1 When David was very old, he made his son Solomon king of Israel.
The Work of the Levites
2 King David brought together all the Israelite leaders and all the priests and Levites. 3 He took a census of all the male Levites aged thirty or older. The total was thirty-eight thousand. 4 The king assigned twenty-four thousand to administer the work of the Temple, six thousand to keep records and decide disputes, 5 four thousand to do guard duty, and four thousand to praise the Lord, using the musical instruments provided by the king for this purpose.
6 David divided the Levites into three groups, according to their clans: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7 Gershon had two sons: Ladan and Shimei. 8 Ladan had three sons: Jehiel, Zetham, and Joel, 9 who were the heads of the clans descended from Ladan. (Shimei had three sons: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran.) 10-11 Shimei had four sons: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah, in order of age. Jeush and Beriah did not have many descendants, so they were counted as one clan.
12 Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 13 His oldest son, Amram, was the father of Aaron and Moses. (Aaron and his descendants were set apart to be in charge of the sacred objects forever, to burn incense in the worship of the Lord, to serve him, and to bless the people in his name. 14 But the sons of Moses, the man of God, were included among the Levites.) 15 Moses had two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The leader among Gershom's sons was Shebuel. 17 Eliezer had only one son, Rehabiah, but Rehabiah had many descendants.
18 Kohath's second son, Izhar, had a son, Shelomith, the head of the clan. 19 Kohath's third son, Hebron, had four sons: Jeriah, Amariah, Jahaziel, and Jekameam. 20 Kohath's fourth son, Uzziel, had two sons, Micah and Isshiah.
21 Merari had two sons, Mahli and Mushi. Mahli also had two sons, Eleazar and Kish, 22 but Eleazar died without having any sons, only daughters. His daughters married their cousins, the sons of Kish. 23 Merari's second son, Mushi, had three sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.
24 These were the descendants of Levi, by clans and families, every one of them registered by name. Each of his descendants, twenty years of age or older, had a share in the work of the Lord's Temple.
25 David said, “The Lord God of Israel has given peace to his people, and he himself will live in Jerusalem forever. 26 So there is no longer any need for the Levites to carry the Tent of the Lord's presence and all the equipment used in worship.” 27 On the basis of David's final instructions all Levites were registered for service when they reached the age of twenty, 28 and were assigned the following duties: to help the priests descended from Aaron with the Temple worship, to take care of its courtyards and its rooms, and to keep undefiled everything that is sacred; 29 to be responsible for the bread offered to God, the flour used in offerings, the wafers made without yeast, the baked offerings, and the flour mixed with olive oil; to weigh and measure the Temple offerings; 30 and to praise and glorify the Lord every morning and every evening 31 and whenever offerings to the Lord are burned on the Sabbath, the New Moon Festival, and other festivals. Rules were made specifying the number of Levites assigned to do this work each time. The Levites were assigned the duty of worshiping the Lord for all time. 32 They were given the responsibility of taking care of the Tent of the Lord's presence and the Temple, and of assisting their relatives, the priests descended from Aaron, in the Temple worship.
Levītu pienākumi
1 Kad Dāvids bija vecs, dzīvojis gana dienu, viņš iecēla savu dēlu Sālamanu par ķēniņu Israēlam. 2 Viņš sapulcināja visus Israēla augstmaņus, priesterus un levītus. 3 Levīti, kam bija trīsdesmit un vairāk gadu, tika saskaitīti, un kopā to bija trīsdesmit astoņi tūkstoši. 4 No tiem Kunga nama darbu uzraugu bija divdesmit četri tūkstoši, ierēdņu un tiesnešu bija seši tūkstoši, 5 vārtu sargu bija četri tūkstoši un to, kas slavēja Kungu ar mūzikas instrumentiem, “kurus es darināju slavēšanai”, bija četri tūkstoši. 6 Dāvids viņus sadalīja vienībās pēc Levī dēliem Gēršona, Kehāta un Merārī.
7 No Gēršona: Ladāns un Šimī. 8 Ladāna dēli: Jehiēls bija galvenais, un Zētāms un Joēls, pavisam trīs. 9 Šimī dēli: Šelomots, Haziēls un Hārāns, pavisam trīs. Šie bija Ladāna tēvu nama galvenie. 10 Šimī dēli: Jahats, Zīna , Jeūšs un Berīa. Šie četri bija Šimī dēli. 11 Jahats bija galvenais, otrais bija Zīza. Jeūšam un Berīam nebija daudz dēlu, tādēļ tos skaitīja par vienu tēva namu.
12 Kehāta dēli: Amrāms, Jichārs, Hebrons un Uziēls, pavisam četri. 13 Amrāma dēli bija Ārons un Mozus. Ārons tika nošķirts, lai viņš un viņa dēli uz mūžiem tiktu iesvētīti svētumu svētumam – kvēpināt upuri Kungam, kalpot viņam un slavēt viņa vārdu mūžīgi. 14 Dieva vīra Mozus dēli tika pieskaitīti Levī ciltij. 15 Mozus dēli bija Gēršoms un Elīezers. 16 Gēršoma dēli: Šebuēls bija pirmais. 17 Elīezera dēls bija Rehabjāhu, pirmais. Elīezeram cita dēla nebija, bet Rehabjāhu bija daudz pēcnācēju. 18 Jichāra dēli: Šelomīts bija pirmais. 19 Hebrona dēli: pirmais bija Jerijāhu, otrais Amarja, trešais bija Jahaziēls un ceturtais Jekamāms. 20 Uziēla dēli: pirmais bija Miha un otrais Jišija.
21 Merārī dēli: Mahlī un Mūšī. Mahlī dēli: Elāzārs un Kīšs. 22 Elāzārs nomira, bet dēlu viņam nebija, tik meitas vien, un viņu brālēni, Kīša dēli, tās apprecēja. 23 Mūšī dēli: Mahlī, Ēders un Jeremots, pavisam trīs.
24 Šie ir Levī dēlu tēvu namu galvenie, atsevišķi tika pierakstīts tēvu namu skaits un to vārdi, kuri pārzināja Kunga nama kalpošanas darbus, kuriem bija divdesmit un vairāk gadu, 25 jo Dāvids sacīja: “Kungs, Israēla Dievs, ir devis mieru savai tautai, un viņš Jeruzālemē mitīs mūžīgi! 26 Nu vairs levītiem nav jānes ne Mājoklis, ne kalpošanas trauki.” 27 Pēc Dāvida pēdējiem norādījumiem, tika saskaitīti Levī dēli, kuriem bija divdesmit un vairāk gadu, 28 jo viņiem bija jāpalīdz Ārona dēlu kalpošanā Kunga namā: pagalmā, mantnīcās, visu svētlietu tīrīšanā, kalpošanas darbos Dieva namā, 29 kā arī jāgatavo upurmaizes, smalkie milti labības dāvanai, neraudzētie plāceņi, uz plāts ceptas un ar eļļu sajauktās maizes un viss, ko mēra un sver. 30 Ik rītu tiem bija jāpulcējas, lai pateiktos un slavētu Kungu, tāpat arī ik vakaru, 31 un vienmēr, kad Kungam tika upurēti sadedzināmie upuri sabatā, jaunajā mēnesī un svētku dienās, kā noteikts pēc viņu skaita, – vienmēr Kunga priekšā. 32 Viņi bija atbildīgi par Saiešanas telti, svētvietu, un tiem bija jāpalīdz saviem brāļiem, Ārona dēliem, kalpot Kunga namā.
