He said to them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim’s leftover grapes ¹  are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest! ² 

There was a young man from Bethlehem ¹  in Judah. He was a Levite who had been temporarily residing among the tribe of Judah. ² 

Then the Israelites dispersed from there to their respective tribal and clan territories. Each went from there to his own property. ¹ 

The clans of Merari’s descendants were allotted twelve cities within the territory of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. ¹ 

These were the descendants of Rapha who lived in Gath; they were killed ¹  by the hand of David and his soldiers. ² 

The sons of Gershon, by their families, were Libni and Shimei.

So you must consecrate the fiftieth year, ¹  and you must proclaim a release ²  in the land for all its inhabitants. That year will be your jubilee; ³  each one of you must return ⁴  to his property and each one of you must return to his clan.

The sons of Kohath by their families were: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

Now the leader ¹  of the clan ²  of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.

Now the leader of the clan of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.

This is the service of the families of Gershonites, as they serve ¹  and carry it.

Those numbered from the Gershonites, by their families and by their clans,

Those numbered from the families of the Merarites, by their families, by their clans,

those of them numbered by their families were 3,200.

and if his father has no brothers, then you are to give his inheritance to his relative nearest to him from his family, and he will possess it. This will be for the Israelites a legal requirement, ¹  as the Lord commanded Moses.’”

Then the heads of the family groups ¹  of the Gileadites, the descendant of Machir, the descendant of Manasseh, who were from the Josephite families, approached and spoke before Moses ²  and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families. ³ 

Beware that the heart of no man, woman, clan, or tribe among you turns away from the Lord our God today to pursue and serve the gods of those nations; beware that there is among you no root producing poisonous and bitter fruit. ¹ 

The Gershonite clans received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.

They said to him, “Shut up! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us! You can be our adviser ¹  and priest. Wouldn’t it be better to be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for just one man’s family?” ² 

Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and is not my family clan the smallest of all the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?”