David Assigns the Levites Their Duties
1 David was old when he chose his son Solomon to be king of Israel. 2 Some time later, David called together all of Israel's leaders, priests, and Levites. 3 He then counted the Levite men who were at least 30 years old, and the total was 38,000. 4 He said, “Twenty-four thousand of the Levites will be in charge of the temple, 6,000 will be temple officials and judges, 5 4,000 will be guards at the temple, and 4,000 will praise the Lord by playing the musical instruments I have given them.”
6 David then divided the Levites into three groups according to the clans of Levi's sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7 Gershon had two sons: Ladan and Shimei. 8 Ladan was the father of Jehiel, Zetham, and Joel. 9 They were all family leaders among their father's descendants. Shimei was the father of Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. 10-11 Later, Shimei had four more sons, in the following order: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah. But Jeush and Beriah didn't have many children, so their descendants were counted as one family.
12 Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 13 Amram was the father of Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were chosen to be in charge of all the sacred things. They served the Lord by offering sacrifices to him and by blessing the people in his name. 14-15 Moses, the man of God, was the father of Gershom and Eliezer, and their descendants were considered Levites. 16 Gershom's oldest son was Shebuel. 17 Rehabiah, who was Eliezer's only son, had many children. 18 The second son born to Kohath was Izhar, and his oldest son was Shelomith. 19 Hebron, the third son of Kohath, was the father of Jeriah, Amariah, Jahaziel, and Jekameam. 20 Kohath's youngest son, Uzziel, was the father of Micah and Isshiah.
21 Merari had two sons: Mahli and Mushi. Mahli was the father of Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar had no sons, only daughters, and they married their uncle's sons. 23 Mushi the second son of Merari, was the father of Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.
24 These were the clans and families of the tribe of Levi. Those who were 20 years and older were assigned to work at the Lord's temple.
25 David said:
The Lord God of Israel has given his people peace, and he will live in Jerusalem forever. 26 And so, the Levites won't need to move the sacred tent and the things used for worship from place to place. 27 From now on, all Levites at least 20 years old 28 will serve the Lord by helping Aaron's descendants do their work at the temple, by keeping the courtyards and rooms of the temple clean, and by making sure that everything used in worship stays pure. 29 They will also be in charge of the sacred loaves of bread, the flour for the grain sacrifices, the thin wafers, any offerings to be baked, and the flour mixed with olive oil. These Levites will weigh and measure these offerings.
30 Every morning and evening, the Levites are to give thanks to the Lord and sing praises to him. 31 They must also give thanks and sing praises when sacrifices are offered on each Sabbath, as well as during New Moon Festivals and other religious feasts. There must always be enough Levites on duty at the temple to do everything that needs to be done. 32 They were once in charge of taking care of the sacred tent; now they are responsible for the temple and for helping Aaron's descendants.
وظائف اللاويـين ومراتبهم
1 ولمَّا شاخَ داوُدُ وشَبِـعَ مِنَ الأيّامِ أقامَ سُليمانَ ابنَهُ مَلِكا على بَني إِسرائيلَ. 2 وجمَعَ كُلَّ رؤساءِ إِسرائيلَ وكُلَّ الكهَنةِ واللاَّويِّينَ، 3 فأحصى اللاَّويِّينَ مِنِ ابنِ ثَلاثينَ سنَةً فما فَوقُ، فكانَ عدَدُهُم ثمانيةً وثَلاثينَ ألفَ رجُلٍ. 4 فعَيَّنَ مِنهُم أربَعةً وعشرينَ ألفا مُراقبـينَ على بِناءِ هَيكلِ الرّبِّ، وسِتَّةَ آلافِ مُوَظَّفٍ وقاضٍ، 5 وأربَعةَ آلافِ بَوَّابٍ، وأربَعةَ آلافِ مُنشِدٍ للرّبِّ على آلاتِ التَّسبـيحِ. 6 وقَسَّمَهُم داوُدُ فِرَقا بِـحسَبِ عشائِرِ بَني لاويِّ الثَّلاثِ: جَرشونَ وقَهاتَ ومَراري.
7 وكانَ لِجَرشونَ ابنانِ: لَعْدانُ وشَمْعي، 8 ولِلَعْدانَ ثَلاثةُ بَنينَ: أوَّلُهُم يَحيئيلُ ثُمَّ زيثامُ ويوئيلُ، 9 ولِشَمْعي ثَلاثةُ بَنينَ: شَلوميثُ وحَزيئيلُ وهارانُ. هؤلاءِ رؤساءُ البـيوتِ والمُنتَسِبةِ للَعْدانَ. 10 وبَنو شَمْعي أربَعةٌ: يَحَثُ وزينا ويَعوشُ وبَريعةُ. 11 وكانَ يَحَثُ أوَّلَهُم ثُمَّ زيزا، وأمَّا يَعوشُ وبَريعَةُ فما كانَ لهُما بَنونَ كثيرونَ فَحُسِبوا بَيتا واحدا.
12 وبَنو قَهاتَ أربَعةٌ: عَمرامُ ويَصهارُ وحبرونُ وعُزِّيئيلُ. 13 وعَمرامُ ولَدَ هرونَ وموسى. وتكَرَّسَ هرونُ للخِدمةِ في قُدْسِ الأقداسِ هوَ وبَنوهُ إلى الأبدِ: لِـيُوقِدَ البَخورَ أمامَ الرّبِّ ويَخدِمَهُ ويـبارِكَ الشَّعبَ باسمِهِ. 14 أمَّا موسى رَجُلُ اللهِ، فعُدَّ بَنوهُ في سِبْطِ لاويِّ. 15 وابنا موسى: جَرشومُ وأليعَزَرُ. 16 ولِجَرشومَ بَنونَ أوَّلُهُم شَبوئيلُ. 17 ولأليعَزَرَ ابنٌ واحدٌ: رَحَبْيا، وأمَّا بَنو رَحَبْيا فكانوا كثيرينَ جِدًّا. 18 وابنُ يَصهارَ: شَلوميثُ وهوَ رئيسُ بَيتِ أبـيهِ. 19 وبَنو حبرونَ أربَعةٌ: يَرِيَّا أوَّلُهُم ثُمَّ أمُرْيا ويَحْزيئيلُ ويَقمَعامُ. 20 وابنا عُزِّيئيلَ: ميخا أوَّلُهُما ثُمَّ يَشيَّا. 21 وابنا مَراري: مَحْلي ومُوشى. وابنا مَحْلي: ألعازارُ وقَيشُ. 22 وماتَ ألعازارُ ولم يكُنْ لَه بَنونَ بل بَناتٌ، فَتَزَوَّجهنَّ بَنو قَيشَ عَمِّهِنَّ. 23 وبَنو موشى ثَلاثةٌ: مَحْلي وعادَرُ ويَريموثُ. 24 هؤلاءِ بَنو لاوي بِـحسَبِ بـيوتِ آبائِهِم وعَشائِرِهِم كما أُحصُوا بأسمائِهِم واحدا واحدا. وتوَلَّى العمَلَ لِخِدمةِ هَيكلِ الرّبِّ كُلُّ مَنْ جاوزَ مِنهُمُ العشرينَ مِنَ العُمرِ، 25 لأنَّ داوُدَ قالَ: «أراحَ الرّبُّ إلهُ إِسرائيلَ شعبَهُ، وهوَ يَسكُنُ في أورُشليمَ إلى الأبدِ. 26 فلن يَحمِلَ اللاَّويُّونَ مِنْ بَعدُ مَسكِنَهُ ولا أيَّ شيءٍ يُستَعمَلُ لِخِدمَتِهِ». 27 لِهذا: أُحصيَ بَنو لاويّ مِنِ ابنِ عشرينَ فما فَوقُ، 28 فكانوا تَحتَ تَصَرُّفِ بَني هرونَ لِخِدمةِ هَيكلِ الرّبِّ، ولِلعنايةِ بالدُّورِ والغُرَفِ وتَطهيرِ كُلِّ شيءٍ مُقدَّسٍ لِلعبادةِ، 29 وللمُساعَدةِ في تأمينِ الخُبزِ وسميذِ التَّقدِمةِ ورِقاقِ الفطيرِ وما يُخبَزُ على الصَّاجِ ويُعجَنُ بالزَّيتِ. وكذلِكَ في كُلِّ كَيلٍ وقياسٍ، 30 ولِلحُضورِ كُلَّ صباحٍ ومساءٍ لِحَمدِ الرّبِّ وتَسبـيحِهِ، 31 ولِتَقديمِ مُحرَقاتِ الرّبِّ في أيّامِ السَّبتِ ورُؤوسِ الشُّهورِ والأعيادِ، بِـحسَبِ العدَدِ المَفروضِ علَيهِم دائما أمامَ الرّبِّ، 32 ولِلقيامِ بِـحِراسةِ خَيمةِ الاجتماعِ وآنيةِ اللهِ المُقَدَّسةِ، وحِراسةِ بَني هرونَ أنسِبائِهِم في خِدمةِ هَيكلِ الرّبِّ.
