1 Chronicles 23, Additional Reading Psalm 68

Wednesday, July 23, 2025
 

Solomon Reigns

23 Now when David [a]reached old age, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. 2 And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites.

Offices of the Levites

3 The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward, and their number by [b]census of men was 38,000. 4 Of these, 24,000 were to oversee the work of the house of the Lord; and 6,000 were officers and judges, 5 and 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 were praising the Lord with the instruments which [c]David made for giving praise. 6 David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Gershonites

7 Of the Gershonites were [d]Ladan and Shimei. 8 The sons of Ladan were Jehiel the first and Zetham and Joel, three. 9 The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan. 10 The sons of Shimei were Jahath, [e]Zina, Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 11 Jahath was the first and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became a father’s household, one [f]class.

Kohathites

12 The sons of Kohath were four: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 13 The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the Lord, to minister to Him and to bless in His name forever. 14 But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. 15 The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The [g]son of Gershom was [h]Shebuel the chief. 17 The [i]son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18 The [j]son of Izhar was [k]Shelomith the chief. 19 The sons of Hebron were Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth. 20 The sons of Uzziel were Micah the first and Isshiah the second.

Merarites

21 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters only, so their brothers, the sons of Kish, took them as wives. 23 The sons of Mushi were three: Mahli, Eder and Jeremoth.

Duties Revised

24 These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers’ households, even the heads of the fathers’ households of those of them who were [l]counted, in the number of names by their [m]census, doing the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from twenty years old and upward. 25 For David said, “The Lord God of Israel has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26 Also, the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service.” 27 For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. 28 For their office is [n]to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of the Lord, in the courts and in the chambers and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God, 29 and with the showbread, and the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or what is baked in the pan or what is well-mixed, and all measures of volume and size. 30 They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the Lord, and likewise at evening, 31 and to offer all burnt offerings to the Lord, on the sabbaths, the new moons and the fixed festivals in the number set by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the Lord. 32 Thus they are to keep charge of the tent of meeting, and charge of the holy place, and charge of the sons of Aaron their [o]relatives, for the service of the house of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 23:1 Lit became old and sated with days
  2. 1 Chronicles 23:3 Lit their heads
  3. 1 Chronicles 23:5 Lit I made
  4. 1 Chronicles 23:7 In Ex 6:17, Libni
  5. 1 Chronicles 23:10 In v 11, Zizah
  6. 1 Chronicles 23:11 Lit mustering
  7. 1 Chronicles 23:16 Lit sons
  8. 1 Chronicles 23:16 In ch 24:20, Shubael
  9. 1 Chronicles 23:17 Lit sons...were
  10. 1 Chronicles 23:18 Lit sons
  11. 1 Chronicles 23:18 In ch 24:22, Shelomoth
  12. 1 Chronicles 23:24 Lit mustered
  13. 1 Chronicles 23:24 Lit heads
  14. 1 Chronicles 23:28 Lit at the hand of
  15. 1 Chronicles 23:32 Lit brothers
 
 

The God of Sinai and of the Sanctuary.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song.

68 [a]Let God arise, [b]let His enemies be scattered,
And [c]let those who hate Him flee before Him.
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish before God.
3 But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God;
Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
[d]Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts,
Whose name is [e]the Lord, and exult before Him.

5 A father of the fatherless and a judge [f]for the widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
6 God [g]makes a home for the lonely;
He leads out the prisoners into prosperity,
Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

7 O God, when You went forth before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness, [h]Selah.
8 The earth quaked;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
[i]Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God;
You confirmed Your inheritance when it was [j]parched.
10 Your creatures settled in it;
You provided in Your goodness for the poor, O God.

11 The Lord gives the [k]command;
The women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host:
12 “Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home will divide the spoil!”
13 [l]When you lie down among the [m]sheepfolds,
You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And its pinions with glistening gold.
14 When the Almighty scattered the kings [n]there,
It was snowing in Zalmon.

15 A [o]mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
16 Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks,
At the mountain which God has desired for His abode?
Surely the Lord will dwell there forever.
17 The chariots of God are [p]myriads, thousands upon thousands;
[q]The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.
18 You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives;
You have received gifts among men,
Even among the rebellious also, that [r]the Lord God may dwell there.

19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden,
The God who is our salvation. Selah.
20 God is to us a God of deliverances;
And to [s]God the Lord belong escapes [t]from death.
21 Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies,
The hairy crown of him who goes on in his guilty deeds.
22 The Lord [u]said, “I will bring them back from Bashan.
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea;
23 That [v]your foot may shatter them in blood,
The tongue of your dogs may have its portion from your enemies.”

24 They have seen Your [w]procession, O God,
The [x]procession of my God, my King, [y]into the sanctuary.
25 The singers went on, the musicians after them,
[z]In the midst of the maidens beating tambourines.
26 Bless God in the congregations,
Even the Lord, you who are of the fountain of Israel.
27 There is Benjamin, the [aa]youngest, [ab]ruling them,
The princes of Judah in their throng,
The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

28 [ac]Your God has commanded your strength;
Show Yourself strong, O God, who have acted [ad]on our behalf.
29 [ae]Because of Your temple at Jerusalem
Kings will bring gifts to You.
30 Rebuke the beasts [af]in the reeds,
The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Trampling under foot the pieces of silver;
He has scattered the peoples who delight in war.
31 Envoys will come out of Egypt;
[ag]Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.

32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
Sing praises to the Lord, Selah.
33 To Him who rides upon the [ah]highest heavens, which are from ancient times;
Behold, He [ai]speaks forth with His voice, a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe strength to God;
His majesty is over Israel
And His strength is in the [aj]skies.
35 [ak]O God, You are awesome from Your [al]sanctuary.
The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people.
Blessed be God!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:1 Or God shall
  2. Psalm 68:1 Or His enemies shall
  3. Psalm 68:1 Or those who hate Him shall
  4. Psalm 68:4 Or Cast up a highway
  5. Psalm 68:4 Heb Yah
  6. Psalm 68:5 Lit of
  7. Psalm 68:6 Lit makes the solitary to dwell in a house
  8. Psalm 68:7 Selah may mean: Pause, Crescendo or Musical interlude
  9. Psalm 68:8 Lit This is Sinai which
  10. Psalm 68:9 Lit weary
  11. Psalm 68:11 Lit word
  12. Psalm 68:13 Lit If
  13. Psalm 68:13 Or cooking stones or saddle bags
  14. Psalm 68:14 Lit in it
  15. Psalm 68:15 Or mighty mountain is
  16. Psalm 68:17 Lit twice ten thousand
  17. Psalm 68:17 Another reading is The Lord came from Sinai into the sanctuary
  18. Psalm 68:18 Heb Yah
  19. Psalm 68:20 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  20. Psalm 68:20 I.e. in view of; lit for
  21. Psalm 68:22 Or says
  22. Psalm 68:23 Some versions render, you may bathe your foot in blood
  23. Psalm 68:24 Lit goings
  24. Psalm 68:24 Lit goings
  25. Psalm 68:24 Lit in the sanctuary; or in holiness
  26. Psalm 68:25 Or The maidens in the midst
  27. Psalm 68:27 Or smallest
  28. Psalm 68:27 Or their ruler
  29. Psalm 68:28 Some mss read Command, God
  30. Psalm 68:28 Lit for us
  31. Psalm 68:29 Or From Your temple
  32. Psalm 68:30 Lit of
  33. Psalm 68:31 Lit Cush
  34. Psalm 68:33 Lit heaven of heavens of old
  35. Psalm 68:33 Lit gives forth
  36. Psalm 68:34 Lit clouds
  37. Psalm 68:35 Or Awesome is God from your sanctuary
  38. Psalm 68:35 Lit holy places

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