Study Desk

For David said, " Adonai the God of Isra'el has given rest to his people, and he lives in Yerushalayim forever.

The L'vi'im will no longer have to carry the tabernacle and all the equipment that goes with it for its service."

For, according to David's last instructions, the descendants of Levi twenty years old and over were to be counted.

They were to assist with the showbread and the finely ground flour needed for grain offerings, no matter whether of matzah, pan-baked bread or mixed with oil, and no matter what shape or size.

They were to be present regularly before Adonai whenever burnt offerings were offered to Adonai on Shabbat, at Rosh-Hodesh, and at the other designated times, in the numbers required by the rules for sacrifices.

Finally, for the service in the house of Adonai they were to perform their duties in relation to the tent of meeting, the Holy Place and their kinsmen the descendants of Aharon.

David, together with Tzadok from the descendants of El‘azar, and Achimelekh from the descendants of Itamar, arranged them in divisions for service.

Sh'ma‘yah the son of N'tan'el the secretary, one of the L'vi'im, recorded them in the presence of the king, the officers, Tzadok the cohen, Achimelekh the son of Evyatar, and the clan leaders of the cohanim and of the L'vi'im — with two clan divisions taken from El‘azar for each one from Itamar.

The first lot drawn was for Y'hoyariv, the second for Y'da‘yah,

the third for Harim, the fourth for S‘orim,

the fifth for Malkiyah, the sixth for Miyamin,

the seventh for Hakotz, the eighth for Aviyah,

the ninth for Yeshua, the tenth for Sh'khanyahu,

the eleventh for Elyashiv, the twelfth for Yakim,

the thirteenth for Hupah, the fourteenth for Yeshev'av,

the fifteenth for Bilgah, the sixteenth for Immer,

the seventeenth for Hezir, the eighteenth for HaPitzetz

the nineteenth for P'tachyah, the twentieth for Yechezk'el,

the twenty-first for Yakhin, the twenty-second for Gamul,

the twenty-third for D'layahu, and the twenty-fourth for Ma‘azyahu.