counted, and the total number of men was 38,000.
4 Brenton Of the overseers over the works of the house of the Lord there were twenty-four thousand, and there were six thousand scribes and judges; BSB BSB: “Of these,” said David, “24,000 are to oversee the work of the house of the LORD, 6,000 are to be officers and judges,
5 Brenton and four thousand door-keepers, and four thousand to praise the Lord with instruments which he made to praise the Lord. BSB BSB: 4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise.”
6 Brenton And David divided them into daily courses, for the sons of Levi, for Gedson, Caath, and Merari. BSB BSB: Then David divided the Levites into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
The Gershonites (Numbers 3:21–26; Numbers 4:21–28)
7 Brenton And for the family of Gedson, Edan, and Semei. BSB BSB: The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.
8 Brenton The sons of Edan were Jeiel, the chief, and Zethan, and Joel, three. BSB BSB: The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the first, Zetham, and Joel—three in all.
9 Brenton The sons of Semei; Salomith, Jeiel, and Dan, three: these were the chiefs of the families of Edan. BSB BSB: The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran—three in all. These were the heads of the families of Ladan.
10 Brenton And to the sons of Semei, Jeth, and Ziza, and Joas, and Beria: these were the four sons of Semei. BSB BSB: And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei—four in all.
11 Brenton And Jeth was the chief, and Ziza the second: and Joas and Beria did not multiply sons, and they became only one reckoning according to the house of their father. BSB BSB: Jahath was the first and Zizah was the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were counted as one family and received a single assignment.
The Kohathites (Numbers 3:27–32; Numbers 4:1–20)
12 Brenton The sons of Caath; Ambram, Isaar, Chebron, Oziel, four. BSB BSB: The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all.
13 Brenton The sons of Ambram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was appointed for the consecration of the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the Lord, to minister and bless in his name for ever. BSB BSB: The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister before Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever.
14 Brenton And as for Moses the man of God, his sons were reckoned to the tribe of Levi. BSB BSB: As for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.
15 Brenton The sons of Moses; Gersam, and Eliezer. BSB BSB: The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.
16 Brenton The sons of Gersam; Subael the chief. BSB BSB: The descendants of Gershom: Shebuel was the first.
17 Brenton And the sons of Eliezer were, Rabia the chief: and Eliezer had no other sons; but the sons of Rabia were very greatly multiplied. BSB BSB: The descendants of Eliezer: Rehabiah was the first. Eliezer did not have any other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.
18 Brenton The sons of Isaar; Salomoth the chief. BSB BSB: The sons of Izhar: Shelomith was the first.
19 Brenton The sons of Chebron; Jeria the chief, Amaria the second, Jeziel the third, Jekemias the fourth. BSB BSB: The sons of Hebron: Jeriah was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
20 Brenton The sons of Oziel; Micha the chief, and Isia the second. BSB BSB: The sons of Uzziel: Micah was the first and Isshiah the second.
The Merarites (Numbers 3:33–37; Numbers 4:29–33)
21 Brenton The sons of Merari; Mooli, and Musi: the sons of Mooli; Eleazar, and Kis. BSB BSB: The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
22 Brenton And Eleazar died, and he had no sons, but daughters: and the sons of Kis, their brethren, took them. BSB BSB: Eleazar died without having any sons; he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.
23 Brenton The sons of Musi; Mooli, and Eder, and Jarimoth, three. BSB BSB: The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three in all.
Levite Duties Revised 24 Brenton These are the sons of Levi according to the houses of their fathers; chiefs of their families according to their numbering, according to the number of their names, according to their polls, doing the works of service of the house of the Lord, from twenty years old and upward. BSB BSB: These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families, registered individually by name—those twenty years of age or older who worked in the service of the house of the LORD.
25 Brenton For David said, The Lord God of Israel has given rest to his people, and has taken up his abode in Jerusalem for ever. BSB BSB: For David had said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to His people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever.
26 Brenton And the Levites bore not the tabernacle, and all the vessels of it for its service. BSB BSB: So now the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles for its service.”
27 Brenton For by the last words of David was the number of the Levites taken from twenty years old and upward. BSB BSB: For according to the final instructions of David, the Levites twenty years of age or older were counted,
28 Brenton For he appointed them to wait on Aaron, to minister in the house of the Lord, over the courts, and over the chambers, and over the purification of all the holy things, and over the works of the service of the house of God; BSB BSB: but their duty was to assist the descendants of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, being responsible for the courts and chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God,
29 Brenton and for the shew-bread, and for the fine flour of the meat-offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for the fried cake, and for the dough, and for every measure; BSB BSB: as well as for the rows of the showbread, the fine flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baking, the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size.
30 Brenton and to stand in the morning to praise and give thanks to the Lord, and so in the evening; BSB BSB: They were also to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the LORD, and likewise in the evening.
31 Brenton and to be over all the whole-burnt-offerings that were offered up to the Lord on the sabbaths, and at the new moons, and at the feasts, by number, according to the order given to them, continually before the Lord. BSB BSB: Whenever burnt offerings were presented to the LORD on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts, they were to serve regularly before the LORD in the numbers prescribed for them.
32 Brenton And they are to keep the charge of the tabernacle of witness, and the charge of the holy place, and the charges of the sons of Aaron their brethren, to minister in the house of the Lord. BSB BSB: So the Levites were to carry out the responsibilities for the Tent of Meeting and the Holy Place, and, under their brothers the descendants of Aaron, the service of the house of the LORD.
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