1 Chronicles 24:1–31 — The Levites’ duties

The OET Readers’ Version is designed to be read alongside the Literal Version. Expand the matching Literal Version beneath each passage. This is still an early look into the drafted text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.

24 Aharon’s (Aaron’s) sons were: Nadav, Avihu, Eleazar, and Itamar, 2 but Nadav and Avihu died before their father and without having any children,[ref] so only Eleazar and Itamar became priests. 3 David gave Eleazar’s descendant Tsadok, and Itamar’s descendant Ahimelek two different sets of duties to perform. 4 There were more leaders among Eleazar’s descendants than there were among Itamar’s descendants, so they appointed sixteen leaders from Eleazar’s descendants and eight from Itamar’s descendants. 5 They divided up the duties by a process of choosing randomly, so some of the leaders from each of the two groups served the facility and others served God directly. DOUBLE-CHECK, along with verse 3 as well. 6 Netanel’s son Shemayah was the Levite scribe who recorded all this in front of the king and the leaders, Tsadok the priest and Evyatar’s son Ahimelek, and the clan leaders of the priests and the Levites. (One family from Eleazar’s group was randomly assigned a duty, and then one from Itamar’s group, and so on.)

7 The first two allocations of duties went to Yehoyariv and then Yedayah. 8 Next were Harim and Se’orim, 9 Malkiyah and Miyamin, 10 Hakots and Aviyah, 11 Yeshua and Shekanyah, 12 Elyashiv and Yakim, 13 Hupah and Yeshev’av, 14 Bilgah and Imer, 15 Hezir and Hapitsets, 16 Petahyah and Yehezkel, 17 Yakin and Gemul, 18 Delayah and, lastly, Ma’azyah.

19 Those were the priests selected to be leaders of the groups that would serve in Yahweh’s temple, following the instructions that Yisrael’s (Israel’s) god Yahweh had given their ancestor Aharon (Aaron).

Other Levites

20 This is a list of some of Levi’s other descendants:

From Amram’s sons: Shuvael.
From Shuvael’s sons: Yehdiyah.
21 From Rehavyah’s sons: Yishiyah, the leader.
22 From the Yitshari: Shelomot.
From Shelomot’s sons: Yahat.
23 Hevron’s[fn] sons (in order): Yeriyah, Amaryah, Yahaziel, Yekameam
24 From Uziel’s sons: Mikah.
From Mikah’s sons: Shamir.
25 Mikah’s younger brother: Yishiyah.
From Yishiyah’s sons: Zekaryah (Zechariah).
26 Merari’s sons: Mahli and Mushi.
Ya’aziyah’s son: Beno.
27 Merari’s descendants through Ya’aziyah: Beno, Shoham, Zakur, and Ivri.
28 From Mahli: Eleazar who had no sons.
29 Kish’s son: Yerahme’el.
30 Mushi’s sons: Mahli, Eder, and Yerimot.

Those were the Levites listed by their ancestors’ families. 31 They, too, used a process of choosing randomly, just like Aharon’s (Aaron’s) descendants (their relatives), to determine their specific duties irrespective of where they came in their families. This was done in front of King David, Tsadok and Ahimelek, the clan leaders, and the other priests and Levites.