TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

I - Chapter 25

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1David and the officers of the army set apart for service the sons of Asaf, of Hayman, and of Yedutun, who prophesied to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The list of men who performed this work, according to their service, was:

אוַיַּבְדֵּל דָּוִיד וְשָׂרֵי הַצָּבָא לַעֲבֹדָה לִבְנֵי אָסָף וְהֵימָן וִידוּתוּן הנביאים [הַנִּבְּאִים] בְּכִנֹּרוֹת בִּנְבָלִים וּבִמְצִלְתָּיִם וַיְהִי מִסְפָּרָם אַנְשֵׁי מְלָאכָה לַעֲבֹדָתָם׃

2Sons of Asaf: Zaccur, Yosef, Nethaniah, and Asarelah—sons of Asaf under the charge of Asaf, who prophesied by order of the king.

בלִבְנֵי אָסָף זַכּוּר וְיוֹסֵף וּנְתַנְיָה וַאֲשַׂרְאֵלָה בְּנֵי אָסָף עַל יַד־אָסָף הַנִּבָּא עַל־יְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃

3Yedutun—the sons of Yedutun: Gedalia, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, Mattithiah—6, under the charge of their father Yedutun, who, accompanied on the harp, prophesied, praising and extolling Hashem.

גלִידוּתוּן בְּנֵי יְדוּתוּן גְּדַלְיָהוּ וּצְרִי וִישַׁעְיָהוּ חֲשַׁבְיָהוּ וּמַתִּתְיָהוּ שִׁשָּׁה עַל יְדֵי אֲבִיהֶם יְדוּתוּן בַּכִּנּוֹר הַנִּבָּא עַל־הֹדוֹת וְהַלֵּל לַיהֹוָה׃

4Hayman—the sons of Hayman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Chananya, Chanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth;

דלְהֵימָן בְּנֵי הֵימָן בֻּקִּיָּהוּ מַתַּנְיָהוּ עֻזִּיאֵל שְׁבוּאֵל וִירִימוֹת חֲנַנְיָה חֲנָנִי אֱלִיאָתָה גִדַּלְתִּי וְרֹמַמְתִּי עֶזֶר יָשְׁבְּקָשָׁה מַלּוֹתִי הוֹתִיר מַחֲזִיאוֹת׃

5all these were sons of Hayman, the seer of the king, [who uttered] prophecies of Hashem for His greater glory. Hashem gave Hayman fourteen sons and three daughters;

הכָּל־אֵלֶּה בָנִים לְהֵימָן חֹזֵה הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּדִבְרֵי הָאֱלֹהִים לְהָרִים קָרֶן וַיִּתֵּן הָאֱלֹהִים לְהֵימָן בָּנִים אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר וּבָנוֹת שָׁלוֹשׁ׃

6all these were under the charge of their father for the singing in the House of Hashem, to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps, and lyres, for the service of the House of Hashem by order of the king. Asaf, Yedutun, and Hayman—

וכָּל־אֵלֶּה עַל־יְדֵי אֲבִיהֶם בַּשִּׁיר בֵּית יְהֹוָה בִּמְצִלְתַּיִם נְבָלִים וְכִנֹּרוֹת לַעֲבֹדַת בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים עַל יְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אָסָף וִידוּתוּן וְהֵימָן׃

7their total number with their kinsmen, trained singers of Hashem—all the masters, 288.

זוַיְהִי מִסְפָּרָם עִם־אֲחֵיהֶם מְלֻמְּדֵי־שִׁיר לַיהֹוָה כָּל־הַמֵּבִין מָאתַיִם שְׁמוֹנִים וּשְׁמוֹנָה׃

8They cast lots for shifts on the principle of “small and great alike, like master like apprentice.”

va-ya-PEE-lu go-ra-LOT mish-ME-ret l'-u-MAT ka-ka-TON ka-ga-DOL may-VEEN im tal-MEED

חוַיַּפִּילוּ גּוֹרָלוֹת מִשְׁמֶרֶת לְעֻמַּת כַּקָּטֹן כַּגָּדוֹל מֵבִין עִם־תַּלְמִיד׃

 25:8   They cast lots

The Leviim are to sing and prepare the sacrifices in the Beit Hamikdash in Yerushalayim. Just as the Kohanim, who actually perform the sacrificial order, are divided into twenty-four separate groups and then ordered by lot, so too the Leviim, who sing praises of God as accompaniment to the sacrifices, are also divided into twenty-four groups and ordered by lot. The Sages (Rosh Hashana 31a) enumerate the particular Psalms the Leviim would sing each day while the daily sacrifices were offered. As a remembrance of this recitation by the Leviim, Jews recite these same psalms, referred to as the “Song of the Day,” at the conclusion of the morning prayers. The Sages (Sofrim 18:2) further teach that anyone one who mentions these verses on the proper day is considered as having built a new altar and offered a sacrifice on it.

9The first lot fell to Asaf—to Yosef; the second, to Gedalia, he and his brothers and his sons—12;

טוַיֵּצֵא הַגּוֹרָל הָרִאשׁוֹן לְאָסָף לְיוֹסֵף גְּדַלְיָהוּ הַשֵּׁנִי הוּא־וְאֶחָיו וּבָנָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

10the third, to Zaccur: his sons and his brothers—12;

יהַשְּׁלִשִׁי זַכּוּר בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

11the fourth, to Izri: his sons and his brothers—12;

יאהָרְבִיעִי לַיִּצְרִי בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

12the fifth, to Nethaniah: his sons and his brothers—12;

יבהַחֲמִישִׁי נְתַנְיָהוּ בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

13the sixth, to Bukkiah: his sons and his brothers—12;

יגהַשִּׁשִּׁי בֻקִּיָּהוּ בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

14the seventh, to Jesarelah: his sons and his brothers—12;

ידהַשְּׁבִעִי יְשַׂרְאֵלָה בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

15the eighth, to Jeshaiah: his sons and his brothers—12;

טוהַשְּׁמִינִי יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

16the ninth, to Mattaniah: his sons and his brothers—12;

טזהַתְּשִׁיעִי מַתַּנְיָהוּ בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

17the tenth, to Shim'i: his sons and his brothers—12;

יזהָעֲשִׂירִי שִׁמְעִי בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

18the eleventh to Azarel: his sons and his brothers—12;

יחעַשְׁתֵּי־עָשָׂר עֲזַרְאֵל בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

19the twelfth, to Hashabiah: his sons and his brothers—12;

יטהַשְּׁנֵים עָשָׂר לַחֲשַׁבְיָה בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

20the thirteenth, to Shubael: his sons and his brothers—12;

כלִשְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר שׁוּבָאֵל בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

21the fourteenth, to Mattithiah: his sons and his brothers—12;

כאלְאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר מַתִּתְיָהוּ בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

22the fifteenth, to Jeremoth: his sons and his brothers—12;

כבלַחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר לִירֵמוֹת בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

23the sixteenth, to Chananya: his sons and his brothers—12;

כגלְשִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר לַחֲנַנְיָהוּ בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

24the seventeenth, to Joshbekashah: his sons and his brothers—12;

כדלְשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר לְיָשְׁבְּקָשָׁה בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

25the eighteenth, to Chanani: his sons and his brothers—12;

כהלִשְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר לַחֲנָנִי בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

26the nineteenth, to Mallothi: his sons and his brothers—12;

כולְתִשְׁעָה עָשָׂר לְמַלּוֹתִי בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

27the twentieth, to Eliathah: his sons and his brothers—12;

כזלְעֶשְׂרִים לֶאֱלִיָּתָה בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

28the twenty-first, to Hothir: his sons and his brothers—12;

כחלְאֶחָד וְעֶשְׂרִים לְהוֹתִיר בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

29the twenty-second, to Giddalti: his sons and his brothers—12;

כטלִשְׁנַיִם וְעֶשְׂרִים לְגִדַּלְתִּי בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

30the twenty-third, to Mahazioth: his sons and his brothers—12;

ללִשְׁלֹשָׁה וְעֶשְׂרִים לְמַחֲזִיאוֹת בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

31the twenty-fourth, to Romamti-ezer: his sons and his brothers—12.

לאלְאַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים לְרוֹמַמְתִּי עָזֶר בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃