CHAPTER 6
1The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.a 2The sons of Gershon were named Libni and Shimei.b 3The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.c 4The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.d
These were the clans of Levi, according to their ancestors. 5Of Gershon: his son Libni, whose son was Jahath, whose son was Zimmah, 6whose son was Joah, whose son was Iddo, whose son was Zerah, whose son was Jetherai.
7The sons of Kohath: his son Amminadab, whose son was Korah, whose son was Assir, 8whose son was Elkanah, whose son was Ebiasaph, whose son was Assir, 9whose son was Tahath, whose son was Uriel, whose son was Uzziah, whose son was Shaul. 10The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and Ahimoth, 11whose son was Elkanah, whose son was Zophai, whose son was Nahath, 12whose son was Eliab, whose son was Jeroham, whose son was Elkanah, whose son was Samuel. 13The sons of Samuel were Joel, the firstborn, and Abijah, the second.
14The sons of Merari: Mahli, whose son was Libni, whose son was Shimei, whose son was Uzzah,e 15whose son was Shimea, whose son was Haggiah, whose son was Asaiah.
16The following were established by David for the service of song* in the LORD’s house at the time when the ark had a resting place. 17They served as singers before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they performed their services according to the order prescribed for them. 18Those who so performed are the following, together with their sons.
Among the Kohathites: Heman, the chanter, son of Joel, son of Samuel, 19son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Eliel, son of Toah, 20son of Zuph, son of Elkanah, son of Mahath, son of Amasi, 21son of Elkanah, son of Joel, son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah, 22son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah,f 23son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel.
24His brother Asaph stood at his right hand. Asaph was the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea, 25son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, son of Malchijah, 26son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah, 27son of Ethan, son of Zimmah,g son of Shimei, 28son of Jahath, son of Gershon, son of Levi.
29Their brothers, the Merarites, stood at the left: Ethan, son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, 30son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah, 31son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer, 32son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merari, son of Levi.h
33Their brother Levites were appointed to all the other services of the tabernacle of the house of God.i 34However, it was Aaron and his sons who made the sacrifice on the altar for burnt offerings and on the altar of incense; they alone had charge of the holy of holies and of making atonement for Israel, as Moses, the servant of God, had commanded.j
35These were the sons of Aaron: his son Eleazar, whose son was Phinehas, whose son was Abishua, 36whose son was Bukki, whose son was Uzzi, whose son was Zerahiah, 37whose son was Meraioth, whose son was Amariah, whose son was Ahitub, 38whose son was Zadok, whose son was Ahimaaz.
39* The following were their dwelling places, by encampments in their territories. To the sons of Aaron who belonged to the clan of the Kohathites, since the lot fell to them, 40was assigned Hebron in the land of Judah, with its adjacent pasture lands. 41However, the open country and the villages belonging to the city had been given to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. 42There were assigned to the sons of Aaron: Hebron a city of refuge, Libnah with its pasture lands, Jattir with its pasture lands, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, 43Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, 44Ashan with its pasture lands, Jetta with its pasture lands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands. 45Also from the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, Almon with its pasture lands, Anathoth with its pasture lands. In all, they had thirteen cities with their pasture lands. 49The Israelites assigned these cities with their pasture lands to the Levites, 50designating them by name and assigning them by lot from the tribes of the Judahites, Simeonites, and Benjaminites.
46The other Kohathites obtained ten cities by lot for their clans from the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh. 47The clans of the Gershonites obtained thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 48The clans of the Merarites obtained twelve cities by lot from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
51The clans of the Kohathites obtained cities by lot from the tribe of Ephraim. 52They were assigned cities of refuge: Shechem in the mountain region of Ephraim, with its pasture lands, Gezer with its pasture lands, 53Kibzaim with its pasture lands, and Beth-horon with its pasture lands. 54From the tribe of Dan: Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands, Aijalon with its pasture lands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands. 55From the half-tribe of Manasseh: Taanach with its pasture lands and Ibleam with its pasture lands. These belonged to the rest of the Kohathite clan.
56The clans of the Gershonites received from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands and Ashtaroth with its pasture lands. 57From the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands, 58Ramoth with its pasture lands, and Engannim with its pasture lands. 59From the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, 60Hilkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands. 61From the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, Hammon with its pasture lands, and Kiriathaim with its pasture lands.
62The rest of the Merarites received from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam with its pasture lands, Kartah with its pasture lands, Rimmon with its pasture lands, and Tabor with its pasture lands. 63Across the Jordan at Jericho (that is, east of the Jordan) they received from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the desert with its pasture lands, Jahzah with its pasture lands, 64Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands. 65From the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, Mahanaim with its pasture lands, 66Heshbon with its pasture lands, and Jazer with its pasture lands.
* [6:16–32] The cultic functions performed by the levitical families in the postexilic Temple at the time of the Chronicler are here traced back to David, in a way analogous to that in which all the laws in the Pentateuch are attributed to Moses.
* [6:39–66] For the rights of the Levites in the cities assigned to them, see note on Jos 21:1.
a. [6:1] 1 Chr 5:27; 23:6; Gn 46:11; Ex 6:16; Nm 26:57.
c. [6:3] Ex 6:18; Nm 3:19; 26:59.
d. [6:4] 1 Chr 6:14; Ex 6:19; Nm 3:20; 26:58.
e. [6:14] 1 Chr 6:4; Ex 6:19; Nm 3:20; 26:58.
i. [6:33] 1 Chr 15:17, 19; 16:41–42; 2 Chr 5:12.
j. [6:34] 1 Chr 16:39–40.
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