1 Chronicles 23 1-1 Chronicles 23 26
When David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.David assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites.The Levites, thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and the total was 38,000 men.“ Twenty-four thousand of these,” David said,“ shall have charge of the work in the house of the Lord, 6,000 shall be officers and judges,4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the Lord with the instruments that I have made for praise.”And David organized them in divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.The sons of Gershon were Ladan and Shimei.The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three.The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ houses of Ladan.And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.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.The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to dedicate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever should make offerings before the Lord and minister to him and pronounce blessings in his name forever.But the sons of Moses the man of God were named among the tribe of Levi.The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second.The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.Eleazar died having no sons, but only daughters; their kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them.The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.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.For David said,“ The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever.And so the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service.”
Numbers 8:9-26
And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel.When you bring the Levites before the Lord, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites,and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the Lord.Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the Lord to make atonement for the Levites.And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the Lord.“ Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering.For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself.For all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself,and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel.And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary.”Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel to the Levites. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the people of Israel did to them.And the Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,“ 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.And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more.They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.”