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Chapter 6

The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The names of the sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei.

The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.

These were the ancestral clans of the Levites. From Gershon: Libni, his son, Jahath, his son, Zimmah, his son, Joah, his son, Iddo, his son, Zerah, his son, and Jeatherai, his son.

The descendants of Kohath were Amminadab, his son, Korah, his son, Assir, his son, Elkanah, his son, Ebiasaph, his son, Assir, his son, Tahath, his son, Uriel, his son, Uzziah, his son, and Shaul, his son.

10 The descendants of Elkanah were Amasai, Ahimoth, 11 Elkanah, his son, Zophai, his son, Nahath, his son, 12 Eliab, his son, Jeroham, his son, Elkanah, his son, and Samuel, his son. 13 The sons of Samuel were Joel, his firstborn, and Abijah, his second.

14 The descendants of Merari were: Mahli, Libni, his son, Shimei, his son, Uzzah, his son, 15 Shimea, his son, Haggiah, his son, and Asaiah, his son.

16 These are the ones whom David assigned to sing in the shrine of the Lord after the Ark was placed there.[a] 17 Their ministry was to sing before the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They also performed their other duties according to their responsibilities.

18 These are the men who served along with their children: from the Kohathites: Heman, the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, 19 the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 20 the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 21 the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 22 the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 23 the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.

24 There was also his brother Asaph who served at his right side. Asaph, the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, 25 the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, 26 the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, 27 the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, 28 the son of Jahath, the son of Gershon, the son of Levi.

29 The Merarites, their brethren, served on his left: Ethan, the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, 30 the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, 31 the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, 32 the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.

33 Their fellow Levites were appointed to various types of service in the tabernacle, the shrine of the Lord. 34 But Aaron and his descendants were the ones who offered sacrifices on the altar for burnt offerings and the altar of incense. They also performed all of the work needed in the Holy of Holies where they made atonement for Israel in accordance with everything that Moses, the servant of God, had commanded.

35 These were the descendants of Aaron: Eleazar, his son, Phinehas, his son, Abishua, his son, 36 Bukki, his son, Uzzi, his son, Zerahiah, his son, 37 Meraioth, his son, Amariah, his son, Ahitub, his son, 38 Zadok, his son, and Ahimaaz, his son.

39 These were the sites assigned as their dwelling places throughout the land. They were assigned to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clan because this was their allotment. 40 They were given Hebron in the land of Judah along with its surrounding pastures. 41 But the fields and the villages that surrounded the city were given to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh.

42 The descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (which was a city of refuge), Libnah with its pastures, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pastures, 43 Hilen with its pastures, Debir with its pastures, 44 Ashan with its pastures, Jetta with its pastures, and Beth-shemesh with its pastures.

45 From the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon with its pastures, Geba with its pastures, Almon with its pastures, and Anathoth with its pastures. There were thirteen cities for their clans.

46 The rest of the Kohathites were allotted ten cities[b] from the clans of one-half of the tribe of Manasseh. 47 The descendants of Gershon, clan by clan, were allotted thirteen cities from the tribe of Issachar, the tribe of Asher, the tribe of Naphtali, and the part of the tribe of Manasseh living in Bashan.

48 The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, were allotted twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun.

49 The Israelites gave the Levites these cities along with their pastures. 50 They were allotted these previously named cities from the tribe of the Judahites, the tribe of the Simeonites, and the tribe of the Benjaminites.

51 Some of the remaining Kohathites were given cities from the territory of the tribe of Ephraim. 52 In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge) with its pastures, Gezer with its pastures, 53 Jokmeam with its pastures, Beth-horon with its pastures, 54 Aijalon with its pastures, and Gath-rimmon with its pastures.

55 The rest of the Kohathite clans were given Aner with its pastures and Bileam with its pastures from one-half of the tribe of Manasseh.

56 The Gershonites were given the following from the clan of one-half of the tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pastures, and Ashtaroth with its pastures.

57 From the tribe of Issachar they were given Kedesh with its pastures, Daberath with its pastures, 58 Ramoth with its pastures, and Anem with its pastures.

59 From the tribe of Asher they were given Mashal with its pastures, Abdon with its pastures, 60 Hukok with its pastures, and Rehob with its pastures.

61 From the tribe of Naphtali they were given Kedesh in Galilee with its pastures, Hammon with its pastures, and Kiriathaim with its pastures.

62 The rest of the Merarites were given Rimmon with its pastures, and Tabor with its pastures from the tribe of Zebulun.

63 On the other side of the Jordan, to the east of Jericho, they were given from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the desert with its pastures, Jahzah with its pastures, 64 Kedemoth with its pastures, Mephaath with its pastures.

65 From the tribe of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead with its pastures, Mahanaim with its pastures, 66 Heshbon with its pastures, and Jazer with its pastures.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 6:16 David, an accomplished musician and songwriter, appointed singers and gathered choirs to provide music for the temple to give glory and praise to the Lord.
  2. 1 Chronicles 6:46 Allotted ten cities: this method of assigning ownership was understood to be guided by God and therefore more fair than if left to the decision of an arbitrary person.