the priests
1 Chronicles 23:1-26
1
So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
2
And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.
3
Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.
4
Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges:
5
Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.
6
And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7
Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei.
8
The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.
9
The sons of Shimei; Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan.
10
And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.
11
And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father's house.
12
The sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
13
The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever.
14
Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.
15
The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer.
16
Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.
17
And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
18
Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief.
19
Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
20
Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah the first, and Jesiah the second.
21
The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish.
22
And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and their brethren the sons of Kish took them.
23
The sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
24
These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.
25
For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever:
26
And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.
2 Chronicles 35:4
And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.
2 Chronicles 35:5
And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites.
as it is written
Numbers 3:6
Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.
Numbers 8:9-26
9
And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:
10
And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:
11
And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD.
12
And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites.
13
And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD.
14
Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.
15
And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.
16
For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.
17
For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
18
And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
19
And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.
20
And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.
21
And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.
22
And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.
23
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
24
This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:
25
And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:
26
But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.