Divrey Hayamim Alef 23

Orthodox Jewish Bible

23 So when Dovid was old and full of days, he made Sh’lomo bno Melech Yisroel.

² And he gathered together all the sarim of Yisroel, with the Kohanim and the Levi’im.

³ Now the Levi’im were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward; and their number by their gulgelot (totals, head count), gevarim (men), was thirty and eight elef.

⁴ Of which, twenty and four elef were to look after the work of the Beis Hashem; and six alafim were shoterim (officials) and shofetim (judges);

⁵ Moreover four alafim were sho’arim (gatekeepers); and four alafim praised Hashem with the kelim (instruments) which I made, said Dovid, to praise therewith.

⁶ And Dovid divided them into divisions among the Bnei Levi, namely, Gershon, Kehat, and Merari.

⁷ Of the Gershoni were La’dan, and Shimei.

⁸ The Bnei La’dan; the rosh was Yechiel, and Zetam, and Yoel, three.

⁹ The Bnei Shimei; Shlomit, and Chaziel, and Haran, three. These were the rashei avot of La’dan.

¹⁰ And the Bnei Shimei were Yachat, Zina, and Yeush, and Beriah. These four were the Bnei Shimei.

¹¹ And Yachat was rosh, and Zizah the second; but Yeush and Beriah had not many banim; therefore they were in pekudah echad (one reckoning), according to their bais av.

¹² The Bnei Kehat; Amram, Yitzhar, Chevron, and Uzziel, four.

¹³ The Bnei Amram; Aharon and Moshe; Aharon was separated, to set him apart as Kodesh Kodashim, he and his banim ad olam, to burn offerings before Hashem, to minister unto Him, and to bless b’Shmo ad olam.

¹⁴ Now concerning Moshe the Ish HaElohim, his banim were reckoned of the Shevet Levi.

¹⁵ The Bnei Moshe were Gershom, and Eliezer.

¹⁶ Of the Bnei Gershom, Shevuel was the rosh.

¹⁷ And the Bnei Eliezer were Rechavyah the rosh. And Eliezer had no banim acharim; but the Bnei Rechavyah were very many.

¹⁸ Of the Bnei Yitzhar: Shlomit the rosh.

¹⁹ Of the Bnei Chevron: Yeriyahu the first, Amaryah the seond, Yachziel the third, and Yekam’am the fourth.

²⁰ Of the Bnei Uzziel: Michah the first and Yishiyah the second.

²¹ The Bnei Merari: Machli, and Mushi. The Bnei Machli; Eleazar, and Kish.

²² And Eleazar died, and had no banim, only banot, and their brethren the Bnei Kish took them as wives.

²³ The Bnei Mushi; Machli, and Eder, and Yeremot, three.

²⁴ These were the Bnei Levi after the bais avoteihem; even the rashei avot, as they were counted by number of shmot by their head count, that did the work for the avodas Beis Hashem, from the age of twenty shanah and upward.

²⁵ For Dovid said, Hashem Elohei Yisroel hath given rest unto His people, that they may dwell in Yerushalayim ad l’olam;

²⁶ And also unto the Levi’im; they shall no more carry the Mishkan, nor any kelim (vessels) of it for the avodah thereof.

²⁷ According to the last instructions of Dovid the Bnei Levi were numbered from those twenty shanah and above;

²⁸ Because their ma’amad (position) was to wait on the Bnei Aharon for the avodas Beis Hashem, in the khatzerot, and in the rooms, and in the tahorat (cleansing) of kol kodesh, and the work of the avodas Beis HaElohim;

²⁹ Both for the Lechem HaMa’arechet (showbread), and for the solet (flour) for minchah, and for the cakes of matzot, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is scalded, and for all manner of measure and size;

³⁰ And to stand baboker baboker to thank and praise Hashem, and likewise at erev (evening);

³¹ And to offer all olot (burnt offerings) unto Hashem on Shabbatot, at Rosh Chodesh, and at mo’adim, according to their number ordained for them, tamid before Hashem;

³² And that they should be shomer to keep the mishmeret (watch, guard responsibility) of the Ohel Mo’ed and the mishmeret of the Kodesh, and the mishmeret of the Bnei Aharon their brethren, in the avodas Beis Hashem.