1 Chronicles 24-26

The Voice

24 Because Aaron’s family was set apart by God for the service of the temple, his family’s genealogy is separated from the other Levites. The Aaronites were divided into families based on the sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ² The two oldest, Nadab and Abihu, died before their father did, and they had no sons. So Aaron’s youngest sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, became the priests.

³ King David, with the help of Zadok (from the line of Eleazar) and Ahimelech (from the line of Ithamar), divided the Levites by the duties they performed in the temple. ⁴ Since the descendants of Eleazar boasted more chiefs than the descendants of Ithamar did, the three men divided the Levites accordingly. In Eleazar’s line, sixteen families were distinguished, in Ithamar’s line, eight families were distinguished. ⁵ The divisions were determined by a system of lots, one way that God’s will was revealed to men. The descendants of Eleazar and Ithamar filled two positions: officers of the sanctuary and officers of God.

⁶ Shemaiah (son of Nethanel the scribe, a Levite) recorded the results of the lots in front of the king, the princes, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech (son of Abiathar), and the heads of the Levite families. As the men drew their lots, they formed two lines: one representing the line of Eleazar and one representing the line of Ithamar. ⁷ Now the first lot went 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, 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 They performed their appointed offices when they entered the temple of the Eternal in two-week shifts each year as the law requires according to the Eternal God of Israel’s command through their father Aaron. The rest of the year, the Levites served God in their hometowns.

²⁰ This is the continuation of the Levites from Kohath’s line: Shubael (son of Amram) fathered Jehdeiah. ²¹ Rehabiah (son of Eliezer) fathered Isshiah (the first). ²² Shelomoth (son of Izhar) fathered Jahath. ²³ Hebron (son of Kohath) fathered Jeriah first, Amariah second, Jahaziel third, and Jekameam fourth. ²⁴ Micah (son of Uzziel) fathered Shamir. ²⁵ Isshiah (brother of Micah) fathered Zechariah.

^26-27 From Merari’s line were Mahli and Mushi; Jaaziah fathered Beno, Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri. ²⁸ Mahli fathered Eleazar, who had no sons. ²⁹ Kish fathered Jerahmeel. ^30-31 Mushi fathered Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These Levites, according to their families, also determined their divisions by the system of lots (as their relatives, the sons of Aaron had done) in the presence of King David, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech, and the leaders of the priests’ families and of the Levites (the leaders of all the families and those of his younger brother).

25 David and the heads of the Levites, also known as the commanders of the army, selected for the service some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. These men were expected to serve in the temple by prophesying with lyres, harps, and cymbals. These are the singers who performed these duties in order of their descent. ² The sons of Asaph (Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah) were directed by Asaph who prophesied because the king appointed him that duty. ³ The six sons of Jeduthun (Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah) were directed by their father Jeduthun who used the harp to prophesy, as well as to testify about the Eternal. ^4-5 The 14 sons of Heman the king’s prophet were Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. His many sons and three daughters gave Heman prominence before God. ^6-7 All these were directed by their father to sing with cymbals, harps, and lyres in the temple of the Eternal. These three families, 288 of whom were musically skilled, worked in the temple singing to the Eternal, but they served the king.

⁸ All of these men, the weak and the mighty, the students and the teachers, used a system of lots to determine their duties. These are the singers who performed in the temple in order of their duties: ^9-31 Joseph (son of Asaph) drew the first lot; and the other singers drew lots in this order, second through 24th: Gedaliah, Zaccur, Izri, Nethaniah, Bukkiah, Jesharelah, Jeshaiah, Mattaniah, Shimei, Azarel, Hashabiah, Shubael, Mattithiah, Jeremoth, Hananiah, Joshbekashah, Hanani, Mallothi, Eliathah, Hothir, Giddalti, Mahazioth, and finally, Romamti-ezer. Each man who drew a lot represented 12 men, including his sons, his brothers, and himself, and these 24 groups served in the temple two weeks each year as the Levites did.

26 The duties of the Levite gatekeepers were performed by the Korahites, specifically by the descendants of Meshelemiah (Kore’s son, of the sons of Asaph).

² Meshelemiah fathered sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, ³ Elam the fifth, Johanan the sixth, and Eliehoenai the seventh.

^4-5 God blessed Obed-edom, another gatekeeper, with sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, and Peullethai the eighth. ⁶ Obed-edom’s son Shemaiah fathered sons who ruled their family, for they were mighty warriors. ⁷ They were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad, whose brothers (Elihu and Semachiah) were valiant men. ⁸ These and their relatives were the lineage of Obed-edom; all were capable men with strength for the service in the temple, and 62 from this family served.

⁹ Meshelemiah had other sons and relatives, 18 valiant men.

¹⁰ Hosah (one of the sons of Merari) fathered sons who served as gatekeepers: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn son, his father made him the primary inheritor), ¹¹ Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth. These sons plus Hosah’s other brothers numbered 13.

¹² All these divisions of gatekeepers, the chief men, performed specific duties (similar to their relatives’ duties) when ministering in the temple of the Eternal. ¹³ Like the other divisions, the weak and the mighty, the students and the teachers, used a system of lots to determine which gates they would guard according to their family lineage.

¹⁴ The eastern gate went to the family of Shelemiah. Since his family was larger than Obed-edom’s and Shuppim’s, Shelemiah’s son Zechariah also drew lots for control of a gate. Zechariah, a prudent counselor, received control of the northern gate. ¹⁵ Obed-edom received control of the southern gate, and his sons went to work the temple storehouse within the gates. ¹⁶ Shuppim and Hosah were together given the western gate (which is near the gate of Shallecheth, on the ascending road). The guards stood side by side at their posts. ¹⁷ Each day six Levites guarded the east side, four guarded the north, and four guarded the south. The storehouses were guarded in shifts, two by two. ¹⁸ At the Parbar, a building adjacent to the temple on the western side, four guarded the highway and two guarded the Parbar itself. ¹⁹ These were the duties of the Korahite and Merarite gatekeepers.

²⁰ Other Levites, relatives of the Korahites and Merarites, were^[a] over the treasury—both the temple’s treasures and the sacred treasures. ²¹ The sons of Ladan (son of Gershon), specifically the Jehielites, were the leaders of the families descended from Ladan the Gershonite. ²² Jehieli’s sons, Zetham and Joel his brother, were in charge of the treasures in the temple of the Eternal. ²³ The Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites performed other duties in the temple. ²⁴ Shebuel (son of Gershom, the son of Moses), was the ruler of the treasures. ²⁵ His relative, Eliezer, had five sons in the service of the treasury: Rehabiah, Jeshaiah, Joram, Zichri, and Shelomoth. ²⁶ Shelomoth and his relatives were in charge of all the dedicated treasures which King David, the tribal leaders, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and the commanders of the army had dedicated after their battles. ²⁷ Part of their spoils won in battles were used to repair the house of the Eternal, which was the congregation tent at that time. ²⁸ Others who dedicated spoils to the treasury included Samuel the seer, Saul (son of Kish), Abner (son of Ner), and Joab (son of Zeruiah). All of the holdings of dedicated gifts in the treasury were cared for by Shelomoth and his relatives.

²⁹ The Izharites acted as officers and judges throughout Israel. Chenaniah and his sons were given the duty of protecting the people outside of the temple.

³⁰ The Hebronites oversaw Israel’s duties east and west of the Jordan River. Hashabiah and his relatives—1,700 capable men—performed such duties for the Eternal and in the service of the king to the west of the river. ³¹ The Hebronites who were led by Jerijah were evaluated according to their lineage during David’s 40th year as king. Many of them were deemed great men, especially those at Jazer of Gilead. ³² Jerijah and his relatives, these capable men, numbered 2,700 and were the leaders of their families. Because of their exceptional abilities, King David made them overseers of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites, all located east of the Jordan River, watching how these tribes behaved toward their God and king.