1 Chronicles 6

The Family Line of the High Priests

6Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

²Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

³Amram had two sons, Aaron and Moses, and one daughter, Miriam. Aaron had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

⁴The descendants of Eleazar from generation to generation are as follows: Phinehas, Abishua, ⁵Bukki, Uzzi, ⁶Zerahiah, Meraioth, ⁷Amariah, Ahitub, ⁸Zadok, Ahimaaz, ⁹Azariah, Johanan, ¹⁰Azariah (the one who served in the Temple which King Solomon built in Jerusalem), ¹¹Amariah, Ahitub, ¹²Zadok, Shallum, ¹³Hilkiah, Azariah, ¹⁴Seraiah, Jehozadak. ¹⁵King Nebuchadnezzar deported Jehozadak along with the other people of Judah and Jerusalem whom the Lord sent into exile.

Other Descendants of Levi

^16*Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ^17*Each of them also had sons. Gershon was the father of Libni and Shimei; ^18*Kohath was the father of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; ^19*and Merari was the father of Mahli and Mushi.

²⁰These are the descendants of Gershon from generation to generation: Libni, Jahath, Zimmah, ²¹Joah, Iddo, Zerah, Jeatherai.

²²These are the descendants of Kohath from generation to generation: Amminadab, Korah, Assir, ²³Elkanah, Ebiasaph, Assir, ²⁴Tahath, Uriel, Uzziah, Shaul.

²⁵Elkanah had two sons, Amasai and Ahimoth. ²⁶These are Ahimoth’s descendants from generation to generation: Elkanah, Zophai, Nahath, ²⁷Eliab, Jeroham, Elkanah.

²⁸Samuel had two sons: Joel,^p the elder, and Abijah, the younger.

²⁹These are the descendants of Merari from generation to generation: Mahli, Libni, Shimei, Uzzah, ³⁰Shimea, Haggiah, Asaiah.

The Temple Musicians

³¹These are the men whom King David put in charge of the music at the place of worship in Jerusalem after the Covenant Box was moved there. ³²They took regular turns of duty at the Tent of the Lord’s presence during the time before King Solomon built the Temple. ³³The family lines of those who held this office are as follows:

The clan of Kohath: Heman, the leader of the first choir, was the son of Joel. His family line went back to Jacob as follows: Heman, Joel, Samuel, ³⁴Elkanah, Jeroham, Eliel, Toah, ³⁵Zuph, Elkanah, Mahath, Amasai, ³⁶Elkanah, Joel, Azariah, Zephaniah, ³⁷Tahath, Assir, Ebiasaph, Korah, ³⁸Izhar, Kohath, Levi, Jacob.

³⁹Asaph was leader of the second choir. His family line went back to Levi as follows: Asaph, Berechiah, Shimea, ⁴⁰Michael, Baaseiah, Malchijah, ⁴¹Ethni, Zerah, Adaiah, ⁴²Ethan, Zimmah, Shimei, ⁴³Jahath, Gershon, Levi.

⁴⁴Ethan of the clan of Merari was the leader of the third choir. His family line went back to Levi as follows: Ethan, Kishi, Abdi, Malluch, ⁴⁵Hashabiah, Amaziah, Hilkiah, ⁴⁶Amzi, Bani, Shemer, ⁴⁷Mahli, Mushi, Merari, Levi.

⁴⁸The other Levites were assigned all the other duties at the place of worship.

The Descendants of Aaron

⁴⁹Aaron and his descendants presented the offerings of incense and offered the sacrifices that were burnt on the altar. They were responsible for all the worship in the Most Holy Place and for the sacrifices by which God forgives Israel’s sins. They did all this in accordance with the instructions given by Moses, God’s servant. ⁵⁰This is the line of Aaron’s descendants: Eleazar, Phinehas, Abishua, ⁵¹Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah, ⁵²Meraioth, Amariah, Ahitub, ⁵³Zadok, Ahimaaz.

Where the Levites Lived

⁵⁴This is the territory assigned to the descendants of Aaron of the clan of Kohath. They received the first share of the land assigned to the Levites. ⁵⁵This included Hebron in the territory of Judah and the pasture lands round it. ⁵⁶The fields and villages, however, that belonged to the city were assigned to Caleb son of Jephunneh. ^57–59The following towns were assigned to Aaron’s descendants: Hebron, a city of refuge,^q Jattir, and the towns of Libnah, Eshtemoa, Hilen, Debir, Ashan, and Beth Shemesh, with their pasture lands. ⁶⁰In the territory of Benjamin they were assigned the following towns with their pasture lands: Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth. This made a total of thirteen towns for all their families to live in. ⁶¹Ten towns in the territory of West Manasseh were assigned by lot to the rest of the clan of Kohath, family by family.

⁶²To the clan of Gershon, family by family, were assigned thirteen towns in the territories of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and East Manasseh in Bashan. ⁶³In the same way, twelve towns in the territories of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun were assigned to the clan of Merari, family by family. ⁶⁴In this way the people of Israel assigned towns for the Levites to live in, together with the pasture lands round the towns. ⁶⁵(The towns in the territories of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, mentioned above, were also assigned by drawing lots.)

⁶⁶Some of the families of the clan of Kohath were assigned towns and pasture lands in the territory of Ephraim: ⁶⁷Shechem, the city of refuge in the hills of Ephraim, Gezer, ⁶⁸Jokmeam, Beth Horon, ⁶⁹Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon. ⁷⁰In the territory of West Manasseh they were assigned the towns of Aner and Bileam with the surrounding pasture lands.

⁷¹The families of the clan of Gershon were assigned the following towns, with the surrounding pasture lands:

In the territory of East Manasseh: Golan in Bashan, and Ashtaroth.

⁷²In the territory of Issachar: Kedesh, Daberath, ⁷³Ramoth, and Anem.

⁷⁴In the territory of Asher: Mashal, Abdon, ⁷⁵Hukok, and Rehob.

⁷⁶In the territory of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim.

⁷⁷The remaining families of the clan of Merari were assigned the following towns with the surrounding pasture lands:

In the territory of Zebulun: Rimmono and Tabor.

⁷⁸In the territory of Reuben, east of the River Jordan beyond Jericho: Bezer on the plateau, Jahzah, ⁷⁹Kedemoth, and Mephaath.

⁸⁰In the territory of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, ⁸¹Heshbon, and Jazer.