I Chronicles 23

וְדָוִ֥יד זָקֵ֖ן וְשָׂבַ֣ע יָמִ֑ים וַיַּמְלֵ֛ךְ אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹ֥ה בְנ֖וֹ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

When David reached a ripe old age, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

וַיֶּֽאֱסֹף֙ אֶת־כׇּל־שָׂרֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְהַלְוִיִּֽם׃

Then David assembled all the officers of Israel and the priests and the Levites.

וַיִּסָּֽפְרוּ֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם מִבֶּ֛ן שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וָמָ֑עְלָה וַיְהִ֨י מִסְפָּרָ֤ם לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם֙ לִגְבָרִ֔ים שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וּשְׁמוֹנָ֖ה אָֽלֶף׃

The Levites, from the age of thirty and upward, were counted; the head-count of their males was 38,000:

מֵאֵ֗לֶּה לְנַצֵּ֙חַ֙ עַל־מְלֶ֣אכֶת בֵּית־יְהֹוָ֔ה עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֖ה אָ֑לֶף וְשֹׁטְרִ֥ים וְשֹׁפְטִ֖ים שֵׁ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִֽים׃

of these there were 24,000 in charge of the work of the House of G OD , 6,000 officers and magistrates,

וְאַרְבַּ֥עַת אֲלָפִ֖ים שֹׁעֲרִ֑ים וְאַרְבַּ֤עַת אֲלָפִים֙ מְהַֽלְלִ֣ים לַיהֹוָ֔ה בַּכֵּלִ֕ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתִי לְהַלֵּֽל׃ {ס}

4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 for praising G OD “with instruments I devised for singing praises.”

וַיֶּחָלְקֵ֥ם דָּוִ֖יד מַחְלְק֑וֹת {ס} לִבְנֵ֣י לֵוִ֔י לְגֵרְשׁ֖וֹן קְהָ֥ת וּמְרָרִֽי׃ {ס}

David formed them into divisions: The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

לַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֖י לַעְדָּ֥ן וְשִׁמְעִֽי׃ {ס}

The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

בְּנֵ֣י לַעְדָּ֗ן הָרֹ֧אשׁ יְחִיאֵ֛ל וְזֵתָ֥ם וְיוֹאֵ֖ל שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ {ס}

The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, Zetham, and Joel—3.

בְּנֵ֣י שִׁמְעִ֗י (שלמות) [שְׁלֹמִ֧ית] וַחֲזִיאֵ֛ל וְהָרָ֖ן שְׁלֹשָׁ֑ה אֵ֛לֶּה רָאשֵׁ֥י הָאָב֖וֹת לְלַעְדָּֽן׃ {ס}

The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, Haziel, and Haran—3. These were the chiefs of the clans of the Ladanites.

וּבְנֵ֣י שִׁמְעִ֔י יַ֣חַת זִינָ֔א וִיע֖וּשׁ וּבְרִיעָ֑ה אֵ֥לֶּה בְנֵֽי־שִׁמְעִ֖י אַרְבָּעָֽה׃

And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah; these were the sons of Shimei—4.

וַיְהִי־יַ֣חַת הָרֹ֔אשׁ וְזִיזָ֖ה הַשֵּׁנִ֑י וִיע֤וּשׁ וּבְרִיעָה֙ לֹא־הִרְבּ֣וּ בָנִ֔ים וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ לְבֵ֣ית אָ֔ב לִפְקֻדָּ֖ה אֶחָֽת׃ {ס}

Jahath was the chief and Zizah the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many children, so they were enrolled together as a single clan.

בְּנֵ֣י קְהָ֗ת עַמְרָ֥ם יִצְהָ֛ר חֶבְר֥וֹן וְעֻזִּיאֵ֖ל אַרְבָּעָֽה׃ {ס}

The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—4.

בְּנֵ֥י עַמְרָ֖ם אַהֲרֹ֣ן וּמֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּבָּדֵ֣ל אַהֲרֹ֡ן לְֽהַקְדִּישׁוֹ֩ קֹ֨דֶשׁ קׇדָשִׁ֤ים הֽוּא־וּבָנָיו֙ עַד־עוֹלָ֔ם לְהַקְטִיר֩ לִפְנֵ֨י יְהֹוָ֧ה לְשָׁרְת֛וֹ וּלְבָרֵ֥ךְ בִּשְׁמ֖וֹ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃

The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart, he and his sons, forever, to be consecrated as most holy, to make burnt offerings to G OD and render service and pronounce blessings in God’s name forever.

וּמֹשֶׁ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים בָּנָ֕יו יִקָּרְא֖וּ עַל־שֵׁ֥בֶט הַלֵּוִֽי׃ {ס}

As for Moses, the agent of God, his sons were named after the tribe of Levi.

בְּנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה גֵּרְשׁ֖וֹם וֶאֱלִיעֶֽזֶר׃

The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

בְּנֵ֥י גֵרְשׁ֖וֹם שְׁבוּאֵ֥ל הָרֹֽאשׁ׃

The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.

וַיִּהְי֥וּ בְנֵֽי־אֱלִיעֶ֖זֶר רְחַבְיָ֣ה הָרֹ֑אשׁ וְלֹא־הָיָ֤ה לֶאֱלִיעֶ֙זֶר֙ בָּנִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וּבְנֵ֥י רְחַבְיָ֖ה רָב֥וּ לְמָֽעְלָה׃ {ס}

And the sons of Eliezer were: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.

בְּנֵ֥י יִצְהָ֖ר שְׁלֹמִ֥ית הָרֹֽאשׁ׃

The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.

בְּנֵ֖י חֶבְר֑וֹן יְרִיָּ֤הוּ הָרֹאשׁ֙ אֲמַרְיָ֣ה הַשֵּׁנִ֔י יַֽחֲזִיאֵל֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י וִֽיקַמְעָ֖ם הָרְבִיעִֽי׃

The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

בְּנֵ֖י עֻזִּיאֵ֑ל מִיכָ֣ה הָרֹ֔אשׁ וְיִשִּׁיָּ֖ה הַשֵּׁנִֽי׃

The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second.

בְּנֵ֤י מְרָרִי֙ מַחְלִ֣י וּמוּשִׁ֔י בְּנֵ֥י מַחְלִ֖י אֶלְעָזָ֥ר וְקִֽישׁ׃

The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

וַיָּ֙מׇת֙ אֶלְעָזָ֔ר וְלֹא־הָ֥יוּ ל֛וֹ בָּנִ֖ים כִּ֣י אִם־בָּנ֑וֹת וַיִּשָּׂא֥וּם בְּנֵי־קִ֖ישׁ אֲחֵיהֶֽם׃

Eleazar died having no sons but only daughters; the sons of Kish, their kindred, married them.

בְּנֵ֣י מוּשִׁ֗י מַחְלִ֥י וְעֵ֛דֶר וִירֵמ֖וֹת שְׁלוֹשָֽׁה׃ {ס}

The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—3.

אֵ֣לֶּה בְנֵֽי־לֵוִי֩ לְבֵ֨ית אֲבוֹתֵיהֶ֜ם רָאשֵׁ֧י הָאָב֣וֹת לִפְקוּדֵיהֶ֗ם בְּמִסְפַּ֤ר שֵׁמוֹת֙ לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָ֔ם עֹשֵׂה֙ הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה לַעֲבֹדַ֖ת בֵּ֣ית יְהֹוָ֑ה מִבֶּ֛ן עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וָמָֽעְלָה׃

These are the sons of Levi by clans, with their clan chiefs as they were enrolled, with a list of their names by heads, who did the work of the service of the House of G OD from the age of twenty and upward.

כִּ֚י אָמַ֣ר דָּוִ֔יד הֵנִ֛יחַ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְעַמּ֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁכֹּ֥ן בִּירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם עַד־לְעוֹלָֽם׃

For David said, “The E TERNAL God of Israel has given rest to this people and will dwell in Jerusalem forever.

וְגַ֖ם לַלְוִיִּ֑ם אֵין־לָשֵׂ֧את אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ן וְאֶת־כׇּל־כֵּלָ֖יו לַעֲבֹדָתֽוֹ׃

Therefore the Levites need not carry the Tabernacle and all its various service vessels.”

כִּ֣י בְדִבְרֵ֤י דָוִיד֙ הָאַ֣חֲרוֹנִ֔ים הֵ֖מָּה מִסְפַּ֣ר בְּנֵֽי־לֵוִ֑י מִבֶּ֛ן עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וּלְמָֽעְלָה׃

Among the last acts of David was the counting of the Levites from the age of twenty and upward.

כִּ֣י מַעֲמָדָ֞ם לְיַד־בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֗ן לַֽעֲבֹדַת֙ בֵּ֣ית יְהֹוָ֔ה עַל־הַֽחֲצֵרוֹת֙ וְעַל־הַלְּשָׁכ֔וֹת וְעַֽל־טׇהֳרַ֖ת לְכׇל־קֹ֑דֶשׁ וּמַֽעֲשֵׂ֔ה עֲבֹדַ֖ת בֵּ֥ית הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃

For their appointment was alongside the Aaronites for the service of the House of G OD , to look after the courts and the chambers, and the purity of all the holy things, and the performance of the service of the House of God,

וּלְלֶ֨חֶם הַֽמַּעֲרֶ֜כֶת וּלְסֹ֤לֶת לְמִנְחָה֙ וְלִרְקִיקֵ֣י הַמַּצּ֔וֹת וְלַֽמַּחֲבַ֖ת וְלַמֻּרְבָּ֑כֶת וּלְכׇל־מְשׂוּרָ֖ה וּמִדָּֽה׃

and the rows of bread, and the fine flour for the grain offering, and the unleavened wafers, and the cakes made on the griddle and soaked, and every measure of capacity and length;

וְלַֽעֲמֹד֙ בַּבֹּ֣קֶר בַּבֹּ֔קֶר לְהֹד֥וֹת וּלְהַלֵּ֖ל לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה וְכֵ֖ן לָעָֽרֶב׃

and to be present every morning to praise and extol G OD , and at evening too,

וּלְכֹ֨ל הַעֲל֤וֹת עֹלוֹת֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה לַשַּׁ֨בָּת֔וֹת לֶחֳדָשִׁ֖ים וְלַמֹּעֲדִ֑ים בְּמִסְפָּ֨ר כְּמִשְׁפָּ֧ט עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם תָּמִ֖יד לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃

and whenever offerings were made to G OD , according to the quantities prescribed for them, on sabbaths, new moons and holidays, regularly, before G OD ;

וְשָׁמְר֞וּ אֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֗ד וְאֵת֙ מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וּמִשְׁמֶ֕רֶת בְּנֵ֥י אַהֲרֹ֖ן אֲחֵיהֶ֑ם לַעֲבֹדַ֖ת בֵּ֥ית יְהֹוָֽה׃ {פ}

and so to keep watch over the Tent of Meeting, over the holy things, and over the Aaronites their kindred, for the service of the House of G OD .