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1 Chronicles chapter 23 in Hebrew and English

32 verses, about 4 minutes to read aloud. The Hebrew has its vowel points and the English stands under each verse.

The whole chapter is here, a verse to a line.

וְדָוִיד זָקֵן וְשָׂבַע יָמִים וַיַּמְלֵךְ אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹה בְנוֹ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Now David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

וַיֶּאֱסֹף אֶת־כָּל־שָׂרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּֽם׃

And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

וַיִּסָּפְרוּ הַלְוִיִּם מִבֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וָמָעְלָה וַיְהִי מִסְפָּרָם לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם לִגְבָרִים שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁמוֹנָה אָֽלֶף׃

And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.

מֵאֵלֶּה לְנַצֵּחַ עַל־מְלֶאכֶת בֵּית־יְהוָה עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה אָלֶף וְשֹׁטְרִים וְשֹׁפְטִים שֵׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִֽים׃

Of these, twenty and four thousand were to oversee the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges;

וְאַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים שֹׁעֲרִים וְאַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים מְהַלְלִים לַיהוָה בַּכֵּלִים אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי לְהַלֵּֽל׃

and four thousand were doorkeepers; and four thousand praised the LORD ‘with the instruments which I made to praise therewith.’

וַיֶּחָלְקֵם דָּוִיד מַחְלְקוֹת לִבְנֵי לֵוִי לְגֵרְשׁוֹן קְהָת וּמְרָרִֽי׃

And David divided them into courses according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

לַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּי לַעְדָּן וְשִׁמְעִֽי׃

Of the Gershonites: Ladan, and Shimei.

בְּנֵי לַעְדָּן הָרֹאשׁ יְחִיאֵל וְזֵתָם וְיוֹאֵל שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃

The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

בְּנֵי שִׁמְעִי שְׁלוֹמִית וַחֲזִיאֵל וְהָרָן שְׁלֹשָׁה אֵלֶּה רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לְלַעְדָּֽן׃

The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’houses of Ladan.

וּבְנֵי שִׁמְעִי יַחַת זִינָא וִיעוּשׁ וּבְרִיעָה אֵלֶּה בְנֵי־שִׁמְעִי אַרְבָּעָֽה׃

And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

וַיְהִי־יַחַת הָרֹאשׁ וְזִיזָה הַשֵּׁנִי וִיעוּשׁ וּבְרִיעָה לֹא־הִרְבּוּ בָנִים וַיִּהְיוּ לְבֵית אָב לִפְקֻדָּה אֶחָֽת׃

And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they became a fathers’house in one reckoning.

בְּנֵי קְהָת עַמְרָם יִצְהָר חֶבְרוֹן וְעֻזִּיאֵל אַרְבָּעָֽה׃

The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.

בְּנֵי עַמְרָם אַהֲרֹן וּמֹשֶׁה וַיִּבָּדֵל אַהֲרֹן לְהַקְדִּישׁוֹ קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הוּא־וּבָנָיו עַד־עוֹלָם לְהַקְטִיר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה לְשָׁרְתוֹ וּלְבָרֵךְ בִּשְׁמוֹ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃

The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was separated, that he should be sanctified as most holy, he and his sons for ever, to offer before the LORD, to minister unto Him, and to bless in His name for ever.

וּמֹשֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים בָּנָיו יִקָּרְאוּ עַל־שֵׁבֶט הַלֵּוִֽי׃

But as for Moses the man of God, his sons are named among the tribe of Levi.

בְּנֵי מֹשֶׁה גֵּרְשֹׁם וֶאֱלִיעֶֽזֶר׃

The sons of Moses: Gershom, and Eliezer.

בְּנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹם שְׁבוּאֵל הָרֹֽאשׁ׃

The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.

וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי־אֱלִיעֶזֶר רְחַבְיָה הָרֹאשׁ וְלֹא־הָיָה לֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר בָּנִים אֲחֵרִים וּבְנֵי רְחַבְיָה רָבוּ לְמָֽעְלָה׃

And the sons of Eliezer were: Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had no other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

בְּנֵי יִצְהָר שְׁלֹמִית הָרֹֽאשׁ׃

The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.

בְּנֵי חֶבְרוֹן יְרִיָּהוּ הָרֹאשׁ אֲמַרְיָה הַשֵּׁנִי יַחֲזִיאֵל הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וִיקַמְעָם הָרְבִיעִֽי׃

The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

בְּנֵי עֻזִּיאֵל מִיכָה הָרֹאשׁ וְיִשִּׁיָּה הַשֵּׁנִֽי׃

The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief, and Isshiah the second.

בְּנֵי מְרָרִי מַחְלִי וּמוּשִׁי בְּנֵי מַחְלִי אֶלְעָזָר וְקִֽישׁ׃

The sons of Merari: Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar, and Kish.

וַיָּמָת אֶלְעָזָר וְלֹא־הָיוּ לוֹ בָּנִים כִּי אִם־בָּנוֹת וַיִּשָּׂאוּם בְּנֵי־קִישׁ אֲחֵיהֶֽם׃

And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only; and their brethren the sons of Kish took them to wife.

בְּנֵי מוּשִׁי מַחְלִי וְעֵדֶר וִירֵמוֹת שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃

The sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

אֵלֶּה בְנֵי־לֵוִי לְבֵית אֲבֹתֵיהֶם רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לִפְקוּדֵיהֶם בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם עֹשֵׂה הַמְּלָאכָה לַעֲבֹדַת בֵּית יְהוָה מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמָֽעְלָה׃

These were the sons of Levi after their fathers’houses, even the heads of the fathers’houses, according to their muster, in the number of names by their polls, who did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from twenty years old and upward.

כִּי אָמַר דָּוִיד הֵנִיחַ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעַמּוֹ וַיִּשְׁכֹּן בִּירוּשָׁלִַם עַד־לְעוֹלָֽם׃

For David said: ‘The LORD, the God of Israel, hath given rest unto His people, and He dwelleth in Jerusalem for ever;

וְגַם לַלְוִיִּם אֵין־לָשֵׂאת אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְאֶת־כָּל־כֵּלָיו לַעֲבֹדָתֽוֹ׃

and also the Levites shall no more have need to carry the tabernacle and all the vessels of it for the service thereof.’

כִּי בְדִבְרֵי דָוִיד הָאַחֲרֹנִים הֵמָּה מִסְפַּר בְּנֵי־לֵוִי מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וּלְמָֽעְלָה׃

For by the last ordinances of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward.

כִּי מַעֲמָדָם לְיַד־בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן לַעֲבֹדַת בֵּית יְהוָה עַל־הַחֲצֵרוֹת וְעַל־הַלְּשָׁכוֹת וְעַל־טָהֳרַת לְכָל־קֹדֶשׁ וּמַעֲשֵׂה עֲבֹדַת בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃

For their station was at the side of the sons of Aaron for 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;

וּלְלֶחֶם הַמַּעֲרֶכֶת וּלְסֹלֶת לְמִנְחָה וְלִרְקִיקֵי הַמַּצּוֹת וְלַמַּחֲבַת וְלַמֻּרְבָּכֶת וּלְכָל־מְשׂוּרָה וּמִדָּֽה׃

for the showbread also, and for the fine flour for a meal-offering, whether of unleavened wafers, or of that which is baked on the griddle, or of that which is soaked, and for all manner of measure and size;

וְלַעֲמֹד בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר לְהֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל לַיהוָה וְכֵן לָעָֽרֶב׃

and to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even;

וּלְכֹל הַעֲלוֹת עֹלוֹת לַיהוָה לַשַּׁבָּתוֹת לֶחֳדָשִׁים וְלַמֹּעֲדִים בְּמִסְפָּר כְּמִשְׁפָּט עֲלֵיהֶם תָּמִיד לִפְנֵי יְהוָֽה׃

and to offer all burnt-offerings unto the LORD, on the sabbaths, on the new moons, and in the appointed seasons, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually, before the LORD;

וְשָׁמְרוּ אֶת־מִשְׁמֶרֶת אֹהֶל־מוֹעֵד וְאֵת מִשְׁמֶרֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ וּמִשְׁמֶרֶת בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן אֲחֵיהֶם לַעֲבֹדַת בֵּית יְהוָֽה׃

and that they should keep the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, for the service of the house of the LORD.

The Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex, free to view and copy, compared letter by letter with a second edition, Miqra according to the Masorah, under the CC BY-SA licence. The English is the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, in the public domain.

Where this chapter stands in the Tanakh.

  • Chapter 23 of the 29 chapters of 1 Chronicles
  • 1 Chronicles is one of the Writings
  • 32 verses, 333 words, about 4 minutes to read

1 Chronicles has 29 chapters, and each one has its own page.

All of 1 Chronicles·All the books of the Tanakh·Psalms and prayers

Questions about this chapter

How many verses does 1 Chronicles chapter 23 have?

1 Chronicles chapter 23 has 32 verses and 333 words.

How does 1 Chronicles chapter 23 begin?

The first verse begins in Hebrew with the words ודויד זקן ושבע ימים.

Where does 1 Chronicles chapter 23 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 23 of the 29 chapters of 1 Chronicles, which is one of the Writings.

How long does it take to read 1 Chronicles chapter 23?

About 4 minutes, at a steady pace.