The Descendants of Levi

6 Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ²Kohath’s sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ³Amram’s children were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. Aaron’s sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ⁴Eleazar was Phinehas’s father. Phinehas was Abishua’s father. ⁵Abishua was Bukki’s father. Bukki was Uzzi’s father. ⁶Uzzi was Zerahiah’s father. Zerahiah was Meraioth’s father. ⁷Meraioth was Amariah’s father. Amariah was Ahitub’s father. ⁸Ahitub was Zadok’s father. Zadok was Ahimaaz’s father. ⁹Ahimaaz was Azariah’s father. Azariah was Johanan’s father. ¹⁰Johanan was Azariah’s father. (Azariah is the person that served as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem.) ¹¹Azariah was Amariah’s father. Amariah was Ahitub’s father. ¹²Ahitub was Zadok’s father. Zadok was Shallum’s father. ¹³Shallum was Hilkiah’s father. Hilkiah was Azariah’s father. ¹⁴Azariah was Seraiah’s father. Seraiah was Jehozadak’s father. ¹⁵Jehozadak was forced to leave his home when the Lord sent Judah and Jerusalem away. Those people were made prisoners in another country. The Lord used Nebuchadnezzar to take the people of Judah and Jerusalem prisoners.

Other Descendants of Levi

¹⁶Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ¹⁷The names of Gershon’s sons were Libni and Shimei. ¹⁸Kohath’s sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ¹⁹Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi. This is a list of the families in the family group of Levi. They are listed with their fathers’ names first: ²⁰These were Gershon’s descendants:* Libni was Gershon’s son. Jahath was Libni’s son. Zimmah was Jahath’s son. ²¹Joah was Zimmah’s son. Iddo was Joah’s son. Zerah was Iddo’s son. Jeatherai was Zerah’s son. ²²These were Kohath’s descendants:* Amminadab was Kohath’s son. Korah was Amminadab’s son. Assir was Korah’s son. ²³Elkanah was Assir’s son. Ebiasaph was Elkanah’s son. Assir was Ebiasaph’s son. ²⁴Tahath was Assir’s son. Uriel was Tahath’s son. Uzziah was Uriel’s son. Shaul was Uzziah’s son. ²⁵Elkanah’s sons were Amasai and Ahimoth. ²⁶Zophai was Elkanah’s son. Nahath was Zophai’s son. ²⁷Eliab was Nahath’s son. Jeroham was Eliab’s son. Elkanah was Jeroham’s son. {Samuel was Elkanah’s son.} ²⁸Samuel’s sons were: his oldest son Joel, and Abijah. ²⁹These are Merari’s sons: Mahli was Merari’s son, Libni was Mahli’s son, Shimei was Libni’s son. Uzzah was Shimei’s son. ³⁰Shimea was Uzzah’s son. Haggiah was Shimea’s son. Asaiah was Haggiah’s son.

The Temple Musicians

³¹These are the men that David chose to take care of the music at the tent of the Lord’s house after the Box of the Agreement* was put there. ³²These men served by singing at the Holy Tent.* The Holy Tent is also called the Meeting Tent. And these men served until Solomon built the Lord’s temple* in Jerusalem. They served by following the rules given to them for their work. ³³These are the names of the men and their sons that served with music: The descendants* from the Kohath family were: Heman the singer. Heman was Joel’s son. Joel was Samuel’s son. ³⁴Samuel was Elkanah’s son. Elkanah was Jeroham’s son. Jeroham was Eliel’s son. Eliel was Toah’s son. ³⁵Toah was Zuph’s son. Zuph was Elkanah’s son. Elkanah was Mahath’s son. Mahath was Amasai’s son. ³⁶Amasai was Elkanah’s son. Elkanah was Joel’s son. Joel was Azariah’s son. Azariah was Zephaniah’s son. ³⁷Zephaniah was Tahath’s son. Tahath was Assir’s son. Assir was Ebiasaph’s son. Ebiasaph was Korah’s son. ³⁸Korah was Izhar’s son. Izhar was Kohath’s son. Kohath was Levi’s son. Levi was Israel’s* son. ³⁹Heman’s relative was Asaph. Asaph served by Heman’s right side. Asaph was Berekiah’s son. Berekiah’s was Shimea’s son. ⁴⁰Shimea was Michael’s son. Michael was Baaseiah’s son. Baaseiah was Malkijah’s son. ⁴¹Malkijah was Ethni’s son. Ethni was Zerah’s son. Zerah was Adaiah’s son. ⁴²Adaiah was Ethan’s son. Ethan was Zimmah’s son. Zimmah was Shimei’s son. ⁴³Shimei was Jahath’s son. Jahath was Gershon’s son. Gershon was Levi’s son. ⁴⁴Merari’s descendants* were the relatives of Heman and Asaph. They were the singing group on Heman’s left side. Ethan was Kishi’s son. Kishi was Abdi’s son. Abdi was Malluch’s son. ⁴⁵Malluch was Hashabiah’s son. Hashabiah was Amaziah’s son. Amaziah was Hilkiah’s son. ⁴⁶Hilkiah was Amzi’s son. Amzi was Bani’s son. Bani was Shemer’s son. ⁴⁷Shemer was Mahli’s son. Mahli was Mushi’s son. Mushi was Merari’s son. Merari was Levi’s son. ⁴⁸Heman’s and Asaph’s brothers were from the family group of Levi. The family group of Levi were also called Levites. The Levites were chosen to do the work in the Holy Tent.* The Holy Tent was God’s house. ⁴⁹But only Aaron’s descendants* were permitted to burn incense* on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense. Aaron’s descendants did all the work in the Most Holy Place* in God’s house. They also did the ceremonies to make the people of Israel pure.* They followed all the rules and laws that Moses commanded. Moses was God’s servant.

Aaron’s Descendants

⁵⁰These were Aaron’s sons: Eleazar was Aaron’s son. Phinehas was Eleazar’s son. Abishua was Phinehas’ son. ⁵¹Bukki was Abishua’s son. Uzzi was Bukki’s son. Zerahiah was Uzzi’s son. ⁵²Meraioth was Zerahiah’s son. Amaraiah was Meraioth’s son. Ahitub was Amariah’s son. ⁵³Zadok was Ahitub’s son. Ahimaaz was Zadok’s son.

Homes for the Levite Families.

⁵⁴These are the places where Aaron’s descendants* lived. They lived in their camps in the land that was given to them. The Kohath families got the first share of the land that was given to the Levite people. ⁵⁵They were given the town of Hebron and the fields around it. This was in the area of Judah. ⁵⁶But the fields farther from town and the villages near the town of Hebron were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. ⁵⁷The descendants of Aaron were given the city of Hebron. Hebron was a city of safety.* They were also given the cities of Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, ⁵⁸Hilen, Debir, ⁵⁹Ashan, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh. They got all those cities and the fields around them. ⁶⁰From the family group of Benjamin they got the cities of Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth. They got all those cities and the fields around them. Thirteen cities were given to the Kohath families. ⁶¹The rest of Kohath’s descendants* got ten towns from half of Manasseh’s family group. ⁶²The family groups that were the descendants* of Gershon got 13 cities. They got those cities from the family groups of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the part of Manasseh living in the area of Bashan. ⁶³The family groups that were the descendants* of Merari got 12 cities. They got those cities from the family groups of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. They got those cities by throwing lots.* ⁶⁴So the Israelite people gave those towns and fields to the Levite people. ⁶⁵All those cities came from the family groups of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. They decided which Levite family got which city by throwing lots.* ⁶⁶The family group of Ephraim gave some of the Kohath families some towns. Those towns were chosen by throwing lots.* ⁶⁷They were given the city of Shechem. Shechem is a city of safety.* They were also given the towns of Gezer, ⁶⁸Jokmeam, Beth Horon, ⁶⁹Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon. They also got fields with those towns. Those towns were in the hill country of Ephraim. ⁷⁰And from half of Manasseh’s family group the Israelite people gave the towns of Aner and Bileam to the Kohath families. Those Kohath families also got fields with those towns.

Other Levite Families Get Homes

⁷¹The Gershon families got the towns of Golan in the area of Bashan and Ashtaroth from half of Manasseh’s family group. They also got the fields near those towns. ^72–73The Gershon families also got the towns of Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth, and Gannim from the family group of Issachar. They also got the fields near those towns. ^74–75The Gershon families also got the towns of Mashal, Abdon, Hukok, and Rehob from the family group of Asher. They also got the fields near those towns. ⁷⁶The Gershon families also got the towns of Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim from the family group of Naphtali. They also got the fields near those towns. ⁷⁷The rest of the Levite people are the Merari families. They got the towns of Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmono, and Tabor from the family group of Zebulun. They also got the fields near those towns. ^78–79The Merari families also got the towns of Bezer in the desert, Jahzah, Kedemoth, and Mephaath from the family group of Reuben. The family group of Reuben lived on the east side of the Jordan River, east of the city of Jericho. These Merari families also got the fields near those towns. ^80–81And the Merari families got the towns of Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer from the family group of Gad. They also got the fields near those towns.

descendants A person’s children and their future families. Box of the Agreement Also called the “Ark of the Covenant,” the box containing the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them and the other things that proved God was with the people of Israel during their time in the Sinai Desert. Holy Tent Also called the “tabernacle.” The people would go to this tent to meet with God. The people used this tent until Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem. temple The special building in Jerusalem for Jewish worship. Israel Another name for Jacob. See Gen. 32:28. incense A kind of spice that smells good when it is burned. It was burned as a gift to God. Most Holy Place The most important room in the temple. The Box of the Agreement with the Cherub Angels on it was in this room. This was like God’s throne. Once each year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest went into this room to do the ceremony that atoned {(covered or erased)} the sins of the people of Israel. make ... pure Or, “make atonement.” The Hebrew word means “to cover or erase a person’s sins.” city of safety A special city where an Israelite could run and be safe from angry relatives if he accidentally killed someone. See Josh. 20:1-9. lot(s) Sticks, stones, or pieces of bone used like dice for making decisions. See Proverbs 16:33.