1 Chronicles 23 - Simple English

1So when David was old and had lived a full life, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

2He gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

3The Levites who were thirty years old and older were counted. Counting them head by head, man by man, there were thirty-eight thousand.

4Of these, twenty-four thousand were to lead the work of the house of the LORD, and six thousand were officers and judges.

5Four thousand more were gatekeepers, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments "which I made," said David, "for praising him."

6David divided them into groups among the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7Of the Gershonites there were Laadan and Shimei.

8The sons of Laadan: Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel: three.

9The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran: three. These were the heads of the families of Laadan.

10The sons of Shimei were Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

11Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second. But Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were counted as one family.

12The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel: four.

13The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to make the most holy things holy, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to serve him, and to bless in his name for ever.

14As for Moses the man of God, his sons were counted as part of the tribe of Levi.

15The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.

16Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.

17The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

18Of the sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.

19Of the sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

20Of the sons of Uzziel: Michah the first, and Jesiah the second.

21The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

22Eleazar died, and he had no sons, only daughters. Their relatives, the sons of Kish, married them.

23The sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth: three.

24These were the sons of Levi, listed by their families. They were the heads of the families, counted by name, one by one. They did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from twenty years old and older.

25For David said, "The LORD God of Israel has given rest to his people, so that they may live in Jerusalem for ever."

26"And the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle, or any of the vessels used for its service."

27By the last words of David, the Levites were counted from twenty years old and older.

28Their work was to help the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the LORD: in the courts, and in the rooms, and in the cleansing of all the holy things, and in the work of the service of the house of God.

29They cared for the bread that is set out, and the fine flour for the food offering, and the flat cakes made without yeast, and what is baked in the pan, and what is fried, and every kind of measure and size.

30They were to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and to do the same in the evening.

31They were to offer all the burnt sacrifices to the LORD on the sabbaths, at the new moons, and at the appointed feasts, in the right number, as they had been commanded, continually before the LORD.

32They were to take care of the tabernacle of the congregation, and of the holy place, and to help the sons of Aaron their brothers in the service of the house of the LORD.