4. We should mind to add our prayers to all our endeavours in promoting the work and service of God. v. 19. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God. Prayer will quicken our own spirits; make us sensible of the importance of the work, that we may not dare to be insincere and trifling in it. It will also engage divine help, without which we shall flag and tire. If we are once deeply impressed with a sense of our dependence on God, and have our hearts filled with devout regards to him, we shall stick at nothing for his service and his sanctuary. If, by David's example, we stir up ourselves and all about us in this work, God will bless us, and reward all our labours of love in a better world, and through a happy eternity.

CHAP. XXIII.

David in his old age makes Solomon king; the Levites ordered; the sons of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

O

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 3 priests and the Levites: Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their 4 polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand. 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 6 David,] to praise [therewith.] And David divided them inte courses among the sons of Levi, [namely,] Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

78 Of the Gershonites [were,] Laadan, and Shimei. The sons of Laadan; the chief [was] Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, 9 three. 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 11 Beriah. These four [were] the sons of Shimei. 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, 13 four. 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 minis14 ter unto him, and to bless in his name for ever. Now [concerning] Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe 15 of Levi. The sons of Moses [were,] Gershom, and Eliezer. 16 17 Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel [was] the chief. And

the sons of Eliezer [were,] Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

18 19 Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief. Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the 20 third, and Jekameam the fourth. Of the sons of Uzziel; Micah the first, and Jesiah the second.

21 The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; 22 Eleazar and Kish. 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 25 and upward. For David said, The Lord God of Israel hath

given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem 26 for ever: And also unto the Levites: they shall no [more]

carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof. 27 For by the last words of David the Levites [were] numbered 28 from twenty years old and above: Because their office [was] to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of 29 God; Both for the shew bread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for [that which is baked in] the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all man30 ner of measure and size; And to stand every morning to thank 31 and praise the LORD, and likewise at even; And to offer all

burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order com32 manded unto them, continually before the LORD: And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy [place,] and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.

The divisions of the sons of Aaron into four and twenty orders; the remainder of the Koathites and the Merarites divided by lot.

OW [these are] the divisions of the sons of Aaron' The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and 2 Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children; therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the 3 priest's office. And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, accord4 ing to their offices in their service. And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar ; and [thus] were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar [there were] sixteen chief men of the house of [their] fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according $ to the house of their fathers. Thus were they divided by

lot, one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors [of the house] of God, were of the sons 6 of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar. And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, [one] of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and [before] the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and [one] taken for Ithamar. 7 Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jeda89 iah, The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, The fifth to 10 Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, The seventh to Hakkoz, the 11 eighth to Abijah, The ninth to Jeshuah, the tenth to Shecaniah, 12 13 The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, The thir14 teenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, The fifteenth to 15 Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, The seventeenth to Hezir, the 16 eighteenth to Aphses, The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twen17 tieth to Jehezekel, The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and 18 twentieth to Gamul, The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the 19 four and twentieth to Maaziah. These [were] the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the Lord GOD of Israel had commanded him.

20

And the rest of the sons of Levi [were these:] of the sons of Amram; Shubael: of the sons of Shubael; Jehdeiah : 21 Concerning Rehabiah of the sons of Rehabiah, the first [was] 22 Isshiah. Of the Izharites; Shelomoth: of the sons of She23 lomoth; Jahath. And the sons [of Hebron ;] Jeriah [the first,] Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth. 24 [Of] the sons of Uzziel; Michah of the sons of Michah; Sha25 mir. The brother of Michah [was] Isshiah of the sons of Is26 shiah; Zechariah. The sons of Merari [were,] Mahli and Mushi: 27 the sons of Jaaziah; Beno. The sons of Merari by Jaaziah; 28 Beno, and Shoham and Zaccur, and Ibri. Of Mahli [came] 29 Eleazar, who had no sons. Concerning Kish: the son of Kish 30 [was] Jerahmeel, The sons also of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth. These [were] the sons of the Levites after the 31 house of their fathers. These likewise cast lots over against their brethren the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites, even the principal fathers over against their younger brethren.

The number and offices of the singers; and their division by lot into four and twenty orders.

'MOREOVER David and the captains of the host

separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps,

with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the work2 men according to their service was: Of the sons of Asaph; Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according 3 to the order of the king. Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied 4 with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the LORD. Of Heman : the sons of Heman; Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti5 ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, [and] Mahazioth : All these [were] the sons of Heman the king's seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen 6 sons and three daughters. All these [were] under the hands of their father for song [in] the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king's order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman. 7 So the number of them, with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the LORD, [even] all that were cunning, was two hundred four score and eight.

8 And they cast lots, ward against [ward,] as well the small as 9 the great, the teacher as the scholar. Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah, who with 10 his brethren and sons [were] twelve: The third to Zaccur, 11 [he,] his sons, and his brethren, [were] twelve: The fourth to 12 Izri, [he,] his sons, and his brethren, [were] twelve: The fifth

to Nethaniah, [he,] his sons, and his brethren, [were] twelve : 13 The sixth to Bukkiah, [he,] his sons, and his brethren, [were] -14 twelve: The seventh to Jesharelah, [he,] his sons, and bis 15 brethren, [were] twelve: The eighth to Jeshaiah, [he,] his sons, 16 and his brethren, [were] twelve: The ninth to Mattaniah, [he,] .17 his sons, and his brethren, [were] twelve: The tenth to Shimei, -18 [he,] his sons, and his brethren, [were] twelve: The eleventh 19 to Azareel, [he,] his sons, and his brethren, [were] twelve: The

twelfth to Hashabiah, [he,] his sons, and his brethren, [were] 20 twelve: The thirteenth to Shubael, [he,] his sons, and his bre21 thren, [were] twelve: The fourteenth to Mattithiah, [he,] his 22 sons, and his brethren, [were] twelve: The fifteenth to Jere23 moth, [he,] his sons, and his brethren, [were] twelve: The six

teenth to Hananiah, [he,] his sons, and his brethren, [were] 24 twelve: The seventeenth to Joshbekashah, [he,] his sons, and 25 his brethren, [were] twelve: The eighteenth to Hanani, [he,] 26 his sons, and his brethren, [were] twelve: The nineteenth to 27 Mallothi, [he,] his sons, and his brethren, [were] twelve: The

twentieth to Eliathah, [he,] his sons, and his brethren, [were] 28 twelve: The one and twentieth to Hothir, [he,] his sons, and 29 his brethren, [were] twelve: The two and twentieth to Gid30 dalti, [he,] his sons, and his brethren, [were] twelve: The

three and twentieth to Mahazioth, [he,] his sons, and his bre31 thren, [were] twelve: The four and twentieth to Romantiezer, [he,] his sons, and his brethren, [were] twelve.

CHAP. XXVI.

The division of the porters; the gates assigned by lot: and the Levites that had the charge of the treasures.

YONCERNING the divisions of the porters: of the Kor

CONC

hites [was] Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of 2 Asaph. And the sons of Meshelemiah [were] Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the 3 fourth, Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Elioenai the seventh. 4 Moreover the sons of Obededom [were,] Shemaiah the first

born, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, and Sacar the fourth, 5 and Nethaneel the fifth, Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, 6 Peulthai the eighth : for God blessed him. Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that ruled throughout the house of their father: for they [were] mighty men of valour. The sons of Shemaiah; Othni, and Rephael, and Obed, Elzabad, whose 8 brethren [were] strong men, Elihu and Semachiah. All these of the sons of Obededom: they and their sons and their brethren, able men for strength for the service, [were] three score and 9 two of Obededom. And Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, 10 strong men, eighteen. Also Hosah, of the children of Merari,

had sons; Simri the chief, (for [though] he was not the firstIl born, yet his father made him the chief ;) Hilkiah the second,

Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and bre12 thren of Hosah [were] thirteen. Among these [were] the divisions of the porters, [even] among the chief men, [having] wards one against another, to minister in the house of the LORD. 13 And they cast lots, as well the small as the great, accord14 ing to the house of their fathers, for every gate. And the

lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a wise counsellor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward. 15 To Obededom southward; and to his sons the house of Asup 16 pim. To Shuppim and Hosah [the lot came forth] westward,

with the gate Shallecheth, by the causeway of the going up, 17 ward against ward. Eastward [were] six Levites, northward four a day, southward four a day, and toward Asuppim two 18 [and] two. At Parbar westward, four at the causeway, [and] 19 two at Parbar. These [are] the divisions of the porters among the sons of Kore, and among the sons of Merari.

20

And of the Levites, Ahijah [was] over the treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the dedicated things. 21 [As concerning] the sons of Laadan; the sons of the Gershonite

Laadan, chief fathers, [even] of Laadan the Gershonite, [were] 22 Jehieli. The sons of Jehieli; Zetham, and Joel his brother, 23 [which were] over the treasures of the house of the LORD. Of the Amramites, [and] the Izharites, the Hebronites, [and] the 24 Uzzielites: And Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, 25 [was] ruler of the treasures. And his brethren by Eliezer ;

Rehabiah his son, and Jeshaiah his son, and Joram his son, and