1 Chronicles 24-26
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Divisions of the Priests
24 The divisions of the descendants of Aaron were as follows: Aaron’s sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.(A) 2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and they had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.(B) 3 Together with Zadok(C) from the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech from the sons of Ithamar, David divided them according to the assigned duties of their service. 4 Since more leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than Ithamar’s, they were divided accordingly: 16 heads of ancestral houses were from Eleazar’s descendants, and eight heads of ancestral houses were from Ithamar’s. 5 They(D) were assigned by lot, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants.
6 The secretary, Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded them in the presence of the king and the officers, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech(E) son of Abiathar, and the heads of families of the priests and the Levites. One ancestral house was taken for Eleazar, and then one for Ithamar.
7 The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,
8 the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,
9 the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,
10 the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,(F)
11 the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,
12 the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,
13 the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,
14 the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,
15 the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez,
16 the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel,
17 the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul,
18 the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.
19 These had their assigned duties for service when they entered the Lord’s temple, according to their regulations, which they received from their ancestor Aaron, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.
The Rest of the Levites
20 As for the rest of Levi’s sons:
from Amram’s sons: Shubael;
from Shubael’s sons: Jehdeiah.
21 From Rehabiah:
from Rehabiah’s sons: Isshiah was the first.
22 From the Izharites: Shelomoth;
from Shelomoth’s sons: Jahath.
23 Hebron’s[a](G) sons:
Jeriah the first, Amariah the second,
Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
24 From Uzziel’s sons: Micah;
from Micah’s sons: Shamir.
25 Micah’s brother: Isshiah;
from Isshiah’s sons: Zechariah.
26 Merari’s sons: Mahli and Mushi,
and from his sons, Jaaziah his son.[b]
27 Merari’s sons, by his son Jaaziah:[c]
Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.
28 From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.
29 From Kish, from Kish’s sons: Jerahmeel.
30 Mushi’s sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.
Those were the sons of the Levites according to their ancestral houses. 31 They also cast lots the same way as their relatives the sons of Aaron did in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the families of the priests and Levites—the family heads and their younger brothers alike.(H)
The Levitical Musicians
25 David and the officers of the army also set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman,(I) and Jeduthun, who were to prophesy(J) accompanied by lyres, harps, and cymbals.(K) This is the list of the men who performed their service:
2 From Asaph’s sons:
Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah, sons of Asaph, under Asaph’s authority, who prophesied under the authority of the king.
3 From Jeduthun:(L) Jeduthun’s sons:
Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei,[d] Hashabiah, and Mattithiah—six—under the authority of their father Jeduthun, prophesying to the accompaniment of lyres, giving thanks and praise to the Lord.
4 From Heman: Heman’s sons:
Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. 5 All these sons of Heman, the king’s seer,(M) were given by the promises of God to exalt him,[e] for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
6 All these men were under their own fathers’ authority for the music in the Lord’s temple, with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of God’s temple. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the king’s authority. 7 They numbered 288 together with their relatives who were all trained and skillful in music for the Lord. 8 They cast lots for their duties, young and old alike, teacher as well as pupil.(N)
| 9 The first lot for Asaph fell to Joseph, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| to Gedaliah the second: him, his brothers, and his sons— | 12 |
| 10 the third to Zaccur, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 11 the fourth to Izri,[f] his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 12 the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 13 the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 14 the seventh to Jesarelah, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 15 the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 16 the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 17 the tenth to Shimei, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 18 the eleventh to Azarel,[g] his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 19 the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 20 the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 21 the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 22 the fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 23 the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 24 the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 25 the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 26 the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 27 the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 28 the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 29 the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 30 the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons, and his brothers— | 12 |
| 31 and the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer, his sons, and his brothers— | 12. |
The Levitical Gatekeepers
26 The following were the divisions of the gatekeepers:
From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.
2 Meshelemiah had sons:
Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second,
Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,
3 Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth,
and Eliehoenai the seventh.
4 Obed-edom also had sons:
Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second,
Joah the third, Sachar the fourth,
Nethanel the fifth, 5 Ammiel the sixth,
Issachar the seventh, and Peullethai the eighth,
for God blessed him.
6 Also, to his son Shemaiah were born sons who ruled over their ancestral houses because they were strong, capable men.
7 Shemaiah’s sons: Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad; his brothers Elihu and Semachiah were also capable men. 8 All of these were among the sons of Obed-edom with their sons and brothers; they were capable men with strength for the work—62 from Obed-edom.
9 Meshelemiah also had sons and brothers who were capable men—18.
10 Hosah,(O) from the Merarites, also had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him as the first), 11 Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and brothers of Hosah were 13 in all.
12 These divisions of the gatekeepers, under their leading men, had duties for ministering in the Lord’s temple, just as their brothers did. 13 They cast lots for each gate according to their ancestral houses, young and old alike.(P)
14 The lot for the east gate fell to Shelemiah.[h] They also cast lots for his son Zechariah, an insightful counselor, and his lot came out for the north gate. 15 Obed-edom’s was the south gate, and his sons’ lot was for the storehouses; 16 it was the west gate and the gate of Shallecheth on the ascending highway for Shuppim and Hosah.
There were guards stationed at every watch. 17 There were six Levites each day[i] on the east, four each day on the north, four each day on the south, and two pair at the storehouses. 18 As for the court on the west, there were four at the highway and two at the court. 19 Those were the divisions of the gatekeepers from the sons of the Korahites and Merarites.
The Levitical Treasurers and Other Officials
20 From the Levites, Ahijah was in charge of the treasuries of God’s temple and the treasuries of what had been dedicated.(Q) 21 From the sons of Ladan, who were the sons of the Gershonites through Ladan and were the heads of families belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli. 22 The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel, were in charge of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.
23 From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites: 24 Shebuel, a descendant of Moses’ son Gershom, was the officer in charge of the treasuries. 25 His relative through Eliezer: his son Rehabiah, his son Jeshaiah, his son Joram, his son Zichri, and his son Shelomith.[j] 26 This Shelomith[k] and his brothers were in charge of all the treasuries of what had been dedicated by King David,(R) by the heads of families who were the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and by the army commanders. 27 They dedicated part of the plunder from their battles for the repair of the Lord’s temple. 28 All that Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah had dedicated, along with everything else that had been dedicated, were in the care of Shelomith[l] and his brothers.
29 From the Izrahites: Chenaniah and his sons had the outside duties(S) as officers and judges(T) over Israel. 30 From the Hebronites: Hashabiah(U) and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, had assigned duties in Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the Lord and for the service of the king. 31 From the Hebronites: Jerijah(V) was the head of the Hebronites, according to the genealogical records of his ancestors. A search was made in the fortieth year of David’s reign and strong, capable men were found among them at Jazer(W) in Gilead. 32 There were among Jerijah’s relatives, 2,700 capable men who were heads of families. King David appointed them over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh as overseers in every matter relating to God and the king.(X)
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 24:23 Some Hb mss, some LXX mss; other Hb mss omit Hebron’s; 1Ch 23:19
- 1 Chronicles 24:26 Or Mushi; Jaaziah’s sons: Beno.
- 1 Chronicles 24:27 Or sons, Jaaziah: Beno,
- 1 Chronicles 25:3 One Hb ms, LXX; other Hb mss omit Shimei
- 1 Chronicles 25:5 Or Him; lit by the words of God to lift a horn
- 1 Chronicles 25:11 Variant of Zeri
- 1 Chronicles 25:18 Variant of Uzziel
- 1 Chronicles 26:14 Variant of Meshelemiah
- 1 Chronicles 26:17 LXX; MT omits each day
- 1 Chronicles 26:25 Or Shelomoth
- 1 Chronicles 26:26 Or Shelomoth
- 1 Chronicles 26:28 Or Shelomoth
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