1
After David had lived long and was old, he made his son Solomon the new king of Israel.
2
David gathered all the leaders of Israel, along with the priests and Levites.
3
He counted the Levites who were thirty years old and older. In all, there were thirty-eight thousand Levites.
4
David said, "Of these, twenty-four thousand Levites will direct the work of the Temple of the Lord, six thousand Levites will be officers and judges
5
four thousand Levites will be gatekeepers, and four thousand Levites will praise the Lord with musical instruments I made for giving praise."
6
David separated the Levites into three groups that were led by Levi's three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7
From the people of Gershon, there were Ladan and Shimei.
8
Ladan had three sons. His first son was Jehiel, and his other sons were Zetham and Joel.
9
Shimei's sons were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. These three sons were leaders of Ladan's families.
10
Shimei had four sons: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah.