1 Chronicles 14:11–24:5

11 And he went up to Baal-perazim, and David struck them down there. And David said, God has broken through1 my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood. Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. 12 And they left their gods there, and David gave command, and they were burned.

13 And the Philistines yet again amade a raid in the valley. 14 And when David again inquired of God, bGod said to him, You shall not go up after them; go around and come against them opposite the balsam trees. 15 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines. 16 And David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. 17 And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the cfear of him upon all nations.

David2 built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared a place for the ark of God and dpitched a tent for it. Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry ethe ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever. fAnd David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord gto its place, which he had prepared for it. And David gathered together the sons of Aaron and hthe Levites: of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, with 120 of his brothers; of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, with 220 of his brothers; of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, with 130 of his brothers; of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, with 200 of his brothers; of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, with 80 of his brothers; 10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, with 112 of his brothers. 11 Then David summoned the priests iZadok and jAbiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, 12 and said to them, You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites. kConsecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, lto the place that I have prepared for it. 13 mBecause you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule. 14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders nwith the poles, oas Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.

16 David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on pmusical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. 17 So the Levites appointed qHeman the son of Joel; and of his brothers rAsaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari, their brothers, sEthan the son of Kushaiah; 18 and with them their brothers of the second order, Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. 19 The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals; 20 Zechariah, tAziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to uAlamoth; 21 but Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, vObed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres according to wthe Sheminith. 22 Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, should direct the music, for he understood it. 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, should xblow the trumpets before the ark of God. vObed-edom and Jehiah were to be gatekeepers for the ark.

25 ySo David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of vObed-edom with rejoicing. 26 And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they sacrificed zseven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers. And David wore a linen ephod. 28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, to the sound of the horn, atrumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on bharps and lyres.

29 And as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart.

And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside cthe tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord and distributed to all Israel, both men and women, to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat,3 and a cake of raisins.

Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. dAsaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals, and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. Then on that day eDavid first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers.

fOh give thanks to the Lord; gcall upon his name;

hmake known his deeds among the peoples!

Sing to him, sing praises to him;

tell of all his wondrous works!

10  Glory in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

11  iSeek the Lord and his strength;

seek his presence continually!

12  jRemember the wondrous works that he has done,

khis miracles and the judgments he uttered,

13  O offspring of Israel his servant,

children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

14  He is the Lord our God;

lhis judgments are in all the earth.

15  Remember his covenant forever,

the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,

16  the covenant mthat he made with Abraham,

his sworn promise to Isaac,

17  which nhe confirmed to Jacob as a statute,

to Israel as an everlasting covenant,

18  saying, oTo you I will give the land of Canaan,

as your portion for an inheritance.

19  When you were pfew in number,

of little account, and qsojourners in it,

20  wandering from nation to nation,

from one kingdom to another people,

21  he allowed no one to oppress them;

he rrebuked kings on their account,

22  saying, Touch not my anointed ones,

do my sprophets no harm!

23  tSing to the Lord, all the earth!

Tell of his salvation from day to day.

24  Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous works among all the peoples!

25  For ugreat is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,

and he is to be feared vabove all gods.

26  For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,

wbut the Lord made the heavens.

27  Splendor and majesty are before him;

strength and joy are in his place.

28  Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

xascribe to the Lord glory and strength!

29  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

bring an offering and come before him!

yWorship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;4

30  tremble before him, all the earth;

yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.

31  zLet the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,

and let them say among the nations, aThe Lord reigns!

32  bLet the sea roar, and all that fills it;

let the field exult, and everything in it!

33  Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy

before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.

34  Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

35 cSay also:

Save us, O God of our salvation,

and gather and deliver us from among the nations,

that we may give thanks to your holy name

and glory in your praise.

36  dBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting!

eThen all the people said, Amen! and praised the Lord.

37 So David left Asaph and his brothers there fbefore the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister regularly before the ark gas each day required, 38 and also hObed-edom and his5 sixty-eight brothers, while hObed-edom, the son of Jeduthun, and iHosah were to be gatekeepers. 39 And he left jZadok the priest and his brothers the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord kin the high place that was at Gibeon 40 to offer burnt offerings to the Lord lon the altar of burnt offering mregularly morning and evening, to do all that is written in the Law of the Lord that he commanded Israel. 41 With them were nHeman and Jeduthun oand the rest of those chosen and pexpressly named to give thanks to the Lord, qfor his steadfast love endures forever. 42 Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments rfor sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were appointed to the gate.

43 sThen all the people departed each to his house, and David went home to bless his household.

tNow when David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent. And Nathan said to David, Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.

But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, Go and tell my servant David, Thus says the Lord: uIt is not you who will build me a house to dwell in. For I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up Israel to this day, vbut I have gone from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling. In all places where I have moved with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, Why have you not built me a house of cedar? Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, 10 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I wwill subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house. 11 When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 xI will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, yas I took it from him who was before you, 14 but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever. 15 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

16 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 17 And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations,6 O Lord God! 18 And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. 19 zFor your servant’s sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. 20 There is none like you, O Lord, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21 And who is like your people Israel, the one7 nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and awesome things, in driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt? 22 And you made your people Israel to be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God. 23 And now, O Lord, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as you have spoken, 24 and your name will be established and magnified forever, saying, The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God, and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 25 For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. 26 And now, O Lord, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 27 Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you, for it is you, O Lord, who have blessed, and it is blessed forever.

aAfter this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines.

And he defeated Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.

David also defeated bHadadezer king of cZobah-Hamath, as he went to set up his monument8 at the river Euphrates. And David took from him 1,000 chariots, d7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough for 100 chariots. And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king eof Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. Then David put garrisons9 in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the Lord gave victory to David10 wherever he went. And David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. And from fTibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a large amount of bronze. gWith it Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the vessels of bronze.

When hTou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, king eof Zobah, 10 he sent his son iHadoram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against bHadadezer and defeated him; for bHadadezer had often been at war with Tou. And he sent all sorts of articles of gold, of silver, and of bronze. 11 These also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he had carried off from all the nations, from jEdom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek.

12 And kAbishai, the son of Zeruiah, killed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13 Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

14 So David reigned over all Israel, and he administered justice and equity to all his people. 15 And lJoab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 16 mand Zadok the son of Ahitub and nAhimelech the son of Abiathar were priests; and oShavsha was secretary; 17 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were the pchief officials in the service of the king.

qNow after this Nahash the king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his place. And David said, I will deal kindly with Hanun the son of Nahash, for his father dealt kindly with me. So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites to Hanun to console him. But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Have not his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land? So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away; and they departed. When David was told concerning the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.

When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents11 of silver to hire chariots and horsemen rfrom Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah, and from sZobah. They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army, who came and encamped before tMedeba. And the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and came to battle. When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men. And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.

10 When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. 11 The rest of his men he put in the charge of uAbishai his brother, and they were arrayed against the Ammonites. 12 And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13 Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him. 14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Syrians for battle, and they fled before him. 15 And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before uAbishai, Joab’s brother, and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

16 But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates,12 with vShophach the commander of the army of wHadadezer at their head. 17 And when it was told to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to them and drew up his forces against them. And when David set the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of x7,000 chariots and 40,000 xfoot soldiers, and put to death also vShophach the commander of their army. 19 And when the servants of wHadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Syrians were not willing to save the Ammonites anymore.

yIn the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army and ravaged the country of the Ammonites and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And zJoab struck down Rabbah and overthrew it. aAnd David took the crown of their king from his head. He found that it weighed a talent13 of gold, and in it was a precious stone. And it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount. And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor14 bwith saws and iron picks and axes.15 And thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

cAnd after this there arose war with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, who was one of the descendants of the giants, and the Philistines were subdued. And there was again war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of dJair struck down Lahmi dthe brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of eShimea, David’s brother, struck him down. These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

fThen gSatan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, Go, number Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me a report, that I may know their number. But Joab said, May the Lord add to his people a hundred times as many as they are! Are they not, my lord the king, all of them my lord’s servants? Why then should my lord require this? Why should it be a cause of guilt for Israel? But the king’s word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came back to Jerusalem. And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to David. In all Israel there were h1,100,000 men who drew the sword, and in Judah h470,000 who drew the sword. iBut he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab.

But God was displeased with this thing, and he struck Israel. And David said to God, I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please jtake away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly. And the Lord spoke to Gad, David’s kseer, saying, 10 Go and say to David, Thus says the Lord, Three things I offer you; choose one of them, that I may do it to you. 11 So Gad came to David and said to him, Thus says the Lord, Choose what you will: 12 either lthree years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord, pestilence on the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel. Now decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me. 13 Then David said to Gad, I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.

14 So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel, and 70,000 men of Israel fell. 15 And God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw, and he mrelented from the calamity. And he said to the angel who was working destruction, It is enough; now stay your hand. And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 16 And David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, and in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, nclothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. 17 And David said to God, Was it not I who gave command to number the people? It is I who have sinned and done great evil. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O Lord my God, be against me and against my father’s house. But do not let the plague be on your people.

18 Now othe angel of the Lord had commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and raise an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 So David went up at Gad’s word, which he had spoken in the name of the Lord. 20 Now Ornan was threshing wheat. He turned and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. 21 As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went out from the threshing floor and paid homage to David with his face to the ground. 22 And David said to Ornan, Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the Lordgive it to me at its full pricethat the plague may be averted from the people. 23 Then Ornan said to David, Take it, and let my lord the king do what seems good to him. See, I give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for the wood and the wheat for a grain offering; I give it all. 24 But King David said to Ornan, No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing. 25 So David paid Ornan p600 shekels16 of gold by weight for the site. 26 And David built there an altar to the Lord and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings and called on the Lord, and the Lord17 qanswered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering. 27 Then the Lord commanded the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.

28 At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. 29 For the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering rwere at that time in the high place at Gibeon, 30 but David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.

Then David said, sHere shall be the house of the Lord God and here the altar of burnt offering for Israel.

David commanded to gather together the tresident aliens who were in the land of Israel, and he uset stonecutters to prepare dressed stones for building the house of God. David also provided great quantities of iron for nails for the doors of the gates and for clamps, vas well as bronze in quantities beyond weighing, and cedar timbers without number, wfor the Sidonians and Tyrians brought great quantities of cedar to David. For David said, xSolomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it. So David provided materials in great quantity before his death.

Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. David said to Solomon, My son, yI had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, zYou have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth. Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. aI will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. bFor his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10 cHe shall build a house for my name. dHe shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.

11 Now, my son, ethe Lord be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as he has spoken concerning you. 12 fOnly, may the Lord grant you discretion and understanding, that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the Lord your God. 13 gThen you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. hBe strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed. 14 With great pains I have provided for the house of the Lord i100,000 talents18 of gold, a million talents of silver, and jbronze and iron beyond weighing, for there is so much of it; timber and stone, too, I have provided. To these you must add. 15 You have an abundance of workmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skilled in working 16 gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Arise and work! kThe Lord be with you!

17 David also commanded lall the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, 18 Is not the Lord your God with you? And mhas he not given you peace19 on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and his people. 19 Now nset your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, oso that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built pfor the name of the Lord.

qWhen David was old and full of days, rhe made Solomon his son king over Israel.

David20 assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. The Levites, sthirty years old and upward, were numbered, and tthe total was u38,000 men. Twenty-four thousand of these, David said,21 vshall have charge of the work in the house of the Lord, 6,000 shall be wofficers and judges, 4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the Lord with the instruments xthat I have made for praise. yAnd David organized them in divisions zcorresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

aThe sons of Gershon22 were Ladan and Shimei. The sons of Ladan: bJehiel 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. 10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 11 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.

12 cThe sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. 13 dThe sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. eAaron was set apart to dedicate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever should fmake offerings before the Lord and gminister to him and hpronounce blessings in his name forever. 14 But the sons of Moses the iman of God were named among the jtribe of Levi. 15 The ksons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The sons of Gershom: lShebuel the chief. 17 The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. 19 The msons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20 nThe sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second.

21 oThe sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and pKish. 22 Eleazar died qhaving no sons, but only daughters; their rkinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them. 23 sThe sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

24 tThese were the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses, the heads of fathers’ houses uas they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from vtwenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord. 25 For David said, The Lord, the God of Israel, whas given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26 And so the Levites no longer need xto carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service. 27 For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from vtwenty years old and upward. 28 For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God. 29 Their duty was also to assist with the yshowbread, the zflour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the abaked offering, the boffering mixed with oil, and all cmeasures of quantity or size. 30 And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening, 31 and whenever burnt offerings were offered to the Lord don Sabbaths, enew moons, and feast days, faccording to the number required of them, regularly before the Lord. 32 Thus gthey were to keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and to attend the sons of Aaron, their brothers, for the hservice of the house of the Lord.

The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of iAaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. jBut Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar became the priests. With the help of kZadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, David organized them according to the appointed duties in their service. Since more chief men were found among the sons of Eleazar than among the sons of Ithamar, they organized them under sixteen heads of fathers’ houses of the sons of Eleazar, and eight of the sons of Ithamar. They divided them lby lot, all alike, for there were sacred officers and officers of God among both the sons of Eleazar and the sons of Ithamar.

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