Levi’s Children

6 Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

² Kohath’s sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

³ Amram’s children were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.

Aaron’s sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar [Ex. 6:23; Lev. 10:1]. ⁴ Eleazar was the father of Phinehas [Num. 25:7, 11; 31:6; Ps. 106:30]. Phinehas was the father of Abishua. ⁵ Abishua was the father of Bukki. Bukki was the father of Uzzi. ⁶ Uzzi was the father of Zerahiah. Zerahiah was the father of Meraioth. ⁷ Meraioth was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. ⁸ Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Ahimaaz. ⁹ Ahimaaz was the father of Azariah. Azariah was the father of Johanan. ¹⁰ Johanan was the father of Azariah. (Azariah was a priest in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] Solomon built in Jerusalem.) ¹¹ Azariah was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. ¹² Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Shallum. ¹³ Shallum was the father of Hilkiah. Hilkiah was the father of Azariah. ¹⁴ Azariah was the father of Seraiah, and Seraiah was the father of Jehozadak.

¹⁵ Jehozadak ·was forced to leave his home [went into exile] when the Lord sent Judah and Jerusalem into ·captivity [exile] under Nebu-chadnezzar [2 Kin. 25:1–21; 2 Chr. 36:17–21].

¹⁶ Levi’s sons were ·Gershon [or Gershom; v. 1], Kohath, and Merari.

¹⁷ The names of ·Gershon’s [or Gershom’s] sons were Libni and Shimei.

¹⁸ Kohath’s sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

¹⁹ Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi.

This is a list of the ·family groups [clans] of Levi, ·listed by the name of the father of each group [^Lby their fathers].

²⁰ ·Gershon’s [or Gershom’s; v. 16] son was Libni. Libni’s son was Jehath. Jehath’s son was Zimmah. ²¹ Zimmah’s son was Joah. Joah’s son was Iddo. Iddo’s son was Zerah. And Zerah’s son was Jeatherai.

²² Kohath’s ·son [descendant; ^Cthe list differs from v. 18] was Amminadab. Amminadab’s son was Korah. Korah’s son was Assir. ²³ Assir’s son was Elkanah. Elkanah’s son was Ebiasaph. Ebiasaph’s son was Assir. ²⁴ Assir’s son was Tahath. Tahath’s son was Uriel. Uriel’s son was Uzziah, and Uzziah’s son was Shaul.

²⁵ Elkanah’s sons were Amasai and Ahimoth. ²⁶ Ahimoth’s son was Elkanah. Elkanah’s son was Zophai. Zophai’s son was Nahath. ²⁷ Nahath’s son was Eliab. Eliab’s son was Jeroham. Jeroham’s son was Elkanah, and Elkanah’s son was Samuel.

²⁸ Samuel’s sons were Joel, the ·first son [firstborn], and Abijah, the second son [1 Sam. 8:1–3].

²⁹ Merari’s son was Mahli. Mahli’s son was Libni. Libni’s son was Shimei. Shimei’s son was Uzzah. ³⁰ Uzzah’s son was Shimea. Shimea’s son was Haggiah, and Haggiah’s son was Asaiah.

The Temple Musicians

³¹ David ·chose [appointed; assigned] some people to be in charge of the music in the house of the Lord. They began their work after the ·Ark of the Agreement [^LArk] was put there. ³² They ·served by making music [ministered with song] at the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle] (also called the Meeting Tent), and they served until Solomon built the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord in Jerusalem. They ·followed the rules for their work [served according to the regulations].

³³ These are ·the musicians [^Lthose who served] and their sons:

From ·Kohath’s family [^Lthe sons of the Kohathites] there was Heman the ·singer [musician]. Heman was Joel’s son. Joel was Samuel’s son. ³⁴ Samuel was Elkanah’s son. Elkanah was Jeroham’s son. Jeroham was Eliel’s son. Eliel was Toah’s son. ³⁵ Toah was Zuph’s son. Zuph was Elkanah’s son. Elkanah was Mahath’s son. Mahath was Amasai’s son. ³⁶ Amasai was Elkanah’s son. Elkanah was Joel’s son. Joel was Azariah’s son. Azariah was Zephaniah’s son. ³⁷ Zephaniah was Tahath’s son. Tahath was Assir’s son. Assir was Ebiasaph’s son. Ebiasaph was Korah’s son. ³⁸ Korah was Izhar’s son. Izhar was Kohath’s son. Kohath was Levi’s son. Levi was Israel’s son.

³⁹ There was Heman’s ·helper [assistant; or kinsman; ^Lbrother] Asaph, whose group stood by Heman’s right side. Asaph was Berekiah’s son. Berekiah was Shimea’s son. ⁴⁰ Shimea was Michael’s son. Michael was ·Baaseiah’s^[a] son. Baaseiah was Malkijah’s son. ⁴¹ Malkijah was Ethni’s son. Ethni was Zerah’s son. Zerah was Adaiah’s son. ⁴² Adaiah was Ethan’s son. Ethan was Zimmah’s son. Zimmah was Shimei’s son. ⁴³ Shimei was Jahath’s son. Jahath was ·Gershon’s [Gershom’s; v. 16] son, and Gershon was Levi’s son.

⁴⁴ Merari’s ·family [clan] were the ·helpers [assistants; or kinsmen; ^Lbrothers;] of Heman and Asaph, and they stood by Heman’s left side. In this group was Ethan son of Kishi. Kishi was Abdi’s son. Abdi was Malluch’s son. ⁴⁵ Malluch was Hashabiah’s son. Hashabiah was Amaziah’s son. Amaziah was Hilkiah’s son. ⁴⁶ Hilkiah was Amzi’s son. Amzi was Bani’s son. Bani was Shemer’s son. ⁴⁷ Shemer was Mahli’s son. Mahli was Mushi’s son. Mushi was Merari’s son, and Merari was Levi’s son.

⁴⁸ ·The other [^LTheir brothers/kinsmen the] Levites ·served by doing their own special work [were appointed/assigned to other tasks/duties/service] in the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle], the house of God. ⁴⁹ Aaron and his descendants offered the sacrifices on the altar of burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] and burned the incense on the altar of incense [Ex. 30:1–6]. They offered the sacrifices that ·removed [made atonement for] the Israelites’ sins. They did all the work in the Most Holy Place ·and followed all the laws [according to all] that Moses, God’s servant, had commanded.

⁵⁰ These were Aaron’s sons: Eleazar was Aaron’s son. Phinehas was Eleazar’s son. Abishua was Phinehas’ son. ⁵¹ Bukki was Abishua’s son. Uzzi was Bukki’s son. Zerahiah was Uzzi’s son. ⁵² Meraioth was Zerahiah’s son. Amariah was Meraioth’s son. Ahitub was Amariah’s son. ⁵³ Zadok was Ahitub’s son, and Ahimaaz was Zadok’s son.

Land for the Levites

⁵⁴ These are the ·places [settlements; areas] where Aaron’s descendants lived. His descendants from the Kohath ·family group [clan] received the first ·share of the land [or territory by means of sacred lots].

⁵⁵ They were given the city of Hebron in Judah and the pastures around it, ⁵⁶ but the fields farther from the city and the villages near Hebron were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. ⁵⁷ So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron, one of the cities of ·safety [refuge]. They also received the towns and pastures of Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, ⁵⁸ ·Hilen [or Hilez; Josh. 21:15], Debir, ⁵⁹ ·Ashan [or Ain; Josh. 21:16], Juttah, and Beth Shemesh. ⁶⁰ They also received these towns and pastures from the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth.

The Kohath ·family groups [clans; ^CAaron’s descendants] received a total of thirteen towns.

⁶¹ The rest of the ·Kohath family group [^Lsons of Kohath] was given ten towns from the ·family groups of West [^Lthe half-tribe of] Manasseh. The towns were chosen by ·throwing [sacred] lots.

⁶² The Gershon ·family group [clan] received thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the part of Manasseh living in Bashan.

⁶³ The ·Merari family group [^Lsons/descendants of Merari] received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. Those towns were chosen by ·throwing [sacred] lots.

⁶⁴ So the Israelites gave these towns and their pastures to the Levites. ⁶⁵ The towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, ·which were named [previously mentioned], were chosen by ·throwing [sacred] lots.

⁶⁶ Some of the Kohath ·family groups [clans] received ·towns and pastures [territory] from the tribe of Ephraim. ⁶⁷ They received Shechem, one of the cities of ·safety [refuge; ^Csomeone who accidentally killed another person could receive protection from those seeking revenge; Num. 35:9–34; Josh. 20:1–9], with its pastures in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. They also received the towns and pastures of Gezer, ⁶⁸ Jokmeam, Beth Horon, ⁶⁹ Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon.

⁷⁰ The rest of the people in the Kohath ·family group [clan] received the towns of Aner and Bileam and their pastures from ·West [^Lthe half-tribe of] Manasseh.

⁷¹ From ·East [^Lthe half-tribe of] Manasseh, the ·Gershon [or Gershom; v. 16] ·family [clan] received the towns and pastures of Golan in Bashan and Ashtaroth.

From the tribe of Issachar, the ·Gershon [or Gershom] family received the towns and pastures of Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth, and Anem.

From the tribe of Asher, the ·Gershon [or Gershom] ·family [clan] received the towns and pastures of Mashal, Abdon, Hukok, and Rehob.

⁷⁶ From the tribe of Naphtali, the ·Gershon [or Gershom] ·family [clan] received the towns and pastures of Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim.

⁷⁷ The rest of the Levites, the people from the Merari ·family [clan], received from the tribe of Zebulun the towns and pastures of Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmono, and Tabor.

From the tribe of Reuben, the Merari ·family [clan] received the towns and pastures of Bezer in the desert, Jahzah, Kedemoth, and Mephaath. (The tribe of Reuben lived east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho.)

From the tribe of Gad, ·the Merari family [they] received the towns and pastures of Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer.