1 David was old when he chose his son Solomon to be king of Israel.
2 Some time later, David called together all of Israel's leaders, priests, and Levites.
3 He then counted the Levite men who were at least thirty years old, and the total was thirty-eight thousand.
4 He said, “Twenty-four thousand of the Levites will be in charge of the temple, six thousand will be temple officials and judges,
5 four thousand will be guards at the temple, and four thousand will praise the Lord by playing the musical instruments I have given them.”
6 David then divided the Levites into three groups according to the clans of Levi's sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.