The Family Line of Levi
1David had become very old. So he made his son Solomon king over Israel.
2He gathered together all the leaders of Israel. He also gathered the priests and the Levites together. 3The Levites who were 30 years old or more were counted. The total number of men was 38,000. 4David said, “From them, 24,000 will be in charge of the work of the Lord’s temple. And 6,000 will be officials and judges. 5Another 4,000 will guard the gates. And 4,000 will praise the Lord with the instruments of music I’ve provided for that purpose.”
6David separated the Levites into groups. He did it according to the sons of Levi. The sons were Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
The Family of Gershon
7Ladan and Shimei belonged to the family of Gershon.
8The sons of Ladan were
Jehiel, Zetham and Joel. Jehiel was the oldest son. The total number of sons was three.
9The sons of Shimei were
Shelomoth, Haziel and Haran. The total number of sons was three.
They were the leaders of the families of Ladan.
10The sons of Shimei were
Jahath, Ziza, Jeush and Beriah. The total number of the sons of Shimei was four.
11Jahath was the first son. Ziza was the second son. But Jeush and Beriah didn’t have many sons. So they were counted as one family. They had only one task.
The Family of Kohath
12The sons of Kohath were
Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. The total number of sons was four.
13The sons of Amram were
Aaron and Moses.
Aaron and his family line were set apart forever as the Lord’s priests. They had the duty of setting the most holy things apart to the Lord. They offered sacrifices to the Lord. They served him. They gave blessings in his name forever. 14The sons of Moses, the man of God, were counted as part of the tribe of Levi.
15The sons of Moses were
Gershom and Eliezer.
16Shubael was the oldest son in the family line of Gershom.
17Rehabiah was the oldest son in the family line of Eliezer.
Eliezer didn’t have any other sons. But Rehabiah had a great many sons.
18Shelomith was the oldest son of Izhar.
19Jeriah was the first son of Hebron.
Amariah was his second son. Jahaziel was the third. Jekameam was the fourth.
20Micah was the first son of Uzziel. Ishiah was his second son.
The Family of Merari
21The sons of Merari were
Mahli and Mushi.
The sons of Mahli were
Eleazar and Kish.
22Eleazar died without having any sons. All he had was daughters. They married their cousins. The cousins were the sons of Kish.
23The sons of Mushi were
Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth. The total number of sons was three.
24Those were the family lines of Levi. They were recorded under the names of the family leaders. Each worker who was 20 years old or more was counted. They served in the Lord’s temple. 25David had said, “The Lord is the God of Israel. He has given peace and rest to his people. He has come to Jerusalem to live there forever. 26So the Levites don’t need to carry the holy tent anymore. They don’t need to carry any of its objects anymore. Those were the things that were used to serve there.” 27The Levites who were 20 years old or more were counted. That was in keeping with David’s final directions.
28The Levites had the duty of helping the members of Aaron’s family line. They helped them serve in the Lord’s temple. They were in charge of the courtyards and the side rooms. They made all the sacred things pure and “clean.” They also had other duties at the house of God. 29They were in charge of setting the holy bread out on the table. They prepared the special flour for the grain offerings. They made the thin loaves without using any yeast. They did the baking and the mixing. They measured the amount and size of everything. 30They stood every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They did the same thing every evening. 31They also did it every time burnt offerings were brought to the Lord. Those offerings were brought every Sabbath day. They were also brought at every New Moon feast and during the appointed yearly feasts. The Levites served in front of the Lord at regular times. The proper number of Levites was always used when they served. They served in the way the law required.
32So the Levites carried out their duties for the tent of meeting and for the Holy Room. They worked under their relatives who were in the family line of Aaron. They helped them serve at the Lord’s temple.
Fuko la Levi
1Davide atakalamba, ali ndi zaka zambiri, anayika Solomoni mwana wake kukhala mfumu ya Israeli.
2Iye anasonkhanitsanso pamodzi atsogoleri onse a Israeli, pamodzi ndi ansembe ndi Alevi. 3Anawerenga Alevi kuyambira a zaka makumi atatu ndi kupitirirapo, ndipo chiwerengero cha amuna onse chinali 38,000. 4Davide anati, “Mwa amenewa, amuna 24,000 aziyangʼanira ntchito za mʼNyumba ya Mulungu ndipo 6,000 akhale akuluakulu ndi oweruza. 5Amuna 4,000 akhale alonda a pa zipata ndipo 4,000 azitamanda Yehova ndi zipangizo zoyimbira zimene ndazipereka ndi cholinga chimenecho.”
6Davide anagawa Aleviwo mʼmagulumagulu motsatira ana a Levi awa: Geresoni, Kohati ndi Merari.
Banja la Geresoni
7Ana a Geresoni:
Ladani ndi Simei.
8Ana a Ladani:
Mtsogoleri Yehieli, Zetamu ndi Yoweli. Onse analipo atatu.
9Ana a Simei:
Selomoti, Haziyeli ndi Harani. Onse analipo atatu.
Awa anali atsogoleri a mabanja a Ladani.
10Ndipo ana a Simei anali:
Yahati, Zina, Yeusi ndi Beriya.
Awa anali ana a Semei. Onse analipo anayi.
11Mtsogoleri anali Yahati, ndipo Ziza anali wachiwiri, koma Yeusi ndi Beriya analibe ana aamuna ambiri. Kotero iwo anawerengedwa ngati banja limodzi ndipo anapatsidwa ntchito imodzinso yofanana.
Banja la Kohati
12Ana a Kohati:
Amramu, Izihari, Hebroni ndi Uzieli. Onse analipo anayi.
13Ana a Amramu:
Aaroni ndi Mose.
Aaroni ndi zidzukulu zake anapatulidwa kwamuyaya kuti azipereka zinthu zopatulika kwambiri monga nsembe pamaso pa Yehova, komanso kuti azitumikira pamaso pake ndi kumadalitsa anthu mʼdzina lake kwamuyaya. 14Ana a Mose munthu wa Mulungu anawerengedwa ngati gawo la fuko la Levi.
15Ana a Mose:
Geresomu ndi Eliezara.
16Zidzukulu za Geresomu:
Mtsogoleri anali Subaeli.
17Zidzukulu za Eliezara:
Mtsogoleri anali Rehabiya.
Eliezara analibe ana ena aamuna, koma ana a Rehabiya anali ochuluka kwambiri.
18Ana a Izihari:
Mtsogoleri anali Selomiti.
19Ana a Hebroni:
Mtsogoleri anali Yeriya, wachiwiri anali Amariya, Yahazieli anali wachitatu ndipo Yekameamu anali wachinayi.
20Ana a Uzieli:
Mtsogoleri anali Mika ndipo wachiwiri anali Isiya.
Banja la Merari
21Ana a Merari:
Mahili ndi Musi.
Ana a Mahili:
Eliezara ndi Kisi.
22Eliezara anamwalira wopanda ana aamuna. Iye anali ndi ana aakazi okhaokha. Abale awo, ana a Kisi, ndiwo amene anawakwatira.
23Ana a Musi:
Mahili, Ederi ndi Yeremoti. Onse analipo atatu.
24Izi zinali zidzukulu za Levi mwa mabanja awo, atsogoleri a mabanja monga momwe analembedwera mayina awo ndi monga momwenso anawerengedwera, banja lililonse pa lokha. Awa ndi anthu ogwira ntchito oyambira zaka makumi awiri zobadwa kapena kupitirirapo, amene amatumikira mʼNyumba ya Yehova. 25Popeza Davide anati, “Pakuti Yehova Mulungu wa Israeli, wapereka mpumulo kwa anthu ake ndipo wabwera kudzakhala mu Yerusalemu kwamuyaya, 26sikofunikiranso kuti Alevi azinyamula tenti kapena zipangizo za chipembedzo.” 27Potsata malangizo otsiriza a Davide, Alevi anawerengedwa kuyambira amuna a zaka makumi awiri zakubadwa kapena kupitirirapo.
28Ntchito ya Alevi inali kuthandiza zidzukulu za Aaroni pa ntchito yotumikira mʼNyumba ya Yehova monga kuyangʼanira mabwalo, zipinda zamʼmbali, kuyeretsa zinthu zonse zachipembedzo, ndiponso kuchita ntchito zina za mʼnyumba ya Mulungu. 29Iwo amayangʼanira buledi amene amayikidwa pa tebulo, ufa wa nsembe yachakudya, timitanda ta buledi wopanda yisiti: kuphika ndi kusakaniza, ndiponso miyeso yonse ndi kukula kwake. 30Iwo amayimiriranso mmawa uliwonse kuthokoza ndi kutamanda Yehova. Amachitanso chomwecho madzulo, 31ndiponso popereka nsembe zopsereza kwa Yehova pa Sabata ndi pa chikondwerero cha Mwezi Watsopano, ndi pa nthawi yosankhidwa ya Chikondwerero. Iwo amatumikira pamaso pa Yehova nthawi zonse mwa chiwerengero chawo ndi momwe analangizidwira.
32Ndipo kotero Alevi anachita ntchito yawo ya ku tenti ya msonkhano ya ku Malo Opatulika ndiponso molamulidwa ndi abale awo, zidzukulu za Aaroni, pa ntchito ya mʼNyumba ya Yehova.
